Mel Gibson, 50, was third-worst celebrity with 12%, surely the result of his anti-Semitic tirade at police in Malibu, California, during his arrest on suspicion of drunken driving. He later apologised and said he harboured no animosity toward Jews.

Talk show queen Oprah Winfrey edged out Michael J Fox as the best celeb role model.

Actor George Clooney, who has been advocating for refugees in the war-ravaged Darfur region of Sudan, finished third with 12%.

The telephone poll of 1,004 adults was conducted between December 19 and 21 by Ipsos, an international polling firm.

Britney loses fans - Dec 28 2006
It’s been a tough year for Britney Spears and now it seems even her die-hard fans are deserting her.

The fan website WorldOfBritney.com, which was been charting the life and music of the songstress since 2000, has decided to close down. And not for budgetary reasons.

The webmaster Ruben Garay writes: "As Britney keeps losing her identity and credibility within fans and industry people, so is [this website]."

He continues: "I believe Britney is unfortunately done (for me at least). No matter what anyone thinks or how they may disagree, it’s very hard to maintain the respect needed to keep things going."

Whilst the news won’t directly affect the star, it should make her think about her desired comeback album and whether her time away and subsequent behaviour has put off her core group of record buyers.

As for Garay, he is moving onto another celebrity, whilst apparently still liking Brit "as a human being".

So, it’s not all bad then...

Britney’s Christmas gift to herself - Dec 21 2006
Britney Spears has decided to wish herself a happy Christmas this year by moving herself and her two sons into a lavish Beverly Hills mansion, which reportedly cost a whopping 7.2 million dollars (£3.7 million).

Having waved goodbye to Fed-Ex and the Malibu mansion the couple shared during their two-year marriage, Britney is expected to spend Christmas in her new Mediterranean-style home, situated in a gated community near Mulholland Drive in Beverly Hills.

According to People.com, the 7,453-sq ft house has five bedrooms, six-and-a-half bathrooms, a pool, media room, library and a terrace with a panoramic view of LA.

Apparently not wanting to waste any time waiting for her new pad to be decorated, Britney is even rumoured to have kept previous owner’s furniture.

High-profile neighbours include Gavin Rossdale and Gwen Stefani, who recently bought a house round the corner once owned by Jennifer Lopez, according to reports.

But, despite changing her postcode, Britney is not entirely free of K-Fed, according to InTouch Weekly.

The magazine reports that the struggling rapper was left out in the cold when he paid his ex-missus a brief visit at her new digs on December 15.

"She left him standing at the door knocking and didn’t seem in any hurry to let him in," a neighbour told the magazine, adding that Fed-Ex eventually stayed for just an hour before sloping off to spend the night elsewhere.

Britney dumps Paris? - Dec 15 2005
Could the honeymoon be over for new best friends Britney Spears and Paris Hilton?

The New York Post is reporting that the pair’s friendship is no longer.

The power couple have been spotted all over Hollywood since Britney announced her split from hubby Kevin Federline, with Paris just yesterday speaking up for the singer on her MySpace page, countering critics who accuse Brit of abandoning her kids.