Madonna decade's most talked about celebrity

Pop star Madonna has topped a list of Britain's most talked about celebrities in the past decade.

The 52-year-old singer has been mentioned more than any other star in the British print press and scored 46,017 namechecks, reports contactmusic.com.

Brian Merron of Kantar Media, who compiled the figures, wasn't surprised by the outcome.

"This is why she's hailed as a legend," he said.

Madonna's namechecks in the last decade got a boost thanks to her marriage and divorce from filmmaker Guy Ritchie, subsequent relationships with models Jesus Luz and Brahim Zaibat who are half her age, the birth of her son Rocco, adoption of two children David and Mercy, and four major world tours.

The second and third spots have been occupied by "The X Factor" judge Simon Cowell and singer Robbie Williams respectively.

Here's a list of the top 10 most talked about celebrities of the decade:

1. Madonna (46,017)
2. Simon Cowell (29,888)
3. Robbie Williams (28,563)
4. Kate Moss (28,056)
5. Britney Spears (27,588)
6. Victoria Beckham (25,833)
7. David Beckham (24,953)
8. Michael Jackson (24,688)
9. Sir Paul McCartney (21,556)
10. Kylie Minogue (19,694)