The Twitter 100: No 13 to 56

Including Lord Sugar, Wayne Rooney, Richard Dawkins and Salman Rushdie

Thursday 01 March 2012 01:00 GMT
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13. Lord Sugar, Tycoon

The entrepreneur and Apprentice star is well known for being outspoken, and nowhere is this more apparent than on Twitter, where there's no mediating layer between his brain and his audience. Normally this takes the form of spats with the likes of Chris Evans ("Ginger") and Piers Morgan ("dimwit"), but the High Court did force him to remove a tweet referencing the trial of Lord Taylor of Warwick after he'd overstepped the line. Knows how to milk the medium: his live Twitter book-signing at the end of last year took the top trending spot for a full 24 hours.

Tweets as: @lord_sugar Peer Index: 87 Authority: 88 Activity: 42 Audience: 96 Follows: 68 Followers: 1,641,388

14=. Jimmy Carr, Comedian

Known for his bullet-pointed one-liners that occasionally nudge at the boundaries of taste, Carr has found Twitter an almost ideal home for his brand of comedy. The "almost" refers to a couple of occasions when he has fallen foul of the Twitter police in the traditional media, with unfortunately timed gags about car crashes (shortly after November's major accident on the M5) and air disasters (on the 10th anniversary of 9/11). Followers have been quick to forgive these lapses, but his output post-Christmas has been minimal. Perhaps he is saving up gags for his role as co-presenter of Channel 4's 10 O'Clock Show.

Tweets as: @jimmycarr PeerIndex: 86 Authority: 86 Activity: 31 Audience: 97 Follows: 194 Followers: 1,924,585

14=. Rio Ferdinand, Footballer

You don't particularly need to follow Rio Ferdinand on Twitter to know what he's up to. Many of his tweets are recycled as tabloid news the following day. Yet he has succeeded in creating a Twitter presence as palpable as any in the UK. Most of his tweets concern trivial matters: music, the weather, banter with other Twitterati. But his recent outspoken opposition to NHS reform raised a few eyebrows. And then there's football, where his tweets include uncensored opinions on ongoing racism rows and England managerial vacancies. One dubious series of tweets promoting a brand of chocolate bar attracted attention from the Advertising Standards Authority, but such lapses are rare, and Ferdinand's commitment to Twitter is evident. He even has his user name emblazoned on his Manchester United boots.

Tweets as: @rioferdy5 PeerIndex: 86 Authority: 87 Activity: 25 Audience: 98 Follows: 308 Followers: 2,264,863

16. Leigh Francis, Comedian, presenter

Twitter is just about the one place you'll see Francis playing himself. The Leeds-born comedian is better known as Avid Merrion, the Transylvanian celebrity stalker who made his name on Bo' Selecta!; or, more lately, Keith Lemon, the mulleted, moustachioed presenter of ITV's panel show, Celebrity Juice. An engaging presence on the networking site, Francis spends most of his Twitter time replying to his viewers – including, recently: "I don't have a wig. My hair is real and so is my tash."

Tweets as: @leighfrancis PeerIndex: 85 Authority: 86 Activity: 31 Audience: 95 Follows: 563 Followers: 1,369,886

17. Dara O'Briain, Comedian

In interviews, O'Briain has celebrated the dynamic nature of Twitter and its scope for sharing thoughts and ideas: "It's the open plan office experience on a massive scale... with 200,000 chairs or something." His own tweeted thoughts range from musings on science to reflections on the ineptitude of airline check-in desks. But it's his caustic side that resonates most. During last August's riots, O'Briain's frustrated and furious tweets (eg, "Hey parents! Does your 14-year-old suddenly have a plasma screen telly and 8 mobile phones? Where did they come from?") ricocheted around the network and brought thousands of new followers.

Tweets as: @daraobriain PeerIndex: 84 Authority: 85 Activity: 36 Audience: 90 Follows: 265 Followers: 795,400

18=. David Mitchell, Comedian and writer

For someone who, by his own admission, found the Internet "frightening", and who still occasionally expostulates in print about the endemic stupidity on Twitter, Mitchell has stuck to the medium with admirable tenacity. Conscientious interaction with his followers is mixed with pronouncements on current affairs ranging from common-sense to the provocative (eg, "That RBS boss should've got a bigger bonus").

Tweets as: @realdmitchell PeerIndex: 83 Authority: 86 Activity: 14 Audience: 89 Follows: 130 Followers: 606,197

18=. Simon Pegg, Actor, Comedian

The creator of Spaced, Hot Fuzz and Shaun Of The Dead has a loyal following keen to stay up-to-date with his acting career. Diverting and funny, but by his own admission prone to "hubris and swearing", Pegg is not always impassive in the face of Twitter criticism. Yet he struck a conciliatory note on his recent birthday: "Humans get a lot of stick and most of it we deserve but you lot are alright. Thank you."

Tweets as: @simonpegg PeerIndex: 83 Authority: 83 Activity: 29 Audience: 97 Follows: 394 Followers: 2,018,179

20=. Olly Murs, Singer

The X-Factor runner-up (2009) is, his Twitter profile says, a double platinum artist signed to Epic, In Case You Didn't Know (that's the name of his chart-topping second album). He's 27 and makes frequent career announcements in his feed, where he is also fond of exclamation marks. For example: "IN LIVERPOOL....have just arrived....just saw Alan Hansen walk into same Hotel I'm staying!! Gotta try get a pic with him later!!! Ledge!!" Or (yesterday): "I've just got engaged..."

Tweets as: @ollyofficial PeerIndex: 82 Authority: 81 Activity: 31 Audience: 96 Follows: 1,580 Followers: 1,689,286

20=. Darren Bent, Footballer

Unremarkable output on everything from current affairs ("RIP to a legend.. Sad day for music lovers..." on Whitney Houston's death) to his footballing ups and downs ("I'm gutted to be out for so long at such a crucial part of the season") is deemed unmissable by hundreds of thousands of followers, not least among sports journalists. Curiously addictive.

Tweets as: @DarrenBent PeerIndex: 80 Authority: 78 Activity: 79 Audience: 82 Follows: 133 Followers: 362,214

22. Harry Styles, Musician

Cherubic boy band member with few Twitter inhibitions. His followers – nearly 2 million of them – get to share in everything from behind-the-scenes pictures of One Direction to celebrity gossip, flirtations ("I definitely fancy Rihanna") and embarrassing incidents ("The awkward moment when your mum walks past the shop at dinner time and the whole of One Direction (not including me) start shouting MILF. Grr.") His fans can't get enough of it – and nor, it seems, can he.

Tweets as: @Harry_Styles PeerIndex: 80 Authority: 78 Activity: 30 Audience: 97 Follows: 728 Followers: 2,140,228

23=. Brian Cox, Musician, scientist and broadcaster

Pin-up particle physicist, whose CV includes work with the Large Hadron Collider and with the band D-Ream (for whom he played keyboards), Cox is now best-known as a broadcaster and populariser of science. He uses Twitter to promote his latest work, to gossip and, primarily, to discuss science – with experts and non-experts alike. The most academic discussions tend to be the most entertainingly robust.

Tweets as: @profbriancox PeerIndex: 78 Authority: 78 Activity: 38 Audience: 89 Follows: 107 Followers: 623,325

23=. Jonathan Ross, Broadcaster

Partly responsible for provoking interest in Twitter when he broached the topic with Stephen Fry on his chat show just over three years ago, Ross has remained dedicated ever since, with regular flurries of replies to his followers, a short-lived attempt at a Twitter-based book club and, most recently, news of a new panel show for ITV based on the most-tweeted-about topics each week. "I'm making a new panel show called Trending Topics," he tweeted on 27 January. "Someone has to."

Tweets as: @wossy PeerIndex: 78 Authority: 76 Activity: 32 Audience: 97 Follows: 5,106 Followers: 1,846,891

23=. Philip Schofield, Broadcaster

The ITV host was an early embracer of the platform and, as such, boasts a huge number of followers, many of whom he frequently interacts with. For example, a recent request from a follower to "kiss my bruise better" was met with the response: "blimey – A) how did you get it? B) where the HELL is it?!" As you'd expect there are plenty of updates from behind the scenes of Schofield's various TV shows too.

Tweets as: @schofe PeerIndex: 78 Authority: 92 Activity: 76 Audience: 42 Follows: 9,796 Followers: 1,397,832

26=. Fearne Cotton, Broadcaster

She's a mainstream Radio 1 DJ, and hers is a mainstream Radio 1 Twitter presence; unlikely to feature issues of international importance, but with plenty of star name-drops – Katy Perry, Ed Sheeran, The Black Keys – plus extensive use of her smartphone's camera for those unguarded backstage snaps. It may not be thought-provoking, but it's hugely popular – and it's certainly her own work, with exclamation marks and breathless punctuation very much intact!!!!!

Tweets as: @fearnecotton PeerIndex: 77 Authority: 75 Activity: 18 Audience: 98 Follows: 274 Followers: 2,949,625

26=. Richard Bacon, Broadcaster

The host of BBC Radio 5 Live's afternoon show has few equals when it comes to building a coherent Twitter community. "People get Twitter wrong," he said in interview in 2010. "There's no mob, no leader, no meetings – just a framework in which people express opinions." Bacon's Twitter presence blends seamlessly with his radio presence. He's sourced questions from Twitter to ask guests on his show as a means of creating a "big conversation", and generally maintains a balance between avoiding controversy and being a must-follow.

Tweets as: @richardpbacon PeerIndex: 77 Authority: 75 Activity: 31 Audience: 95 Follows: 518 Followers: 1,389,980

26=. Umair Haque, Economist

Quietly influential economist, whose medium-sized following includes innumerable movers and shakers of the business world. Based in London, Haque is (among much else) director of the Havas Media Lab, a blogger for the Harvard Business Review, author of The New Capitalist Manifesto, and founder of the Bubblegeneration "advisory boutique". In times of economic upheaval, it seems perverse not to follow him.

Tweets as: @umairh PeerIndex: 77 Authority: 88 Activity: 80 Audience: 73 Follows: 746 Followers: 175,011

29. Robert Peston, Journalist

The BBC's business editor is famous for a string of spectacular scoops since the start of the economic crisis in 2007, when he broke the news of Northern Rock's impending collapse; and for his remarkably reliable stories from inside News International at the height of the phone-hacking scandal. In each case, he broke many of them not on The 10 O'Clock News but on Twitter. Many other journalists follow him, and follow up his stories, which makes him one of the most influential reporters on the web.

Tweets as: @peston PeerIndex: 76 Authority: 73 Activity: 69 Audience: 87 Follows: 274 Followers: 122,335

30. Davina McCall, Broadcaster

The former Big Brother presenter – who describes herself on Twitter as "wife, mother, friend and TV presenter" – tweets prolifically on everything from showbusiness to the minutiae of daily life. A series of tweets about being snowbound on the A21 for some reason made national headlines in 2009. More recently, she has tweeted furiously about the French red tape that has frustrated (so far) her attempts to row across the English Channel for Sport Relief.

Tweets as: @thisisdavina PeerIndex: 75 Authority: 73 Activity: 18 Audience: 93 Follows: 348 Followers: 1,055,732

31=. Wayne Rooney, Footballer

Rooney used his popular feed (3.5m followers and counting) to scoop the tabloids with news and pictures of his recent hair transplant. It was certainly a clever way to put off the paps. The Manchester United star is also happy to trade barbs and jokes with fellow players. Though it's sometimes misjudged – witness his snide jibe about Manchester City's Touré brothers after they lost the African Cup of Nations final on penalties.

Tweets as: @waynerooney PeerIndex: 74 Authority: 73 Activity: 76 Audience: 72 Follows: 83 Followers: 3,278,000

31=. Gary Neville, Ex-footballer/pundit

The former England and Manchester United full-back has probably proved himself as the pre-eminent pundit in English football with his showings on Sky Sports. His Twitter account is less insightful – and like many sportsmen's, full of "banter" – but he often interacts with fans and, inevitably, serial footballer-botherer Piers Morgan.

Tweets as: @GNev2 PeerIndex: 74 Authority: 73 Activity: 76 Audience: 72 Follows: 151 Followers: 440,409

33=. Ben Goldacre, Scientist/science writer

The bestselling author, self-confessed "stats geek" and "Bad Science" correspondent for The Guardian calls himself a "zealot for evidence-based thinking and science". A qualified doctor, Goldacre is swift and savage in calling out perceived misuse or massaging of statistics in the media and beyond, and is a vocal critic of the Government's proposed health reforms as well as the dominance of big pharma. When he's not being serious and, critics say, occasionally smug, he's given to the occasional "lol".

Tweets as: @bengoldacre PeerIndex: 71 Authority: 66 Activity: 68 Audience: 88 Follows: 1,194 Followers: 176,986

33=. Joey Barton, Footballer

Twice convicted on charges of assault and widely condemned as an irredeemable lout, the QPR midfielder has used Twitter for a remarkable rehabilitation. Reinventing himself as a philosopher and social commentator, he has surprised followers with quotations from Seneca and Nietzsche, an appreciation of John Singer Sargent's art, and provocative discussions of everything from the Big Society to David Beckham's use of non-ethically sourced underwear. Over-enthusiastic tweeting about John Terry's forthcoming racism trial could have landed him in deep water, but after tweeting that he was willing to go to jail to protect his right to "free speech" he has wisely piped down on that subject. Meanwhile, his cult status has grown. Not since Eric Cantona have we had such an intriguing philosopher-footballer.

Tweets as: @joey7barton PeerIndex: 71 Authority: 68 Activity: 22 Audience: 94 Follows: 92 Followers: 1,293,652

35. Richard Dawkins, Scientist and author

If you feel you've heard enough of the evangelical atheist's self-assured opinions, you'll probably want to keep away from his regularly updated Twitter feed. But more than 325,000 followers feel differently, and enjoy regular tweets on subjects ranging from science to secularism. His hackle-raising brand of atheism is the stuff of which abusive Twitter wars are made, but he refuses to rise to the bait. His feed consists mostly of links – not least to the website of the Richard Dawkins Foundation – and his followers can be assumed to be mostly in sympathy with his views.

Tweets as: @RichardDawkins PeerIndex: 70 Authority: 88 Activity: 65 Audience: 48 Follows: 47 Followers: 325,510

36=. Felix Salmon, Financial journalist

Reuters reporter who combines solid analysis with a light touch that seems to work as well in the 140-character format as in longer forms. Twitter followers value him particularly for the judiciously chosen links he posts ("Really good data here...", "Bonkers reframing here...", etc) and for his instant verdicts on breaking news (eg: "The nominal haircut is neither here nor there. It's the NPV haircut which matters, and that depends on the exit yield."). Much of his output might go over the average follower's head – but Salmon influences many who matter.

Tweets as: @felixsalmon PeerIndex: 69 Authority: 66 Activity: 67 Audience: 81 Follows: 1,091 Followers: 51,134

36=. Hilary Alexander, Fashion writer

The former matriarch of the prolific Daily Telegraph fashion desk and keen tweeter hasn't lost her influence despite stepping down as the paper's fashion director last April, a move she announced on her feed. She still provides an exhaustive commentary during the shows, witty one-liners throughout the year and the occasional extra-curricular missive: "I'm praying for the sanity of PC-followers want to ban traditional prayers b4 council mtgs. If you don't want to pray go 2 mins later! Simples," she wrote recently.

Tweets as: @hilaryalexander PeerIndex: 69 Authority: 67 Activity: 23 Audience: 88 Follows: 176 Followers: 202,251

38=. Cory Doctorow, Blogger

The co-editor of the Boing Boing technology blog has a special interest in digital rights management, file sharing and "post-scarcity economics" – but has also written several science-fiction novels. This versatility may explain the Canadian-born Doctorow's popularity on Twitter. He tweets prolifically, often getting into conversations with his followers and retweeting notes of interest. A major backer of the Creative Commons organisation, he has campaigned for the liberalisation of copyright laws.

Tweets as: @doctorow PeerIndex: 68 Authority: 63 Activity: 47 Audience: 88 Follows: 669 Followers: 223,248

38=. Faisal Islam, Journalist

If you're looking for tweets about favourite lunching spots or the travails of cat ownership, go elsewhere. Faisal Islam – economic editor at Channel 4 – confines himself to real-time titbits from the world of economics or headline quotes from his interviews. This tweet, from February 2011, is fairly typical: "Bob Zoellick step down as World Bank President in June. Paving the way for whom? Larry Summers? Can the US-Europe stitch-up possibly last?"

Tweets as: @ faisalislam PeerIndex: 68 Authority: 64 Activity: 73 Audience: 78 Follows: 1,598 Followers: 31,449

38=. Graham Linehan, Writer

The writer and creator of Father Ted and The IT Crowd has become one of Twitter's most active users and defenders. Between posting interesting or amusing pop-cultural and political links, he has found time to lend sterling support to Paul Chambers, defendant in the Twitter joke trial, and to pick an online fight with the Today programme after being mis-briefed ahead of a live interview. Not as funny as his TV work, but engages with his followers regularly, responding to friends and foes with equal enthusiasm.

Tweets as: @glinner PeerIndex: 68 Authority: 62 Activity: 68 Audience: 87 Follows: 1,207 Followers: 157,264

38=. Neil DeGrasse Tyson, Astrophysicist

Hugely respected astrophysicist at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, Tyson also hosts an educational science show and is a frequent guest on programmes such as The Daily Show and The Colbert Report. He tweets every day, mixing fun astronomy facts, metaphysical opinions, links to images of outer space – and random thoughts about life, such as: "Curious that we spend more time congratulating people who have succeeded than encouraging people who have not."

Tweets as: @neiltyson PeerIndex: 68 Authority: 63 Activity: 41 Audience: 89 Follows: 57 Followers: 339,821

38=. Paul Mason, Journalist

Newsnight's economics editor has ridden the tide of the credit crisis and the Arab Spring to become a powerful voice in current affairs. A blog post last year, "Twenty reasons why it's kicking off everywhere", went viral and later became a book. His Twitter activity offers expertise, insight and accessibility – a mix that is irresistible in media circles. But the highbrow stuff is leavened with unremarkable thoughts about, for example, football (eg: "Pearce: brave selection. Brave but wrong. No Rio. No Alex O-C").

Tweets as: @paulmasonnews PeerIndex: 68 Authority: 65 Activity: 69 Audience: 78 Follows: 509 Followers: 34,449

43=. Gary Barlow, Musician and TV personality

Take That singer and X Factor judge Barlow propelled himself onto the social network with a tweet during a live broadcast of the singing contest on 8 March. An hour later he had 100,000 followers. By the Monday he had 300,000 and has since accrued another million. Like many celebrities on the network, Barlow offers insights to his life, which can range from making cheese on toast for his nine-year-old to – on Sunday – announcing that his wife is pregnant.

Tweets as: @GBarlowOfficial PeerIndex: 67 Authority: 62 Activity: 12 Audience: 95 Follows: 41 Followers: 1,365,546

43=. Mo Farah, Athlete

In an Olympic year, it's not surprising one of the highest new entries in our chart is also one of Britain's best hopes for a gold medal at London 2012. Mo Farah is the current 5,000-metre world champion, and the European record holder over 10,000 metres. He tweets about his training, his sponsors, his good works with the likes of Sport Relief, and his beloved team. (No, not "Team GB" – Arsenal FC.)

Tweets as: @Mo_Farah PeerIndex: 67 Authority: 65 Activity: 24 Audience: 83 Follows: 110 Followers: 63,379

43=. Guy Garvey, Musician

The Elbow frontman is one of the nicest people in rock and, ergo, also on Twitter. His output ranges from acts that fans should listen to (such as his friend Jesca Hoop) to news on Elbow's next record and snippets of the kind of warm chitchat that fans of his BBC 6 Music show have come to love.

Tweets as: @guy_garvey PeerIndex: 67 Authority: 66 Activity: 69 Audience: 65 Follows: 193 Followers: 57,794

46=. Paul Waugh, Political blogger

Formerly of The Independent, and one-time deputy political editor of the Evening Standard, Paul Waugh is now the editor of the PoliticsHome website. A prolific tweeter, immaculately sourced Westminster-watcher and refreshingly gossipy blogger, he's not above telling Andrew Lansley jokes. Meanwhile, of course, he'll deliver an insightful post on the long-term political ramifications of NHS reform. Frequently interacts with fellow political junkies on Twitter.

Tweets as: @paulwaugh PeerIndex: 66 Authority: 62 Activity: 71 Audience: 76 Follows: 24,55 Followers: 24,673

46=. Sunny Hundal, Blogger

A compulsive tweeter, self-confessed "activist" and writer on most things left-wing. Edits Liberal Conspiracy, the politics blog, which aims to revitalise liberal-left thinking. Pulls no punches with his wide-ranging, business-like tweets – for example: "Is The Guardian as bad as Tesco in exploiting people with 'work experience'?" Avoids gossip but does throw in his views with the news, and often links to thought-provoking articles of all political persuasions. Not averse to the odd ding-dong, either.

Tweets as: @sunny_hundal PeerIndex: 66 Authority: 63 Activity: 79 Audience: 74 Follows: 497 Followers: 19,140

46=. Tim Bradshaw, Journalist

An admired technology journalist for the Financial Times, Bradshaw is a key tweeter to follow for keeping up with the digital media sector. Whether it's developments in London's "Silicon Roundabout" or updates from Silicon Valley kings like Google, Amazon and Facebook, Bradshaw provides a key voice in disseminating tech news. Something reflected by his 20,000+ followers.

Tweets as: @tim PeerIndex: 66 Authority: 62 Activity: 77 Audience: 76 Follows: 4,480 Followers: 22,371

49=. Tom Watson, Politician

Before last July, Watson wasn't widely known outside political circles. His dogged pursuit of News International – before and during the great phone-hacking scandal – has made him one of Labour's few household name backbenchers, and Twitter has played a crucial part in this. The medium has been Watson's weapon of choice for a war of relentless attrition against the Murdoch empire, and relatively little of his output (apart from one rogue tweet by an intern) concerns subject matter beyond the scope of the Leveson Inquiry, the output of the remaining News International titles and the legacy of the scandal.

Tweets as: @tom_watson PeerIndex: 65 Authority: 80 Activity: 76 Audience: 60 Follows: 3,306: Followers: 70,469

49=. Salman Rushdie, Author

If you search online for Salman Rushdie, the second autofill suggestion from Google – after "Salman Rushdie Satanic Verses" – is "Salman Rushdie Twitter". It's fair to say that – as an author not known for the brevity of his novels – he's taken to it with aplomb and wit. (His bio reads: "In the immortal words of Popeye the Sailor Man: I yam what I yam and that's all that I yam.") Has used his account recently to express disappointment at not being allowed to attend the Jaipur Literary Festival in January. He's also been quick to respond to abuse: "The hate tweets dribble on. Moronic thinking + bad grammar: good combo. Keep 'em coming."

Tweets as: @SalmanRushdie PeerIndex: 65 Authority: 64 Activity: 67 Audience: 63 Follows: 269 Followers: 229, 179

49=. Jonathan Freeland, Journalist/author

A journalist (with a long-standing Guardian column), a radio presenter (The Long View on Radio 4 ) and best-selling thriller writer (as Sam Bourne) – Freedland ranges widely in his Twitter output, with favoured themes including rumblings in the Jewish diaspora, US and middle-eastern politics, and UK policy. Interactions are often with other insider-y types, but Freedland provides an enjoyably esoteric mix.

Tweets as: @j_freedland PeerIndex: 65 Authority: 63 Activity: 47 Audience: 75 Follows: 331 Follows: 20,993

49=. Robin van Persie, Footballer

The non-thinking man's Joey Barton. Van Persie's million followers are down to his position as the Premier League's most prolific forward, not for his tweeted eloquence. Most of his activity involves comments on games, notably those of his own team – he tweeted an apology after Arsenal's 4-0 hammering in Milan last week. But there's also backroom "banter" with teammates like Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain as well as US-based Arsenal fan Piers Morgan. Non-Gooners probably need not apply.

Tweets as: @persie_official PeerIndex: 65 Authority: 60 Activity: 12 Audience: 93 Follows: 112 Followers: 1,102,084

49=. Michael Owen, Footballer

The occasional Manchester United striker got into trouble last summer when he called Newcastle United, his former employer, a "poor" team. More recently he fell into the web of Twitter's celebrity provoker-in-chief, Piers Morgan, who called the footballer a "benchwarmer", leading to a petty spat of the sort Morgan conducts so freely. It climaxed when the CNN presenter and former newspaper editor hit out with, weirdly: "My pecs are bigger than your entire body." Otherwise, Owen is more animated than his TV persona, dispensing such gems as "How was that a yellow card? Keepers continue to be protected species."

Tweets as: @themichaelowen PeerIndex: 65 Authority: 60 Activity: 21 Audience: 93 Follows: 160 Followers: 1,123,849

54=. Andrew Sparrow, Journalist

A lobby correspondent since 1994, Sparrow is now one of the most prominent political bloggers. He writes the Guardian's daily Politics Live blog which collects snippets from the world of Westminster and beyond. Has been known to say: "If journalism is the first draft of history, live blogging is the first draft of journalism." Hugely prolific, he is reckoned to have blogged 14,000 words-a-day at the last General Election. Uses Twitter to report the news, rather than comment on it, hence sturdy, if uninspired things like: "No 10 lobby briefing – full summary V strong words on China/Russia re Syria, but wobbling on Network Rail." (Feb 2011).

Tweets as: @AndrewSparrow PeerIndex: 64 Authority: 60 Activity: 81 Audience: 73 Follows: 546 Followers: 17,234

54=. Ian Wright, Broadcaster

The ex-Arsenal and England striker is now commentating and talking all things football on Absolute Radio. His tweets are breaking football news, rough-and-ready commentary and updates on live action. And he's not afraid to give his opinions on issues from the Suarez handshake to the England manager ("Arise Harry Redknapp and fulfil your destiny", February 2012). After a slow start on Twitter in 2010, when "horrible" messages almost put him off altogether, he's come back strong, engaging with fans and die-hard opponents alike.

Tweets as: @ianwright0 PeerIndex: 64 Authority 60 Activity: 22 Audience: 89 Follows: 483 Followers: 270,441

56=. Sandra Hagelstam, Fashion blogger

Hagelstam's bio describes her as a "Finnish girl blogging from London". Her blog, 5 Inch And Up (presumably a reference to heels), is a pictorial account of Hagelstram trying out new fashions in disparate places around the Capital, and her feed follows the design student through the world of fashion shows and other events. Some might find her output bland ("Only did one show today @Topshop Unique and gosh it was good!!"), but fashion wannabes can't get enough of it.

Tweets as: @5inchandup Peer Index: 63 Authority: 66 Activity: 32 Audience: 61 Follows: 191 Followers: 7,250

56=. John Prescott, Politician

He may now be Baron Prescott of Kingston-upon-Hull, but he's still the same feisty Prezza we know and love. In fact, he's probably feistier than ever. Throughout the height of the hacking scandal, Prescott was using his online presence to push against News International. On other topics he's no less vocal, whether it's housing, hugs or his run to be police commissioner of Humberside (something he revealed on Twitter). His presence has even earned him the ultimate accolade – a Twitter robot impersonator (cf @Dimblebot)

Tweets as: @johnprescott Peer Index: 63 Authority: 84 Activity: 61 Audience: 58 Follows: 409 Followers: 114,869

56=. Charles Arthur, Journalist

With a forthcoming book about Apple, Microsoft, Google, "and the battle for the Internet", Charles Arthur has cemented himself as one of the UK's foremost technology commentators. As the Guardian's technology editor, he's often first to news of new tech developments, and just as often a source of spot-on analysis of same. Interacts frequently with his followers, and has been known to depart from his specialist subject, in tweets such as: "Frankly, if the London Olympics opening ceremony doesn't use the Thunderbirds theme, I'm going to be mightily disappointed."

Tweets as: @charlesarthurPeerIndex: 63 Authority: 57 Audience: 76 Follows: 764 Followers: 31,522

56=. Peter Jones, Entrepreneur

When the lofty businessman isn't making and breaking would-be businesses on the BBC's Dragon Den, he's bantering with his co-fire breathers, including Duncan Bannatyne, sharing news and images of the fast cars he drives, and boasting about being the first Dragon denizen to gain half a million followers ("but please don't rub it in to the others," he added). Sometimes guilty of over-sharing. For example: "Hawaii Five O is on at 9pm. Might have to watch it."

Tweets as: @dragonjones PeerIndex: 63 Authority: 58 Activity: 29 Audience: 89 Follows: 201 Followers: 506,778

The Twitter 100: No 1 to 10=

The Twitter 100: No 60 to 100

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