Star-studded 2007 edition of Guinness World Records released

A host of celebrities highlight the latest edition of theGuinness World Records book of outrageous, wacky and fascinating world record-holders.

Two veteran singers knocked pop tart Britney Spears off the 2007 edition released Thursday.

Madonna, who is believed to have earned $50 million US in 2004, has co-opted the title of highest annual earnings by a female singer. Janet Jackson became the new "most searched for person on the internet" and "most searched for news item on the internet" because of her infamous wardrobe malfunction during the 2004 Super Bowl halftime show.

Jackson is also listed as having inspired the largest ever fine imposed on a broadcaster for the breast-revealing incident.

In the world of publishing, the Clintons also made the cut for the 2007 edition of the hit tome. U.S. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton scored the title of fastest-selling non-fiction book (200,000 copies on its first day in stores) for her memoir Living History.

Her husband, former U.S. president Bill Clinton, is listed as having received the largest advance for a work of non-fiction (an estimated $10 million US to $12 million US) for his memoir My Life.

Other high profile record-holders include:

• Actress Nicole Kidman, for most money paid per minute to an actor, after she earned a reported $3.71 million US for a four-minute Chanel perfume TV commercial.
• Blockbuster talk-show host Oprah Winfrey, listed as the highest paid person on television.
• Irish rockers U2, named the biggest earning act in the world in 2005.
• British band Arctic Monkeys, whose debut album Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not was named the fastest-selling British debut album.
• Acerbic American Idol judge Simon Cowell, who earns an estimated $34 million US, making him the highest-paid TV talent show judge.
• The fans of Finnish monster band Lordi,holder ofthe world record for the most people singing karaoke simultaneously, after more than 80,000 gathered in Helsinki to welcome home the Eurovision champion band and singits winning song Hard Rock Hallelujah.
• British TV hit Doctor Who, of which more than 700 episodes have aired and which is now recognized as the longest-running sci-fi series.

Aside from all the stars, however, the new edition of the world famous book also includes its usual mix of record-holders from the general public.

For instance, Utah senior Lee Redmond holds the title of world's longest fingernails (7.51 m), while Massachusetts teen Aaron Studham has the tallest hair on the planet (60.96 cm).

First published in 1955, the Guinness World Records book sells more than three million copies a year and is published in more than 100 countries.

The 2007 edition contains 2,244 new records, including world's most expensive haircut (about $2087 Cdn, by British celebrity stylist Lee Staffordat one of his salons) and world's most expensive sandwich (sold by British department-store chain Selfridges for about $177 Cdn, and includes black truffle and foie gras).