February 2025
This new study follows on from previous surveys conducted by Discurv for Xlovecam on perceptions of the sexiest celebrities in France, Italy and other European countries.
Younger respondents (18–34) show a strong preference for Alexander Zverev and Mats Hummels.
Older participants (50–65 and 66+) prefer well-known football figures such as Manuel Neuer and Toni Kroos.
This shows that perceptions of attractiveness vary significantly across generations.
Some athletes, such as Manuel Neuer and Mats Hummels, enjoy balanced popularity among men and women.
Others, such as Alexander Zverev, receive a disproportionately high share of votes from women.
Angelique Kerber and Alica Schmidt are perceived as the most attractive female athletes, although neither receives a particularly high share of the votes.
Men appear to participate more actively in this ranking, while women are more likely to abstain from voting.
Preferences vary by age: younger generations prefer Alica Schmidt, while older respondents favor Angelique Kerber and Magdalena Neuner.
Elyas M’Barek embodies the image of a sex symbol, particularly among younger and female audiences, and his appearances in romantic and popular films make him attractive to a broad audience.
By contrast, Til Schweiger and Matthias Schweighöfer receive more balanced support across genders.
Actors associated with more traditional cinema, such as Daniel Brühl and Moritz Bleibtreu, are particularly popular among older generations.
Lena Meyer-Landrut comes first with 19% of the votes, thanks to her modern image and strong appeal among younger generations.
Diane Kruger (13%) and Nora Tschirner (11%) follow closely behind, benefiting from more cross-generational popularity.
Men vote more frequently for Lena Meyer-Landrut and Diane Kruger, while women distribute their votes more evenly among several actresses.
By age, younger respondents prefer Lena Meyer-Landrut and Emilia Schüle, while older respondents are more likely to choose Diane Kruger and Heike Makatsch.
It is worth noting that 16% of respondents did not find any of these actresses particularly attractive — a significantly lower figure than for male actors.
This is a very neutral category, with generally low interest in male television and entertainment personalities.
There is no dominant charismatic figure, unlike in other categories (e.g. Heidi Klum among women).
Massimo Sinató and Joko Winterscheidt lead the ranking, but with relatively low scores (10% each). A high proportion of respondents are indifferent (45%), particularly men.
Votes are highly fragmented, with no clear generational trend.
Male TV personalities are less frequently associated with a “sexy” image than their female counterparts, reinforcing a pattern already observed in other categories.
Heidi Klum comes first with 19% of the votes, making her the most attractive TV personality.
Her success can be explained by several factors:
Younger generations favor modern social media stars, while older generations prefer classic fashion and television icons.
Why is Claudia Schiffer particularly attractive to older generations?
Among 18–34-year-olds, Max Giesinger and Tim Bendzko are clearly preferred — they are younger and more closely aligned with current music trends.
At the same time, Mark Forster and Peter Fox remain very popular within this age group.
Among 35–49-year-olds, votes are distributed more evenly between Xavier Naidoo, Mark Forster and Peter Fox, suggesting that this generation values musical diversity.
They also show a preference for artists with long careers and loyal fan bases.
Among those aged 50–65 and 66+, Xavier Naidoo, Herbert Grönemeyer and Udo Lindenberg become more popular.
Younger artists such as Max Giesinger have more difficulty appealing to this audience, which tends to favor established musical figures.
Vanessa Mai comes first with 16% of the votes, appealing particularly to younger generations and male respondents.
Her success can be attributed to her modern and glamorous image.
She is closely followed by Helene Fischer (15%) and Lena Meyer-Landrut (14%), both of whom benefit from their status as pop and Schlager icons.
Sarah Connor (13%) also stands out, appealing to a broader audience, particularly women and older respondents.
Preferences vary clearly by gender: men vote heavily for Vanessa Mai and Lena Meyer-Landrut, while women favor Sarah Connor and Helene Fischer.
Age also plays a role: younger respondents prefer dynamic and contemporary artists, while older respondents favor established singers.
Only 10% of respondents did not find any of these female singers sexy — a low figure compared with the other categories.
Female singers and actresses are perceived as more attractive than their male counterparts.
Highly visible media figures (models and TV stars) consistently receive higher ratings.
Men are more likely to evaluate the attractiveness of female celebrities.
Women have a more nuanced perception of attractiveness and distribute their votes more evenly.
Younger people prefer modern personalities with a strong social media presence.
Older respondents prefer iconic figures associated with longevity and prestige.
Celebrities with a polished, glamorous image receive higher ratings.
Some celebrities appeal through their spontaneity and approachability.
Male athletes and singers suffer from a perceived attractiveness deficit.
Female categories are more polarized.
In the collective imagination, a celebrity’s attractiveness is based on a balance between fame, a glamorous image and charisma.
However, this perception varies significantly according to gender, age and media presence — with the sex appeal of female stars being much more pronounced than that of male celebrities.
Study conducted by:
Audrey Mandefield, Senior Account Executive
Pauline Poché, Insight Team Lead
TO CITE THIS STUDY, PLEASE USE AT LEAST THE FOLLOWING WORDING
“Discurv study for XLoveCam, conducted in December 2024 through a self-administered online survey among a representative sample of 1,000 people from the Belgian population aged 18 and over.”