Bringing ego back? Justin Timberlake (R) has been noticeably less forthcoming with interviews and autographs than David Beckham (L). Photos / Mark Mitchell and AP
It's not often New Zealand has a bona fide celebrity in its midst.
This week we have two.
As soccer star David Beckham arrived in the country yesterday, SexyBack singer Justin Timberlake continued to holiday on our shores.
The latest reports have him placed somewhere in the Bay
of Plenty, with sightings around the Mount.
But Beckham's arrival was in marked contrast to Timberlake's - for one thing, people actually knew about it.
Indeed, after 24 hours in the country, Beckham has greeted more fans, taken more photos and signed more autographs than Timberlake has on his entire Antipodean tour.
Which begs the question, is Timberlake's stringent security and no interview policy a touch extreme?
Few fans have caught sight of Timberlake outside of Vector Arena, and those who did found themselves quickly dealt to by JT's burly security guards.
Photos are out of the question. So too are autographs.
Unlike Beckham, who has been out and about, frequenting local Wellington establishments and taking photos with fans.
Indeed, if anyone has cause to be a prima donna, it should be Beckham, who is worth a staggering $372.3 million, compared to Timberlake's comparatively paltry $59.6 million.
Bank balances aside, the internet also reveals Beckham to be a bigger star - his name garnering more than 10.6 million Google search results.
Timberlake retrieves nearly a million less, at 9.78 million.
Likewise, Beckham has spent longer in the spotlight, signing with Manchester United 15 years ago, in 1993.
Timberlake didn't register on the celebrity radar until 1996, when 'N Sync first hit the music scene.
Yet when it comes to ego and extravagant spending, Timberlake is the hands down winner.
The star reportedly hired two floors of Auckland's SkyCity Grand Hotel for himself and his 100-strong entourage, whereas Beckham refused to upgrade to a luxury suite at his Wellington hotel, opting to stay in a standard room alongside his teammates.
No one can deny Timberlake is a talented showman, but compared to Beckham his behaviour reeks of pomp and self-importance.
Hardly a star quality.
