Winehouse tops admiration poll

A poll of UK youngsters has voted troubled singer Amy Winehouse as their ultimate heroine.

The research, which was carried out by Sky, asked a number of different age groups who they most admired, with the results being strikingly different.

While the under-25s went for Winehouse and fellow drug addict Pete Doherty as their top male and female celebrities respectively, the over-50s chose the Queen and Helen Mirren among their heroines.

It is proving to be a good week for Winehouse, who has been nominated for three Ivor Novello awards this year, it was announced yesterday.

The UK's ultimate hero overall was Winston Churchill, followed by Elvis Presley.

A diverse range of women made it onto the list, including Mother Teresa, Princess Diana, Angelina Jolie and Coleen McLoughlin, which highlighted the fact that the female role models were different from their male counterparts, according to psychologist Donna Dawson.

"The male heroes are generally much stronger, dominant figures and with the exception of Churchill, are known for their talent, rather than their personality or the impact they have had on the world," she said.

Earlier this month, readers of weekly fashion magazine Look voted Coleen McLoughlin the UK's number one fashion role model.