KEY POINTS:
Barbara Walters has chosen Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling as the most fascinating person of 2007.
Talk show host and journalist Walters hosts a yearly TV special featuring clips and interviews of the people she has chosen as the 10 Most Fascinating People of the Year.
Rowling, this year's number one on the list, has a had a busy year, wrapping up her Potter series with final instalment, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and outing main character Professor Albus Dumbledore as gay.
Also included in Walters' list this year are new US residents Victoria and David Beckham, former President Bill Clinton, Grey's Anatomy star Katherine Heigl, the founders of MySpace, singer Justin Timberlake and actress Jennifer Hudson.
"I think it is a great list because we have people from business, we have people from politics, we have movie stars, we have sexy stars, we have singing stars," Walters told Access Hollywood.
Many of the list makers surpassed Barbara's expectations.
"I was surprised at the Beckhams because I thought that they were going to be very spoiled and difficult and come in late and so on, (but) they couldn't have been easier. They kind of bicker like an old married couple, but they are also very sweet together, so I was very pleasantly surprised."
Walters list regularly includes celebrities, politicians, newsmakers and public figures.
Barbara Walters' 10 Most Fascinating People of 2007:
1. J.K. Rowling
2. Don Imus (American radio broadcaster)
3. Hugo Chávez (Venezuelan president)
4. Jennifer Hudson
5. Katherine Heigl
6. Victoria and David Beckham
8. Tom Anderson and Chris De Wolfe (MySpace founders)
9. Bill Clinton
10. Justin Timberlake
- NZHERALD STAFF
