Oprah Winfrey has regained her position as the world’s most powerful celebrity as Forbes magazine announced its list of top 100 celebrities for 2007.
Winfrey launched her chat show in the early 80s and since then she has been a powerful woman, despite the show suffering some setbacks on a couple of occasions. A Forbes spokeswoman said:
A combination of strong financials and her enduring influence on the US public, which could see her affecting the outcome of next year’s US elections, is enough to propel her back into the top spot.
The Forbes list is published annually and takes into account celebrities’ earnings, their internet presence and press, TV and radio coverage. Last year Winfrey lost the position to Tom Cruise, but bounced back this year with a total earnings of $260m (£131.8m).
Golfer Tiger Woods was placed second while Material Girl Madonna, who was excluded from last year’s list, secured the third place following a successful tour.
Other significant entries include Sir Elton John, the Rolling Stones and David Beckham who made it to the top 20.
One thing that made me immensely sad was the exclusion of Paris Hilton from the list. The social butterfly failed to make the top 100 for 2007 due to her recent legal mess.
