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There was a time, not so very long ago, when the word 'celebrity' was used to describe someone with talent.

A celebrity was a person to aspire to - generally in the public eye - perhaps somebody who had influenced others and worked to get to the top.

In recent years, however, we have been witness to a dramatic increase in the amount of these so-called 'stars', each seemingly more shallow and talentless than the one before. We have watched in horror and fascination as each member has risen to the top, then been hastily tossed aside with the appearance of a new, equally attractive yet similarly tedious 'celeb' idol.

The appearance of reality television in the late '90s did nothing to curb this situation. It was a new phenomenon; viewers at home were able to form favourites based not necessarily on, say, the singing ability of these deluded auditionees, but the way in which 'characters' acted, and even who voters felt sorry for.

Who can forget 2006's series of 'Celebrity Big Brother', in which the eventual winner, one Chantelle Houghton, finally emerged after the ordeal with a quarter-million pound prize. The astounding fact? That Ms. Houghton was no celebrity at all, but a 'fake', planted in the house to see if she could fool the other individuals. Needless to say, she succeeded, and at the end of her stint, left the venue to a flurry of media excitement and the promise of actual 'celebrity' status.

The problem now is that the cult of celebrity has become completely out of hand. Endless glossy magazines exist, filling us in on every aspect of wealthy celebs' mediocre existence; tabloids can been seen running page after page on which famous person has gone into rehabilitation following their latest drugs binge; wives and girlfriends of British footballers may be seen pushing themselves into the public eye - seemingly for no other reason than their connection with these men.

In short, celebrity has become a ridiculous concept. To some extent, it was always fickle. But the time has come when the media must stop pushing pointless gossip and celebrity news upon us, and allow truly talented individuals to regain their spotlight.

Recently, OnePoll.com conducted a survey of over 4,000 people, to determine the most pointless 'star' of our time. The winner was the socialite Paris Hilton, whose initial claim to fame was her status as heiress to the hotel chain 'Hilton Hotel'.

The results of the poll sent an overwhelming message of protest to the paparazzi. The British public, it seems, has finally become fed up of the rowdy antics of nobodies and of boring gossip columns.

The age of fake celebrity is well and truly dead.

Learn more about this author, Rebecca Byers.
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