2017's Most Popular Celebrity with schoolkids is..?

Most Popular Celebrity of 2017, according to schoolkids

This year I visited schools in England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Guernsey giving my Comic Art Masterclasses to kids aged 7 and upwards, and a few adults. As part of every class, I do a demonstration strip on the flipchart and get them to suggest a celebrity who will star in it. I take four suggestions from the room, then we have a quick knockout to choose the favourite. 15 minutes later I've done the demonstration strip starring their favourite celebrity, and I make a note of who they chose, mentioning them somewhere on the front cover of the class comic.

Until last year there was a stand-out popular choice who topped the chart every time, Simon Cowell. Chosen 31 times in 2015, 24 times in 2014, and 25 times in 2013, (before which time I'd not been counting) Cowell ruled the roost as far as the kids were concerned. All of which changed in 2016 when Cowell got suggested a mere 20 times, beaten by Donald Trump, who was chosen 25 times.

(My thanks to the teachers and staff of St Aidans, Fortismere, Finham Park, Bowhouse, Sacred Heart, St Bernadettes, and Inverclyde Libraries for these photos, tweeted by them this year)

So, to 2017. Who did the kids chose?

Disappeared from last year are Justin Bieber (2nd last year) and David Beckham (7th), neither of whom got chosen even once this year.

ALSO RANS Chosen only once: 

Andy Warhol

Anne Frank

Ant McPartlin

Bill Gates

Bob Marley

Charles Darwin

Chris Packham

Connor McGregor (mixed martial arts fighter)

Damon Albarn

Daniel Craig

David Attenborough

Declan Donnelly (last year's No 7)

Drake

Ellen Degeneres

George Clooney

Harley Quinn

Harry Hill

Harry Potter

Harry Styles

Jackie Chan

Jake Paul (a Youtuber, I'm told)

Jeremy Corbyn

Jodie Whittaker

John Cena

John Lennon

Johnny Depp

Kanye West

Katy Perry (last year No 10, 2015 No 7, 2014 No 2)

Keith Lemon (10th last year, 2nd in 2014)

Kojak (chosen by year 3)

Leonardo Da Vinci

Leonardo DiCaprio

Mel B

Michelle Obama

Mr Bean

Mr Tumble

Muhammed Ali

Neymar

Nicki Minaj

Peter Kay

Phil Vickery (had a kid in the school)

Rag & Bone Man

Rick Astley

Rowan Atkinson

Selena Gomez

Simon Pegg

Stevie Wonder (chosen by Year 2s)

Stormzy

Theresa May

Tom Baker (suggested by Pete Doherty's son)

Tom Cruise

Usain Bolt

Will I Am

CHOSEN TWICE:

Adam West 

Albert Einstein (as seen on Big Heads, sadly not the real thing)

Beyonce 

Boris Johnson 

Dwayne The Rock Johnson 

Ed Sheeran 

Elvis Presley 

Lionel Messi  (2016 10th, 2015 8th)

Morgan Freeman 

Will Smith 

THE TOP TEN

8th Equal - chosen 3 times each

Benedict Cumberbatch 

Emma Watson 

7th - chosen 4 times

Michael Jackson (2016 11th / 3, 2015 2nd / 12)

6th Equal - chosen 5 times

Ariana Grande (2016 7th/ 5)

Barack Obama (2016 5th /6, 2015 8th /4)

5th Equal -  chosen 6 times

David Walliams (2015 7th/ 5, 2016 not chosen once!)

Taylor Swift (2015 7th/ 5, 2016 chosen twice)

The Queen (2016 5th /6, 2015 5th /7)

4th - chosen 7 times

Kim Kardashian (2016 4th /7, 2015 3rd /10)

3rd - chosen 8 times

Cristiano Ronaldo (2016 11th / 3, 2015 4th/ 8)

2nd - chosen 11 times

Simon Cowell (2016 2nd/ 20, 2015, '14 & '13 1st)

1st Place, and by far and way the winner, having been chosen an unprecedented 42 times...

Donald Trump (2016 1st place/ 25, before which he'd never been mentioned)

So there we have a tiny and only slightly scientific insight into the minds of school pupils in this country in 2017. I hope it's been of interest. Here's to more of the same in 2018. Who'll be popular then? Your guess is as good as mi - it's going to be Trump again, isn't it? God help us all.

Kev F Sutherland, as well as writing and drawing for The Beano, Marvel, Doctor Who et al, runs Comic Art Masterclasses in schools, libraries and art centres - email for details, and follow him on Facebook and Twitter. View the promo video here.