Oprah – Still the world’s most powerful celebrity

Oprah Winfrey is ranked as the world’s most powerful celebrity in the annual Forbes Celebrity 100 list. Despite recent speculation that her popularity and influence might be waning, she remains at the top of the Forbes list, and was second only to J.K. Rowling in the earning stakes. The Forbes list is designed to reflect the influence of a celebrity in any one year. The list looks at how much a celebrity is paid, and how much other people are paying attention to them.

Power couples feature highly in this year’s list. The press coverage surrounding Angelina Jolie (no. 3) and Brad Pitt (10) shows no sign of abating as they wait for their twins to arrive, while Beyonce (4) and Jay-Z (7) cement their status as hip hop’s premier players. Interestingly, in both cases, the women appear higher on the list than their partners.

The Brits are again out in force on this year’s list. Despite spending most of last year’s NFL season on the sidelines through injury, a return to the England team has seen David Beckham’s press coverage and endorsements rise, giving him a place in the top 5 for the first time. British music stars had mixed fortunes this year. The Police embarked on a money-spinning world tour which propelled them to the number 7 spot, but Elton John fell out of the list this year. Gordon Ramsay is yet another successful export. He has taken his brand stateside this year with the launch of restaurants and a TV series, and is rewarded with a place in the top 100 for the first time (95).

Forbes recognised the undeniable strength of the youth market by adding “tweens” as a category to this year’s rankings. 2008 sees the debut of two of the stars of the Disney phenomenon High School Musical. Zac Efron and Ashley Tisdale both make the list, as do Disney’s newest stars, the Jonas Brothers. And despite (or perhaps because of) recent controversy over a Vanity Fair shoot, Miley Cyrus is at number 35.

Hollywood is showing signs of change. Although traditional power players such as Tom Cruise (31) and Steven Spielberg (13) are still making an appearance, they are joined this year by emerging talents such as Judd Apatow (82) and Katherine Heigl (73). The Sex in the City movie has done Sarah Jessica Parker no harm, and the buzz from this, combined with her fashion and fragrance lines, puts her onto the list for the first time at number 72.

The list, to be published in the forthcoming issue of Forbes, ranks the most powerful public figures in the world.

The top 10 are:

1. Oprah Winfrey
2. Tiger Woods
3. Angelina Jolie
4. Beyonce Knowles
5. David Beckham
6. Johnny Depp
7. Jay-Z
7. The Police
9. J.K. Rowling
10. Brad Pitt

Other Brits in the list include

- Gordon Ramsey at 95 is on the list for the first time
- Simon Cowell at 22
- Keira Knightley at 37
- Spice Girls at 50
- Daniel Radcliffe at 64

Others from outside the US include

- Roger Federer, despite his pummeling in the recent French Open final (23)
- Justine Henin (81)
- Maria Sharapova (61)
- Annika Sorenstam (93)

Drop-offs include: Tom Hanks, Jessica Alba, The Rolling Stones, Jessica Simpson, Danica Patrick, Hayden Panettiere, Dan Brown, Jeff Foxworthy, Elton John, Adam Sandler, Scarlett Johansson.

Notable newcomers: Summer movie star and fashion/fragrance empress Sarah Jessica Parker (72); chef-turned-TV star Gordon Ramsay (95); Hills star and budding fashion designer Lauren “L.C.” Conrad (97); musician/fashionista/expectant mom Gwen Stefani (63); sitcom star and real-life newlywed Charlie Sheen (85); prolific Hollywood writer Judd Apatow (82).

For the full list and more information, visit Forbes.com/celebrities.