X Factor judge Cheryl Cole has been voted the dream travel companion by men and by women, according to a new nationwide survey.

The Geordie beauty topped the ‘Perfect Passenger’ poll, with women choosing her ahead of Hollywood heartthrob George Clooney and football star David Beckham.  Almost a third of men (31.6 per cent) said Parachute singer Cole was the ideal person to share a long car journey with, while a fifth of women (20.3 per cent) agreed, in the survey by car care experts Turtle Wax.

Movie legend Clooney and fashion icon Beckham could only muster 19.94 per cent each of the female vote, rendering them less popular with women than brunette Cole.  Lingerie model Kelly Brook came second in the male poll with a quarter of the vote (25.62 per cent), followed by screen siren Cameron Diaz with 13 per cent.

While women chose Twilight star Robert Pattinson as their third favourite travel buddy, with 11.31 per cent of the vote.

Andrew Freeman, European marketing director at Turtle Wax, who commissioned the survey of 3,000 people, said: “People will be shocked that many women chose Cheryl ahead of the likes of David Beckham and George Clooney but this just goes to prove how popular she is. Thanks to her role as an X Factor judge lots of people believe they know the real Cheryl and they like what they have seen and heard.”

There was more bad news for Katie Price – aka Jordan – as she was voted the person people would least like to share a long car journey with. A quarter of men and women said the model and reality TV star would be their idea of a nightmare passenger.  Dancing on Ice loser Kerry Katona was voted second worst travel companion, with a fifth of the female vote (20.8 per cent) and 15 per cent of men choosing her. She was followed by troubled singer Amy Winehouse, who was chosen by 13 per cent of men and women.