Sean Bean is the man most women crave as their Valentine, according to a survey published yesterday.
The British actor - star of the Napoleonic War series Sharpe - was voted the celebrity who ''most closely resembles your ideal man'' in a survey of 2000 Cosmopolitan readers carried out to celebrate the magazine's 25th anniversary.
The magazine's readers put Virgin millionaire Richard Branson second on their list of favourite males, followed by footballer Alan Shearer, actor Jean-Claude Van Damme and ex-Beatle Paul McCartney.
Comedians David Baddiel and Jim Carrey took sixth and seventh place, followed by actor Kenneth Branagh, TV doctor Hilary Jones and, finally, Oasis star Liam Gallagher.
Other topics covered in the survey include sex, heroines, drug-taking habits - and the importance of thrush cream.
This and other over-the-counter remedies such as cystitis treatments were named as being the most important innovation for women in the past 25 years.
They came ahead of mobile phones, lycra, low fat diet foods, moisturisers and Sunday shopping.
The survey also showed the average number of sexual partners women had ranged from 6.53 in the North to 8.7 in Wales - with an average of seven lovers each.
Some 4% of respondents said they had had sex both with men and women, and nearly 5% said they had only had lesbian relationships.
Despite the magazine's feminist stance, women's lib guru Germaine Greer was voted as having been less influential over the past 25 years than Mother Teresa and Diana, Princess of Wales.
Instead, readers plumped for Margaret Thatcher who scooped 44% of votes. Diana, Princess of Wales, was supported by 18%, Anita Roddick 8%, Mother Teresa, 6%, and Germaine Greer, 4%.
More than half of those taking part in the survey, 53%, admitted to having tried drugs - 88% tasting cannabis. The second most popular drug was speed 43%, followed by acid 26% and ecstasy 24%.
oStation announcers will be giving details, not of leaves on the line, but love on the line on Valentine's Day.
For Valentine's Day public address system messages at East Croydon station, south London, will include declarations of devotion as well as delays.
The idea came from station announcers Matthew Clark and Louise Cooper, who will be presenting a hamper and a bottle of champagne to the strangest message.
oTwenty-five St Valentine's Day weddings are set to take place today in the register office at Gretna Green. Sheila Smith, registrar for the Border village, said a similar number of weddings would also be held at other locations in the area.
Lovin' spoonfuls - Page 18
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