Male celebs are internet idols

US pop star Justin Timberlake was the most searched for celebrity on the internet last year, according to web statistics for 2003.

Alongside other male celebrities, including David Beckham, Robbie Williams and the England Rugby World Cup squad, Timberlake leads MSN's 2003 Search Trends Barometer.

According to MSN Search, 12 male celebrities feature in its top 50, which includes music acts and sports stars, compared to just seven females.

Well-known female celebs Jennifer Lopez and Madonna didn't even make it into the top 45, coming in at 48 and 85 spot respectively.

Britney Spears was the only female to make it into the top five, ranking third in MSN's Top 10 celebrity searches of 2003 behind Real Madrid star David Beckham and her ex-lover Justin.

According to figures from rival search engine Google, Prince Charles and England rugby idol Jonny Wilkinson were the most popular searches during 2003.