Absence, as the saying goes, makes the heart grow fonder. And apparently it makes the face more attractive, too.
For despite having kept an uncharacteristically low profile since leaving the X Factor judging panel in 2011, Cheryl Cole has been voted the celebrity most women want to look like.
She has the most desirable eyes, hair, cheekbones and skin tone, according to a recent survey. And according to clinical psychologist Dr Linda Blair it is because she has been absent from television screens, while Victoria Beckham, who is rarely far from the media spotlight, was among the stars women least want to copy.
Cheryl Cole seen here modelling for L'Oreal, has been voted the celebrity most women want to look like
Dr Blair said: 'If we see something all the time we also get bored with it, no matter how fascinating it is.
'So it's actually a really wise trick to not be in the spotlight all the time. Over-exposure is boring. Being slightly inaccessible is endearing and attractive.'
Cheryl, who rose to fame after winning Popstars: The Rivals in 2002, was once named the sexiest woman in the world by FHM magazine.
