Two gold medals, but out of the race

With more and more celebrities throwing themselves on to the lucrative fitness DVD bandwagon, the race is hotting up for who will top the polls at the end of detox-January. With public guilt, as well as cholesterol, running high following the Christmas and New Year period, it is not surprising to see the popularity of the money-spinning workout DVDs go through the roof.

What is surprising, however, is seeing a two-time gold medal winner and 2005 sports personality of the year losing out to an array of has-been and wannabe celebrities, when it comes to telling people how to shape up in the New Year.

Kelkoo, Europe's largest shopping comparison search engine, has polled their most popular workout DVD searches since Christmas ¹ , and found that ex-Eastender Charlie Brooks' 'Before and After Workout' DVD has proven more popular than 800m and 1500m Champion Kelly Holmes' equivalent by seven to one - this despite Kelly Holmes impeccable record of experience, and Charlie Brooks fitness flash-in-the-pan status. It's not just Charlie that has pipped Kelly to the post - Davina McCall, Martine McCutcheon, and even Peter Kay's Max and Paddy are among others who have also beaten the ex-Olympian.

It is likely this result is a mixture of current media exposure, but could also be down to the female public wanting more of a girl-next-door styled tutor, someone they can compare themselves too: an attainable goal. This is certainly the theme of the league table below, with the majority of the top-10 celebs known for everything and anything but fitness.

So, when it comes to this time next year, and Kelly Holmes is tutoring Great Britain's future champions on the road to London 2012, it will be interesting to look at the shape of these self-proclaimed fitness gurus... I think we can all guess who will have the last laugh.

1 Charlie Brooks, 'Before and After Workout'
2 Davina McCall, 'My Three 30 minute Workouts'
3 Peter Kay, 'Max and Paddy's Power of Two'
4 Jordan, 'The Jordan Workout '
5 Angela Griffin, 'Dance Mix '
6 Martine McCutcheon, 'Dance Body'
7 Carmen Electra, 'Advanced Aerobic Striptease'
8 Kirsty Gallacher, 'Body Sculpt '
9 Debra Stephenson, 'The Busy Life Workout'
10 Kelly Holmes, 'First Steps to Fitness '

¹ Based on searches on Kelkoo.co.uk from 26.12.05 - 10.01.06