Newlywed couple Rupert Murdoch and Jerry Hall have only been enjoying marital bliss for four months but they have managed to earn a place among the top 10 celebrity power couples of 2016.
The media mogul, 85, and his bride, model-turned-actress Jerry, 60, wed in March this year but are up against the likes of long-term pairs David and Victoria Beckham – who recently celebrated their 17th anniversary – and Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie to be crowned ultimate celebrity power couple on a new Channel 5 show.
The shortlist is ranked on wealth, media impact and political muscle, and the recent antics of Kim Kardashian and Kanye West are likely to see them shoot up the list as the social media-savvy pair brought down Taylor Swift with little more than a Snapchat video.
Joining Kanye from the world of music among the top 10 are couples Beyonce and Jay Z, and Sir Elton John and husband David Furnish, boosted by album releases for both Queen B and Sir Elton.
Before the race to the White House really heats up, Democrat hopeful Hillary Clinton and husband Bill will face another tough political battle as they go head-to-head with incumbent President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle for the title.
Brad and Angelina might be Hollywood royalty with a combined 50-plus years ruling Tinseltown, but it pales in comparison to their competitor the Queen, Britain’s longest-serving monarch at 64 years, as she and the Duke of Edinburgh get a nod too.
Finishing the shortlist are Bill and Melinda Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft and his wife, who now run a foundation aiming to eradicate diseases such as malaria and polio, and tackling everything from education to global policy.
The couple’s celebrity clout was worked out from recent reports of their wealth, including from The Sunday Times Rich List, media mentions across 25,000 publications, and their political influence ranked by a London political lobbying agency.
Counting down from 40, the show will culminate in crowning the Ultimate Celebrity Power Couple of 2016 on Channel 5 at 9pm on July 27.
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