Celebrities like actress Angelina Jolie, football star David Beckham and singer Kylie Minogue, are more influential than historical figures, a latest research has revealed.

A researcher from the University of Leicester’s Department of Media and Communication found that historical figures like Winston Churchill, William Shakespeare and Isaac Newton are less important for the youth than today’s celebrities, reports contactmusic.com.

Charlotte de Backer’s study revealed that the high level of publicity of famous celebrity couples makes them “teachers” of the youth.

She said: “Humans seem to have the tendency to mimic the overall behavioural pattern of those who have a higher status or are more successful than others. This explains why celebrities act as role models for a broad range of behaviour they display – good or bad.”