Was ever a tabloid celebrity more accurately named? When Abi Titmuss first came to the attention of the British public in 2003, she was the virtuous nurse girlfriend of John Leslie, standing by her man as he faced rape charges. Oh how wrong we all were! No sooner had she bagged a job on Richard & Judy did tabloid rumours of sex tapes emerge. In an amazing example of reinvention, Titmuss recast herself as the sexpot next door and hasn't looked back. Now the darling of the lads' mags, she's a sex symbol in her own right, albeit an attainable one.

Can a nerd be a sex symbol? You'd better believe it. Adam Brody's character Seth in The OC is socially awkward, a wise-ass, geeky and an unexpected sex symbol. Maybe the teenage girls of today have become tired of jocks; the traditional heart throbs of American drama, and instead pine for the thoughtful nerd instead. Don't believe it for a moment. In Adam Brody, Seth may have the mannerisms of a nerd, but The OC producers made damn sure he didn't have the looks of one.

A Miss World winner in 1994, Aishwarya Rai's stunning green eyes went on to mesmerise Bollywood fans in films like Aur Paar Ho Gaya', Hamara Dil Aapke Paas Hai and Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. Aishwarya Rai came to the world's attention in the wonderfully excessive Devdas in 2002, the biggest budget Bollywood film and also the most successful. Since then, she starred in Gurinder Chadha's Bride & Prejudice and looks Hollywood bound.

The thinking lady's crumpet, Alan Rickman started the Hollywood trend of using Englishmen when supreme villainy was required in a blockbuster. He stole the show from Bruce Willis, as the despicably charming Hans Gruber, in Die Hard (1988) and was far sexier than the mullet haired Kevin Costner in Robin Hood Prince Of Thieves (1991). The secret of Rickman's charm lies in his voice. Is it just us, or was Marvin the robot actually sexy in The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy?

Although he doesn't look like the traditional image of the buff gardener, Alan Titchmarsh has become an unlikely sex symbol. Titchmarsh's down to earth sexiness first came to the attention of housewives everywhere presenting BBC2's Gardener's World from his own back garden. Amazingly, Alan has also published several very racy novels, proving that there's definitely something to his sex symbol status.

The daughter of John Voight may have won an Oscar for Girl, Interrupted, but it was her uplifting performance as Lara Croft in Tomb Raider that established Jolie as an international sex symbol. Her kinkiness wearing a vial of partner Billy Bob Thornton's blood around her neck only seems to increase Jolie's sex appeal. After Brad Pitt succumbed to her charms after starring alongside her in Mr & Mrs Smith, Hollywood wives everywhere must be praying their husband doesn't become Jolie's next co-star.

The girl that proved success in women's tennis is 0% ability and 100% looks. Despite being mediocre with the racket, Anna Kournikova became an overnight tennis sensation after scraping through to the semis at Wimbledon in 1997. However, perhaps sensing that the tabloids were only interested in her looks Anna's career on court faded as fast as her status as a sex symbol rose. That she remains female sport's No. 1 sex symbol, despite being retired, says it all really.

The young Antonio wanted to be a footballer, but injury at an early age put an end to his dream. Soccer's loss was the female world's gain, as Banderas has risen through the acting world to become an international sex symbol. After starring in Pedro Almodovar's Law Of Desire, Women On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown and Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down, Banderas made the brave jump to Hollywood. Despite knowing little English, legend has it he lied to the studios about it and then learned his lines phonetically for the film The Mambo Kings. Language is no barrier to incredible good looks however, and Banderas has gone on to become one of Hollywood's most successful imports.

This green eyed beauty never wanted to be an actress, but became a Hollywood goddess. Eva Gardner came from a rural background, and dreamed of being a secretary in New York, but once an MGM talent scout spotted her photo she found herself in the movies. Her dark hair and exotic looks made her a star in films like The Killers (1946), The Hucksters (1947), Show Boat (1951) and The Barefoot Contessa (1954). Tragically, her hedonistic lifestyle took its toll on Eva's looks, but after her death in 1990 many of her obituaries declared her to be the most beautiful woman ever to grace the camera.