A celebrity, also referred to as a celeb in popular culture, is a person who has a prominent profile and commands a great degree

of public fascination and influence in day-to-day media. The term is synonymous with wealth (commonly denoted as a person with fame and fortune), implied with great popular appeal, prominence in a particular field, and is easily recognized by the general public. Various careers within the fields of sports and entertainment are commonly associated with celebrity status. These fields have produced prominent figures within these two industries. Many professional athletes have rose to fame such as golfer Tiger Woods, former boxer Muhammad Ali ,hockey player Wayne Gretzky, and basketball player Michael Jordan. Prominent entertainment figures have also reached celebrity status such as models Sofa Vergara and Adriana Lima, authors J.K. Rowling of Harry Potter and Stephanie Meyer of Twilight, pop singers Britney Spears, Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus and Justin Bieber, rappers Eminem, Jay-Z, Tupac Shakur, Biggie Smalls, Drake, Lil Wayne and Kanye West, radio personalities Don Imus and Howard Stern, political pundits and infotainers Bill O'Reilly and Glenn Beck, television talk show hosts Barbara Walters, Larry King and Oprah Winfrey, movie actresses Julia Roberts and Jessica Alba, television actors Charlie Sheen and Ashton Kutcher, national television correspodents Anderson Cooper, Katie Couric, and Meredith Viera or comedians Ellen Degeneres, Joan Rivers, Jay Leno and George Lopez.[1][2] While people may gain celebrity status as a result of a successful career in a particular field (primarily in the areas pertaining towards sports and entertainment), in other cases, people become celebrities due to media attention for their extravagant lifestyle or wealth (as in the case of a socialite) such as Kim Kardashian; for their connection to a famous person (as in the case of a relative of a famous person, such as Chaz Bono); or even for their misdeeds (as in the case of a well-known criminal such as Ronnie Biggs). Celebrities may be known around the world (e.g., pop star Michael Jackson, film actors Jackie Chan, Rajinikanth), within a specific country (e.g., a top Australian rugby player); or within a region (e.g., a local TV news anchor).