UK Sexiest Celebrities

The Sexiest Celebrities in the United Kingdom – 2025
June 2025

This new study follows Discurv’s previous surveys on the sexiest celebrities in Europe (France, United Kingdom, Italy, etc.).

Study Objectives

Identify the UK’s iconic and sexiest public figures
Explore differences by respondent profiles (men/women, regions)

Who is the sexiest male athlete?

This chart highlights a very clear dominance by David Beckham, who alone accounts for 32% of preferences, far ahead of the other personalities mentioned. Lewis Hamilton ranks second with 11%, followed by Lando Norris (5%), completing the top three.

After that, scores drop quickly: Andy Murray and Tyson Fury each receive 4%, while Gareth Bale, Owen Farrell, Ben Stokes, and Mo Farah each reach 2%. The last positions remain marginal, with Rory McIlroy, Ben Proud, and Ethan Hayter, all at 1%.

Overall, the results show a preference highly concentrated around one iconic figure, with a marked dispersion from second place onward.

For all athletes:

18–34-year-olds represent 30 to 50% of votes.
50–65 and 66+ are minorities (<15%), except for “none of these celebrities” (~55% are 50+).
The audience is mostly female (55–67%).
Only Ethan Hayter and Ben Proud receive slightly more male votes.
Ben Stokes, Tyson Fury, and Owen Farrell particularly appeal to 18–34s (up to 49%).

Who is the sexiest female athlete?

The results show a strong preference for Emma Raducanu, who clearly leads with 18% of mentions. She is well ahead of Jessica Ennis-Hill (9%), while Leah Williamson and Laura Kenny share third place with 6% each.

The rest of the answers are more scattered: Katarina Johnson-Thompson, Lucy Bronze, and Nicola Adams each receive 5%, followed by Dina Asher-Smith and Rebecca Adlington at 4%. The last positions—such as Ellen White (3%), Michael Walsh (2%), or Lizzie Deignan (1%)—remain marginal.

Fans are mostly 18–34s, except for Laura Kenny (35–49s).
Over-50s dominate the “none” category.
Emma Raducanu and Lucy Bronze attract more male fans.
Most other athletes are preferred by women.
Ellen White, Katarina Johnson-Thompson, and Rebecca Adlington show a balanced audience between men and women.

Which actor is the sexiest?

Tom Hardy clearly leads with 23% of mentions, far ahead of the rest. Behind him, Sean Connery gathers 12%, while Henry Cavill reaches 10%, confirming their strong attractiveness among respondents.

In the mid-range, Christian Bale stands out with 7%, followed by Jude Law at 5%. The gaps then tighten: Andrew Garfield, Robert Pattinson, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson each sit around 4%.

At the bottom of the list, preferences spread out further. Kit Harington gets 3%, while Regé-Jean Page, Jonathan Bailey, and Tom Felton bring up the rear with 2% each.

The audience is mostly young (18–34), notably for Hardy (50%) and Bale (61%).
Over-50s are underrepresented (<15%), except in “none” (58% are 50+).
The audience is mainly female (55–78%), especially for Jonathan Bailey (78%) and Regé-Jean Page (66%).
Aaron Taylor-Johnson (49% men) and Kit Harington (46%) attract slightly more men.

Which actresses do you find the sexiest?

Responses first cluster around Emma Watson, cited by 13% of participants. She is closely followed by Catherine Zeta-Jones at 12%, while Keira Knightley receives 10%, confirming her still-strong appeal.

A bit further down, two iconic British cinema figures are tied: Kate Winslet and Kate Beckinsale, both mentioned by 9% of respondents. Emilia Clarke follows with 7%, supported by popularity that extends well beyond her roles in series.

The rest of the results show a more diffuse distribution. Florence Pugh, Karen Gillan, and Millie Bobby Brown each sit around 5%, while Sophie Turner and Naomi Scott bring up the rear with 4% each.

18–34s dominate (34–63%).
The audience is mostly female (55–78%), except for Millie Bobby Brown and Sophie Turner (58–60% men).
Florence Pugh, Emilia Clarke, and Karen Gillan attract a mixed audience.
The “none of these celebrities” category is driven by over-50s (up to 58%).

Which male celebrity do you find the sexiest?

A very large share of respondents (45%) say they do not identify with any of these celebrities, showing a clear disengagement from this specific panel.

Among the personalities mentioned, Dermot O’Leary ranks first with 12.5%, ahead of Brooklyn Beckham and Gordon Ramsay, both at 8.75%. Their scores remain moderate and far from forming a real consensus.

Further down, James Corden collects 5% of responses, while Rowan Atkinson, Adrian Dunbar, and Billy Connolly each stand at 3.75%.

Finally, Rob Brydon, Ricky Gervais, and Stephen Fry close the ranking with 2.5% each, confirming a strong dispersion of preferences.

18–34s represent 32–61%.
Over-50s are underrepresented (<30%), but make up 44% of the “none” category.
Audiences are mixed (45–55%).
- James Corden, Ricky Gervais, Rowan Atkinson attract slightly more men.
- Dermot O’Leary (70%), Gordon Ramsay (65%), Billy Connolly (54%) attract more women.
The “none” category is driven by 35–65s (~60%).

Which female celebrities/hosts do you find the sexiest?

Responses first cluster around Maya Jama, who receives 17.5% of votes. She stands out clearly, though still within a range of moderate rather than overwhelming preference.

A second group then emerges with Laura Whitmore and Claudia Winkleman, both cited by 8.75% of respondents. Their closeness reflects comparable attractiveness, without any clear hierarchy.

Just behind them, Davina McCall reaches 7.5%, while Christine Lampard and Molly-Mae Hague each stand at 6.25%, confirming a gradual dispersion of choices.

Finally, mentions become more occasional with Olivia Neill and Vick Hope at 3.75%, then AJ Odudu, Kady McDermott, and Zoe Sugg at 2.5% each.

Overall, the chart reflects a fragmented preference with no overwhelming figure, where several personalities coexist with relatively close levels of support.

Maya Jama (14%) leads, but 24% do not identify with any.
18–34s make up 50–83% of votes, especially for influencers (Claudia Winkleman, Davina McCall, Molly-Mae Hague).
Kate Middleton attracts an older audience (45% are 35–49, 30% are 50–65).
“None” is composed of 60% 35–65s.
The audience is mostly female (58–73%), especially for Molly-Mae Hague (73%) and Kate Middleton (64%).
Claudia Winkleman and Zoe Sugg attract slightly more men (~56%).

Which male singers do you find the sexiest?

Preferences first lean toward Harry Styles, who gathers 11% of mentions. He stands out slightly, without concentrating massive support, leaving room for several other figures.

Just behind him, George Michael and Robbie Williams each receive 9%, showing strong attachment to established artists associated with a charismatic and timeless image.

Another cluster forms with Calvin Harris and Zayn Malik, both cited at 7%, followed by Freddie Mercury at 6%, proving that intergenerational icons retain strong appeal.

Responses then become more dispersed with Paul McCartney and Central Cee at 4%, followed by Sam Smith and Paolo Nutini at 3%.

Finally, Alex Turner and James Bay close the ranking with 2% each, confirming a very spread-out distribution of tastes with no overwhelming figure.

18–34s dominate (38–58%), followed by 35–49s (20–30%), and over-50s are rare (<15%).
The audience is mostly female (57–66%), except for Central Cee and Alex Turner (≈46% men / 54% women).
The “none” category (30%) is driven by 35–65s, who are less responsive to today’s stars.

Which female singers do you find the sexiest?

Responses first highlight Dua Lipa, cited by 18% of respondents. She clearly stands out as a current benchmark, associated with a modern and international image.

A second level emerges with Adele, who gathers 10% of mentions, confirming her status as a must-see artist supported by transgenerational recognition.

Next comes Ellie Goulding with 8%, followed by a group of artists cited equally at 6% each: Victoria Beckham, Leona Lewis, Jessie J, Dusty Springfield, and Charlotte Church. This set reflects a diversity of profiles, between contemporary pop and more classic figures.

Finally, preferences are distributed more finely between Lily Allen and Amy Winehouse at 4%, then Nadine Coyle and Shirley Manson at 3%, illustrating more targeted but still meaningful choices.

18–34s account for 40–50%.
Dusty Springfield, Shirley Manson, and Amy Winehouse have an older audience (35+).
The audience is mostly female (>60%), except for Amy Winehouse and Lily Allen, who are more appreciated by men.
“None” is mostly chosen by 35+.

Key Insights

A very young audience (18–34) dominates everywhere (40–60%).
The “none” option is dominated by seniors (24–36%, with 65+ overrepresented).
Gendered audiences depending on profiles (athletes, actors, singers).
Visibility and roles define attractiveness (franchises, pop culture vs. vintage figures).

Conclusion

The streaming generation (18–34) largely shapes the trends, with gender differences linked to roles. Seniors are less engaged with today’s stars.

Study conducted by:
Audrey Mandefield, Senior Account Executive
Pauline Poché, Insight Team Lead

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PLEASE CITE THIS STUDY AS FOLLOWS:
"Discurv study for XloveCam conducted in December 2024 via a self-administered online survey of a representative sample of 1,000 UK residents aged 18 and over."