For the second year in a row SA swimming champ Ryk Neethling was voted to be the hottest celebrity on the planet in the heat Hot 100 poll.

More than 250 000 votes were received in heat magazine's annual reader-driven poll, making Neethling the first-ever star to take top honours two years in a row.

In the six-year history of the poll, Neethling has always been one of the most popular South African celebrities, regularly featuring in the top 20, and being named as the most popular local in 2005 when Brad Pitt was the overall winner.

Staying power

Melinda Shaw, Editor-in-Chief of heat magazine, says that she is delighted that a South African celebrity was once again crowned king of Celebville. "Not even Brad Pitt won the title twice! It just shows what incredible staying power Ryk Neethling has, to capture the hearts of South Africans year after year."

"Heat Hot 100 doesn't differentiate between local and international stars, simply asking heat readers to vote for their favourite celebrities, and that in itself makes Ryk's second victory so impressive”, Shaw adds.

The four international celebs who won in previous years are Victoria Beckham, in the year that she so impressively stood by her man after the Rebecca Loos scandal; Johnny Depp, when Pirates of the Caribbean fever was at it highest; Brad Pitt and Wentworth Miller, whose tattooed role in Prison Break won him thousands of fans.

And what does it feel like to kick dust in the eyes of Hollywood's finest for the second year in a row?

'It's crazy!'

Ryk says he couldn't believe it when he got the call. "It's crazy! I actually thought you guys [heat] were pulling my leg. It has to be a joke, right? I mean, I've been working so much and haven't really been out and about this year."

Ryk says that although he would never vote for himself, he is sure his mom voted for him. The eligible bachelor brought his younger sister Jean Marie along as his date to the glitzy heat Hot 100 party, which was held in Sandton on Friday night. At last year's party, his other sister, Elsje, was by his side.

The Twilight phenomenon also made itself felt in the poll, with several top spots going to the stars of the vampire franchise, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner and Peter Facinelli. "We've never seen so many cast members of one movie feature in the heat Hot 100 before — eight of them got enough votes to make it onto the list," said Shaw.

Team Edward "And although there is a constant feud between Team Edward and Team Jacob, the readers chose their hottest favourite… and it is Robert, as Edward!"

Other South Africans who were voted into the top 20 this year are heat Man Watch 2009 winner, Jaco de Bruyn, FHM cover girl, Lee-Ann Liebenberg and TV personality Shashi Naidoo. Overall, 20 South African celebrities made it onto the heat Hot 100 list.

For full results, see the new issue of heat magazine, on sale from Tuesday, with a collector's special heat Hot 100 supplement.

For more information, visit heat.co.za or m.heat.co.za via your mobile phone's internet browser.

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