Entertainment

EastEnders' Jake Wood has been named the UK's weirdest crush - again!

EastEnders' Jake Wood has been named the UK's weirdest crush - again!
EastEnders' Jake Wood has been named the UK's weirdest crush - again! EastEnders' Jake Wood has been named the UK's weirdest crush - again!

EastEnders star Jake Wood has said he is in need of a “lie down” after being named the nation’s “weirdest crush” for a third year in a row.

He beat the likes of Alan Carr, Ricky Gervais and Eamonn Holmes to the top of the Heat magazine list, which includes recent reality show favourites Ed Balls and James Cosmo.

Jake, who plays London bad boy Max Branning in the BBC soap, joked that he had already started working on his campaign to hold the position for a fourth year.

Jake stole hearts in Strictly 2014 (Guy Levy/BBC/PA)

After knocking comedian Matt Richardson from the throne in 2015, he said: “To win one was amazing, two was unbelievable, and I think I’m going to have to go have a lie down for a bit with this one.

“I don’t think it’ll ever be topped by anyone ever again… I’m definitely not resting on my laurels, though.”

Jake, 44, is followed in the 25-strong list by EastEnders’ Ben Champniss in second place and singer Ed Sheeran holding third position for another year.

Good Morning Britain’s Piers Morgan dropped three places to the bottom of the list.

On the list! (Ian West/PA)

Heat editor Suzy Cox said that the award, which has previously been won by celebrity illusionist Derren Brown, Karl Pilkington and Jeremy Clarkson, celebrates “unconventional objects of affection” and champions “cheeky eye twinkles and receding hairlines” as much as “well-crafted physiques”.

The full list of Heat’s weird crushes for 2017 includes:

1. Jake Wood

2. Ben Champniss

3. Ed Sheeran

4. Phillip Schofield

5. Rylan Neal-Clark

6. Julien Baptiste (The Missing)

7. Romesh Ranganathan

Comedian Romesh Ranganathan (Ian West/PA)

8. Michael Whitehall

9. Martin Compston

10. K-2SO (Star Wars)

11. Ed Balls

12. Diags (Towie)

13. Phil Lester (Youtube star)

14. Charlie Heaton (Stranger Things)

15. Simon Cowell

We know who Dec voted for! (Joe Giddens/PA)

16. Dean Gaffney

17. Alan Carr

18. Ricky Gervais

19. Aziz Ansari

20. Eamonn Holmes

21. James Cosmo (Celebrity Big Brother)

CBB housemate of the year (Ian West/PA)

22. Chief Bogo (Zootopia)

23. Russell Howard

24. Hodor (Game Of Thrones)

25. Piers Morgan

The full list can also be seen in this week’s issue of Heat magazine and on www.heatworld.com, and a podcast with editor-in-chief Lucie Cave discussing the results is available to download from Tuesday.