Freddie fever
This year’s CoolBrands survey of young UK urbanities aged 18-35 shows cricket is the new cool. Andrew (Freddie) Flintoff was voted as the coolest celebrity knocking David Beckham into second place, England winning the Ashes came top as the coolest moment of 2005 by 30% and cricket came fifth in the coolest pastimes. Winning a sporting event has had a big impact, as has the extensive media coverage, giving the English a new sense of pride and renewed interest in the sport.

Celebrity cool
The media also seems to have played a large role in people’s opinions on celebrities with Kate Moss taking 25% of the votes on the most seriously uncool celebrities, beaten to the top by Jordan with 29%, who was also at the top last year. Both Kate Moss and Jordan feature in the coolest celebrity category, though with 5% for Kate and 4% for Jordan. Jude Law’s affair may have something to do with wife, Sienna, featuring third in the coolest celebrity list and Jude Law being in the seriously uncool category, when last year he was the fifth coolest.

Follower of fashion
If you wanted to be the coolest, according to this survey you would be doing extreme sports or be a DJ/Musician in your spare time, you’d listen to James Blunt or Coldplay, read the Sunday Times, be wearing brands such as Alexander McQueen or – for a cheaper option -Topshop, shopping in Magma, drinking Stella and taking a rough guide with you on your city break.

City chic
The city is probably unsurprisingly 64% cooler than the countryside with London winning the coolest city category and Edinburgh and Manchester coming joint second. If you do find yourself in London on a cool city break then the top three coolest places to visit, according to Londoners, are Wagamama, the London Eye and the Design Museum.

Uncool survey?
Do you agree with the survey or the whole idea of listing what’s cool and what’s not? Here are some views from people we spoke to.

‘You’re conformist and sheep-like if you are cool,’ says Alisha, aged 17, from London.

‘How can James Blunt and Chris Martin be cool - they are two of the dullest musicians in the UK,’ says Clair, aged 23, from Liverpool.

‘Anything endorsed by a company makes it uncool. When it all boils down to it the whole cool industry is just down to PR,’ says Ike, 30, from Manchester.

Bernie
February 2007

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