Hugh Jackman named celebrity with sexiest facial hair

HUGH JACKMAN has been given a confidence boost as he prepares for the Oscars on Sunday (24Feb13) - he's beaten Best Actor rival BRADLEY COOPER to be named the celebrity with the sexiest facial hair.

The Les Miserables hunk will be going up against Silver Linings Playbook stud Cooper in the coveted category on the biggest night in Hollywood, and he will be heading into the ceremony a winner - in the great battle of the beards, that is.

Jackman came out on top in the new survey conducted by officials at the U.K.'s leading hair transplant center, Crown Clinic in Manchester.

Soccer ace David Beckham placed third, behind Cooper, while George Clooney and Ben Affleck rounded out the top five.

Crown Clinic surgeon and hair loss expert Dr. Asim Shahmalak tells WENN, "Hugh Jackman looks great whatever kind of facial hair he has - stubble, a mustache or a beard."

Meanwhile, Brad Pitt has been named and shamed as the star with the least sexy stubble - he pipped Joaquin Phoenix to claim that dishonour.

Also included at the bottom end of the hairy poll are Duran Duran's Simon Le Bon, who was recently pictured with a strange handlebar mustache, comedian Jim Carrey and British TV presenter Jonathan Ross.