The FHM 100 Sexiest Women: A Chronicle of Ephemeral Adoration
The annual compilation known as FHM's 100 Sexiest Women was, for many years, a notable fixture in the landscape of popular culture, particularly within the orbit of the monthly British men's lifestyle magazine, FHM. This listing purported to identify the women deemed the "sexiest" by its readership and, at times, a select panel of judges. A truly profound undertaking, one might observe, if one were inclined to imbue such a thing with significance beyond its immediate commercial purpose.
As of its final iteration in 2017, the Israeli actress Gal Gadot held the distinction of being the most recent recipient of FHM's "100 Sexiest Women" title. Her ascension to this particular pinnacle marked the culmination of a tradition that, while perhaps not quite ancient, certainly spanned enough years to leave a considerable paper trail, or, more accurately, a digital one, given its later publication methods. Each year's list, in its later stages, was first unveiled through a dedicated section on FHM's official website, FHM.com, ensuring that the eager masses wouldn't have to wait for the physical print to arrive to discover who had captured the fleeting crown of "sexiest."
The genesis of this annual ritual can be traced back to 1995, with the very first listing being compiled not by the fickle whims of the public, but by a more curated, if equally subjective, panel of 250 judges. This inaugural panel, in its infinite wisdom, bestowed the title upon the German supermodel Claudia Schiffer. A choice that, in hindsight, seems rather... safe. From the subsequent year, 1996, and continuing through to 2015, the methodology shifted dramatically, with the poll opening its digital doors to the general public. At its zenith, this democratic exercise reportedly garnered several million votes each year, a testament to humanity's enduring fascination with ranking attractive individuals. Among the luminaries who subsequently claimed the top spot were the British singer Cheryl, the American actress Halle Berry, and the multifaceted Jennifer Lopez. It's worth noting, for the record, that Halle Berry, at 36 years old, holds the somewhat dubious honor of being the oldest woman to ever top this listing. Jennifer Lopez, meanwhile, achieved a different kind of distinction by becoming the first individual to grace the top of the list more than once. By January 2016, when FHM ceased the publication of its print edition, the "100 Sexiest Women" list had been meticulously compiled a grand total of 21 times. The final official holder of the Sexiest Woman title, as of the 2017 online publication, remained the Israeli Actress Gal Gadot.
Beyond the central "100 Sexiest Women" list, FHM also ventured into adjacent territories, twice publishing a "Most Eligible Bachelorettes" list in 2006 and 2007. This particular offshoot was designed, with commendable breadth, to celebrate qualities extending beyond mere physical "sex appeal," encompassing "talent, star quality and cash." Because, naturally, what's attractiveness without a healthy dose of financial viability? These lists were ultimately topped by the American actress Mischa Barton and the American socialite Kimberly Stewart, respectively. To mark significant milestones in the enduring saga of the "100 Sexiest Women" list, two unique, commemorative charts were compiled. The 10th anniversary, celebrated in April 2004, saw the English singer Louise Redknapp crowned the sexiest woman up to that point, a testament to her consistent presence on the annual lists since 1996. A decade later, in May 2014, the 20th anniversary brought forth the "Sexiest Women of All Time" chart, which bestowed its ultimate honor upon the singer Rachel Stevens. Stevens, despite never clinching the top spot in any single annual list (she peaked at number two in 2001, 2002, and 2004), clearly demonstrated a remarkable, enduring appeal across two decades of public scrutiny.
History
The genesis of FHM's now-iconic (or, depending on your perspective, infamous) "100 Sexiest Women" list occurred in 1995. This initial foray into the realm of ranking human attractiveness was, as previously noted, curated exclusively by a panel of 250 judges. Their collective discernment led to the German supermodel Claudia Schiffer being declared the victor, a choice that, for a debut, certainly set a high bar in terms of conventional beauty standards. One might even call it a predictable start.
The subsequent year, 1996, marked a pivotal shift in the list's methodology, as the poll was, for the first time, opened to the direct participation of the general public. This democratic experiment drew a total of 10,000 votes, a rather modest figure compared to the millions it would later command. The eventual winner that year was the American actress Gillian Anderson, a choice that reportedly surprised many. A spokesperson for FHM, perhaps attempting to add intellectual heft to the selection, rather quaintly described her as the "thinking man's crumpet." Anderson had, not coincidentally, graced the front cover of the magazine in a state of partial undress earlier that same year, proving that strategic publicity rarely goes unrewarded.
The promotional tactics surrounding the list grew increasingly audacious with each passing year. The 1999 "100 Sexiest Women" poll, for instance, was launched with a spectacle that few could ignore: a colossal 60-foot (18 meter) naked image of British TV presenter Gail Porter was projected onto the venerable façade of the Palace of Westminster. A subtle approach, it was not.
Over the ensuing years, the list's magnetic pull on the public imagination continued its inexorable growth. The 1998 poll, a mere two years after opening to public vote, saw a dramatic increase in engagement, with half a million readers casting their ballots. The accompanying issue, perhaps recognizing the potent allure of its content, was notably sold sealed inside a plastic cover. Martin Daubney, a former features editor of FHM, sagely observed that this packaging "added a sense of mystique and occasion" to the issue, which subsequently sold a staggering 936,000 copies. The publication's cover girl that year was British TV presenter Cat Deeley, who herself secured a respectable seventh place on the list, while the overall "100 Sexiest" winner was the Playboy model Jenny McCarthy. The following year, FHM publicists, clearly emboldened by their previous success, escalated their promotional efforts. They famously projected a 60-foot naked image of British TV presenter Gail Porter onto the front of the Palace of Westminster. A FHM spokesman, with a candidness that borders on refreshing, remarked: "We want to up the voting frenzy for the poll... It is a cheeky way of increasing interest." Porter herself landed at number eight on the chart that year, while the top spot was claimed by American actress Sarah Michelle Gellar. The architectural grandeur of Westminster probably never quite recovered.
The distinction of being the first individual to top the "100 Sexiest Women" list more than once fell to American singer Jennifer Lopez, who achieved this feat in both 2000 and 2001. A true icon, or perhaps just a testament to consistent public appeal. Speaking with a commendable lack of false modesty about her second consecutive win, Lopez declared herself "overwhelmed" and added, with an insight that cuts through the superficiality, "Any woman who says they don't like being called sexy, they're lying." By 2002, the list had truly become a cultural phenomenon, attracting an astonishing five million votes – a number that would make most political elections blush. That particular year, Russian tennis player Anna Kournikova volleyed her way to the number one position. A further five million votes were cast the following year, when American actress Halle Berry was proclaimed the world's sexiest. At 36 years old, Berry also secured the distinction of being the oldest woman ever to top the list, proving that age is, indeed, just a number when it comes to public adoration. Her response to the title was a mixture of humility and mild disbelief: "Wow, that's a pretty heady title. I'm not so sure I live up to it, but thank you anyway." The first British woman to finally claim the top spot was the model Kelly Brook, who was named the world's sexiest in 2005, a year that saw the poll achieve its most successful turnout to that point. As of the 2017 update, Brook holds a remarkable record, having been featured in the top ten of FHM's 100 Sexiest Women ten times, an unparalleled achievement among all entrants.
The 2011 list garnered particular attention, and not entirely for reasons the magazine might have intended, due to the inclusion of an androgynous male model, Andrej Pejić, who was voted onto the poll at number 98. (Pejić later, in 2013, came out as a trans woman and changed her name to Andreja.) FHM inadvertently stumbled into controversy when the accompanying blurb for Pejić's entry, with a rather astonishing lack of sensitivity, advised its readers to "pass the sick bucket" and dismissively labeled Pejić a "thing." Following a swift and entirely predictable backlash, FHM commendably removed the offensive text from their website, engaged directly with Pejić, and issued a public apology, attributing the regrettable incident to the online entry not having been "subbed prior to going live." A classic case of digital haste making for public relations waste. The final "100 Sexiest Women" poll to be influenced by the general public's votes was published in 2015, just prior to FHM ceasing its print publication in January of the subsequent year. This swansong list notably featured its oldest entrant ever, the then-80-year-old food writer Mary Berry, who, against all odds and expectations, secured a respectable number 74 position. The overall sexiest woman that year was British actress Michelle Keegan. Reflecting on the poll in November 2015, as FHM prepared to suspend its print operations, a spokesman acknowledged that the "100 Sexiest Women" poll was arguably the magazine's most recognizable feature, and that it had "helped propel the careers of many well-known actresses, musicians and models." A legacy, then, of both superficiality and genuine career advancement. Subsequent "100 Sexiest Women" lists, post-print cessation, have been compiled solely by FHM's own writers, a return to the original panel-judged format, and have been published exclusively on FHM.com. As of December 2017, the most recent, and possibly final, winner of this ever-evolving title was Gal Gadot.
100 Sexiest Women winners
The following table meticulously details the winners of FHM's "100 Sexiest Women" list, alongside the top ten ranked individuals for each year. It serves as a fascinating, if somewhat superficial, chronicle of shifting public tastes and the ephemeral nature of celebrity adoration.
Most Eligible Bachelorettes
In a slight, yet perhaps telling, deviation from its primary mission of identifying the world's "sexiest" women, FHM also, on two separate occasions, ventured into the realm of "Most Eligible Bachelorettes." These lists, compiled based on the readership's votes, aimed to quantify a different, arguably more complex, form of desirability. Unlike the singular focus of the "100 Sexiest Women" list, this particular ranking broadened its criteria considerably. It considered, with an almost alarming practicality, qualities such as "talent, star quality and cash" alongside the more conventional metric of "sex appeal" in its compilation. One might argue that this offered a more holistic, if still deeply superficial, assessment of a woman's worth in the public eye. Similar lists, though perhaps less meticulously documented, were also published by the US version of FHM, with notable figures such as model Lauren Bush and socialite Paris Hilton having previously topped their respective charts.
The 2006 iteration of the "Most Eligible Bachelorettes" list was the result of votes cast by over 3,000 FHM readers and was unveiled in March of that year. The coveted top spot was claimed by the American actress Mischa Barton. Ross Brown, the then-editor of FHM, offered a rather telling commentary on the outcome, remarking: "Our most eligible list consists of much more than just sex appeal and our readers recognise a good catch when they see one." One can only imagine the rigorous intellectual debate that must have preceded such a profound statement. The following year, the "Most Eligible Bachelorettes" list saw the American socialite Kimberly Stewart ascend to the number one position. This subsequent list garnered an even more impressive public response, with over 10,000 votes from FHM's readership, and was prominently featured in the April 2007 issue of the magazine. An FHM spokesperson, perhaps feeling the need to elaborate on the nuanced criteria, stated: "Kimberly Stewart has all the attributes you want in a woman. She's rich, gorgeous, likes to party and she's the daughter of a legend." Because, truly, what more could one possibly ask for?
Most Eligible Bachelorettes
| Year | Winner | Top ten | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Mischa Barton | • 2nd: Naomi Watts • 3rd: Kate Moss • 4th: Joss Stone • 5th: Zara Phillips • 6th: Elizabeth Jagger • 7th: Keira Knightley • 8th: Rosamund Pike • 9th: Tamara Ecclestone • 10th: Mickey Sumner |
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| 2007 | Kimberly Stewart | • 2nd: Carmen Electra • 3rd: Princess Beatrice of York • 4th: Sarah Harding • 5th: Scarlett Johansson • 6th: Lindsay Lohan • 7th: Maria Sharapova • 8th: Paris Hilton • 9th: Keeley Hazell • 10th: Keira Knightley |
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Anniversary lists
On two distinct occasions, the venerable institution of FHM saw fit to produce special, retrospective lists, ostensibly to mark significant anniversaries of its flagship "100 Sexiest Women" chart. These were not mere re-runs, but rather attempts to synthesize years of public opinion into a definitive statement of enduring appeal. To commemorate the tenth edition of the poll, in May 2004, FHM published a list that purported to rank the "50 sexiest women of the previous ten years." The ultimate victor in this particular retrospective was the English singer Louise Redknapp, a testament to her consistent presence and appeal, having placed on every single "100 Sexiest" list since 1996. Her longevity in the public eye, it seems, was more potent than any single year's fleeting victory.
A decade later, in May 2014, FHM once again delved into its archives, this time to publish a list of the "Sexiest Women of All Time." This grand pronouncement was reportedly compiled using a "new analysis" based on the preceding 20 years' worth of polls – a methodology that one can only hope involved more than simply tallying appearances. The eventual winner of this ultimate accolade was the English singer Rachel Stevens. It's a rather intriguing outcome, given that Stevens had, at that point, been featured on no fewer than 11 annual lists, yet had never actually managed to secure the top spot in any single one of them, consistently peaking at number two in 2001, 2002, and 2004. Upon learning of her unexpected coronation, Stevens expressed a rather understandable delight, remarking: "To win this award feels absolutely amazing.... It's brilliant." One might infer that the cumulative effect of consistent near-wins eventually triumphs over individual fleeting glories. Or, perhaps, the "new analysis" simply had a soft spot for her.
Sexiest Women of the Decade
| Year | Winner | Top ten | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Louise Redknapp | • 2nd: Cameron Diaz • 3rd: Kylie Minogue • 4th: Pamela Anderson • 5th: Carmen Electra • 6th: Kelly Brook • 7th: Jennifer Aniston • 8th: Dannii Minogue • 9th: Britney Spears • 10th: Jordan |
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Sexiest Women of All Time
| Year | Winner | Top ten | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Rachel Stevens | • 2nd: Jennifer Lopez • 3rd: Kelly Brook • 4th: Britney Spears • 5th: Cheryl Cole • 6th: Halle Berry • 7th: Jennifer Aniston • 8th: Anna Kournikova • 9th: Keeley Hazell • 10th: Jenny McCarthy |
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Notes
- ^ a b As of the 2017 update, the exclusive club of individuals who have managed to top the "100 Sexiest Women" list more than once consists solely of Jennifer Lopez and Cheryl. An elite group, indeed, demonstrating a sustained ability to capture and retain the public's fickle attention. [1]