Pregnancy, divorce and knickerless partying have made Britney Spears the most popular Yahoo search in the world for the fifth time in six years.
She has recently whipped up an internet storm after being photographed climbing in and out of cars without any underwear.
The 25-year-old's new best friend, hotel heiress Paris Hilton, only managed fifth place in Yahoo's Buzz Index list of the most searched-for terms in 2006.
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger came second in the list and former US President Bill Clinton was third, followed by his wife Hillary.
The most searched-for celebrities' baby was Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes' daughter Suri.
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's tot Shiloh had to settle for second place.
David Banda, the Malawian toddler Madonna wants to adopt, came sixth.
The most searched-for World Cup player was Ronaldinho, who beat David Beckham into second place. Wayne Rooney was at number 10.
The top news story was the death of crocodile hunter Steve Irwin at the hands of a stingray.
The most searched-for film was Spider-Man 3 - which doesn't come out until next year.
Paris Hilton is now part of a grass-roots campaign to keep her out of jail.
In a message that went up Monday on her MySpace page and reported in the New York Post, the hotel heiress writes (in her own spelling): "My friend Joshua started this petition, please help and sihn it. i LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!"
The petition, directed to California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, asks that Hilton be pardoned from her sentence of 45 days in jail for violating the terms of her probation by driving with a suspended license. The punishment was handed down in Los Angeles Superior Court on Friday. An appeal has been filed.
"I urge all fans and supporters and all that are outraged by injustice to sign this petition," writes Hilton.
The petition, which had more than 900 signatures by Tuesday morning, urges the California actor-turned-governor to pardon Hilton because she provides "beauty and excitement to (most of) our otherwise mundane lives."
Meanwhile, the governor's office hasn't reviewed the petition but has received e-mails from constituents both for and against a gubernatorial pardon, Schwarzenegger spokesman Aaron McLear told the Associated Press Tuesday.
"We'll treat this as we would any other case of this nature, but it would be premature for the governor to get involved until the individual has exhausted his or her judicial remedies," McLear said.
As for the petition, not everyone is hopping the Hilton bandwagon – entirely.
One posting on Paris's page, from a "Raven," reads, "It's so frustrating to me when famous people get off lightly for crimes that a regular person would be held full responsibility for. I don't think she should get a full 45 days though. She didn't hurt anybody and she seems very sorry. I can see letting her go without jail time if she takes some kind of classes about alcohol abuse."
Someone who is a great booster of Hilton is her publicist, Elliot Mintz, who was relieved of his duties – then was rehired Monday night. (Mintz had wrongly informed Hilton of the status of her license, he admitted.)
"Paris and I met last night," Mintz told PEOPLE on Tuesday. "I am still her media rep. She is still my client. She is also a dear friend."
The duo were spotted Monday night in Los Angeles riding a golf cart at Paramount Studio's New York lot, arriving for the Brent Shapiro Foundation for Drug Awareness celebration of its annual Sober Day.
Although many guests at the party were dismayed at the sentence Hilton received, one voiced agreement with her doing real time.
"I do think she should go to lockdown rehab – but not a nice one. I think it should be chosen by the judge," Tom Arnold told PEOPLE. "I've got some ideas – there's a place in Alabama that worked for Robert Downey Jr."
After the event, Hilton and Mintz had dinner at the Rainbow Room with her sister, Nicky. Later, after meeting with Hilton at her house, Mintz told reporters: "I support her completely in an obvious time of difficulty and it's an honor to stand by her side. I will be with her until we get passed this difficult time."
