Simon Cowell voted Ultimate Romantic Hero

Simon Cowell has topped a poll of celebrities that British women would most like to see featured in a romantic novel.

The X Factor judge scored 17 percent of the vote in a survey commissioned by publishers Mills And Boon.

Not far behind Simon with 12 percent each were actors Johnny Depp and Jake Gyllenhaal, while Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson came in fourth position with 10 percent.

Meanwhile, at the bottom of the list was Jude Law with three percent of the votes with Wayne Rooney drawing just one percent.

Mills And Boon, who surveyed 1000 women over 25 years old,carried out the poll to mark the launch of its redesigned covers.