The UK’s 100 most influential Twitter users has been revealed with former Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s wife Sarah topping the list.
The i newspaper compiled the list in conjunction with PeerIndex, a social media monitoring group which analyses people’s online impact.
Individual Tweeters are ranked not just by their popularity and number of followers, but by their ability to impact on their audience, spark campaigns and discussions.
So if you’re bored of reading tweets about what people ate for breakfast then cast your eye over the list for some ideas on who to follow, and give your twitter feed a pre-spring clean.
The Top Ten:
1. Sarah Brown (@SarahBrownUk)
The wife of ex-Prime Minister Gordon Brown became a pioneer of the platform whilst in Downing Street, and tops the list thanks to her postings on social causes as well as details of every day family life.
2. Richard Bacon (@RichardPBacon)
The Radio 5 Live presenter engages with his 1.3 million follows in debates about news stories or often feeds them jokes, and has become an often-quoted advocate of the site in media discussions.
3. Eddie Izzard (@eddieizzard)
The comedian’s feed is surprisingly joke-free, with him using it as a platform for political debate and campaigning. He also publishes the ‘Eddie Izzard Daily’, a digest of tweets from people he follows.
4. Stephen Fry (@stephenfry)
Writer, actor and comedian Fry was one of the first celebrities to grasp the twittersphere by its horns and, despite a couple of self-imposed exiles, still has the power to spark twitterstorms and debate.
5. Umair Haque (@umairh)
The economist may not be as well-known as others on the list, but he is widely-followed in the business and finance sectors thanks to the authority and insightfulness of his tweets.
6. Russell Brand (@rustyrockets)
Essex comedian Brand entertains his followers with jokes and updates about his life, and recently landed himself in trouble after tweeting an unflattering picture of his wife Katy Perry wearing no make up.
7. Tinchy Stryder (@tinchystryder)
Rapper Tinchy likes to engage with his fans, often re-tweeting messages from them, as well as posting his thoughts on football and music.
8. Hilary Alexander (@HilaryAlexander)
Fashion director of The Daily Telegraph, Hilary provides an up-to-the-minute stream of commentary, articles and pictures from the paper’s fashion desk.
9. Zee M Kane (@zee)
The editor-in-chief of The Next Web is an avid tweeter, posting updates on internet, technology and mobile news and developments.
10. Fearne Cotton (@Fearnecotton)
Radio 1’s Fearne keeps her followers updated on her celebrity encounters and hectic life as a presenter, often tweeting through star-studded parties such as the Elle Style Awards