Is Doctor Gregory House sexy? Lorna Cooper, MSN's TV Editor seems to think so along with many others... she's asking "when did Hugh Laurie get sexy?"
He's fifty, balding and although extremely interesting-looking, he's not an obvious sex symbol. However, millions are pulled in by a definite on-screen magnetism. Then again, he leaves some people cold.
It's that adage of one (wo)man's meat being another (wo)man's poison, isn't it? Example: for every female (or male), salivating over Grey's Anatomy's McDreamy, played by Patrick Dempsey, there's another that can't see past Ashes To Ashes' Gene Hunt.
Similarly, the likes of Kirstie Allsopp and Fern Britton are heralded as 'real' women and preferred to the endless gaggle of WAGs, WAG-wannabes and glamour models. See why the following stars have made our gallery of TV's unlikely sex symbols. In her own words, here are the reasons that Laura gives, which may surprise you…
Hugh Laurie - He didn't earn a second look as a perennially befuddled Englishman in comedies such as Blackadder and Jeeves and Wooster. But since his role as grumpy, unshaven, drug-addicted Doctor Gregory House in the eponymously named US drama, women are swooning over him. There are websites devoted to Hugh, fan sites, forums - the works.
What's more, his grouchy, anti-social medic recently beat George Clooney's Dr Ross in a survey of the most fancied docs on TV.
Richard Madeley - He's the man who sets the pulses of housewives racing…OK, I didn't believe it either but a search online revealed that he has some ardent fans. In addition, he got in at No 97 in a Channel 4 list of 100 Sexiest a while back. Oh the power of daytime TV.
Kirstie Allsopp - She's not a sylph-like blonde with legs up to her ears. And that's soooo refreshing. Property specialist Kirstie has magnificent chemistry with co-presenter Phil Spencer and has attracted a fan club of men who adore her forthright, nanny-ish manner and, let's face it, her generous bosom.
Phil Spencer - I know so many women who specifically watch Location Location Location (and all the offshoots) just to salivate over Phil Spencer. What is it about him? His voice, his manner, his sympathetic attitude, the way he looks when Kirstie tells him off, his clothes… that's what they tell me anyway.
Gordon Ramsay - Blunt, Ill-tempered, foul-mouthed, opinionated, rude shouter and chef extraordinaire. But that's just his good points. For some women, there's… an otherness (for want of a better word) about Gordon that just makes them want to rip off his whites. And yes, I'm being deadly serious.
Carol Vorderman - Before she slimmed down, changed her hair and sexed-up her wardrobe, Countdown's former resident maths expert looked a great deal more 'mumsy'. But that's the point. Frequently referred to as the thinking man's bit of crumpet, her makeover has reinforced her position.
Russell Brand - The Marmite of sexual allure; you either love him or loathe him. For those that can't get enough of him, it may be down to his sharp wit, black wardrobe or his crazy hair. Perhaps it's the way he comes over like a Dickensian fop. Whatever it is, he's definitely got something.
Lorraine Kelly - The GMTV presenter has legions of male fans who adore the fact that she's a 'real' woman. Earthy and prone to giggles, her curvy figure and generous cleavage has even attracted compliments from Hollywood stars. Robert Downey Jr said her boobs are "fantastic". Now that's something to tell your grandchildren, isn't it Lorraine?
Ian Wright - On the field, the former Arsenal superstar was a mixture of cockiness, arrogance and humour and even then, he had female fans drooling over him. As his fame grew, so did the tabloid kiss-and-tells. His unfaithfulness cost him his marriage. But the point is, he's got incredible charisma.
Fern Britton - Even at her heaviest, for her legions of male fans, Fern Britton was a sexy fuller-figured woman. Now that she's lost over four stone, she's gained more admirers. Her tendency to crack up laughing with her former This Morning co-presenter Phillip Schofield only added to her warm, winning personality.
Simon Cowell - I know, I know! But seriously, the square-headed, high-waisted one has got fans out there that think he's hotter than July. It could be down to a lethal combination of bluntness, power and wealth.
Jeremy Clarkson - Most of what's been said about Jeremy Paxman could just as easily apply to the Top Gear presenter. Only recently, he finished third in a survey questioning women about the men they secretly fancy. It's his forthright manner and opinionated commentary on all aspects of life that sets pulses racing apparently…
Sarah Beeny - Her male fans have nicknamed her 'Sarah Booby' due to her generous bosom (no one said they were tactful). But it's not just her figure that has men flocking to Channel 4's Property Ladder; it's her genuine concern for the amateur developers. In addition, she's not afraid to get her hands dirty and muck in. As one male admirer put it: "Wow - what a woman!"
Ross Kemp - If you thought bald men couldn't be sexy, think again. Ross Kemp's portrayal of EastEnders' Grant Mitchell, especially, won him legions of fans. Here are some of Grant's more appealing characteristics: he's a thug. He's a complete psycho. He's emotionally unstable. He's a convicted criminal. But all of that doesn't matter cos he loves his mum. The allure? Every woman thinks they'll be able to tame him - and that goes double for the ladies watching him on TV. Ross Kemp has taken that attraction to each of his subsequent projects.
Helen Mirren - This Oscar-winner has always been sexy in a very un-Hollywood way. But it's what she managed to do with her iconic role as Prime Suspect's DCI Jane Tennison that's particularly admirable. The tough yet vulnerable, astute, clever policewoman was hard to like at times. But she always had an aura about her; giving and expecting no quarter in a man's world. It was that uncompromising stance that drew admirers. "Don't call me ma'am," said Tennison. "I'm not the bloody Queen." Ah, the irony.
Jeremy Paxman - He's a secret guilty pleasure for so many women. It's his Rottweiler manner. His dogmatic style. His authoritarianism. His ruthlessness. His brains. His passion. Paxman's female fans wouldn't mind being at the end of a probing tête-à-tête, I can tell you.
Source: Taken from Lorna Cooper's Blog on MSN Entertainment
