Angelina Jolie named the famous person most influential to politics

The actress and UN ambassador came out joint top of the YouGov poll with Sir Bob Geldof – both with 28 per cent of the vote

Angelina Jolie Pitt, pictured, will begin teaching as a visiting professor from Autumn 2016

Angelina Jolie may be cautious about entering a career in office because she’s worried about being taken seriously.

But according to a new YouGov poll, it’s she who has the most influence over our political persuasions than any other famous woman.

The actress and UN ambassador came out joint top of the survey with Sir Bob Geldof – both with 28 per cent of the vote for most positive.

Jolie was recently made an honorary dame by the Queen for her work as a UN ambassador in campaigning against rape being used as a weapon in war zones.

“When you work as a humanitarian, you are conscious that politics have to be considered,” she told the December issue of Vanity Fair magazine.

“Because if you really want to make an extreme change, then you have a responsibility.

“But I honestly don’t know in what role I would be more useful ̶ I am conscious of what I do for a living, and that could make it less possible.”

Asked directly whether she sees herself pursuing political avenues, she replied: “I am open.”

Jolie first took on the role of diplomat in 2001, after lobbying the UN to make her a Goodwill Ambassador.

She shot a moving MTV documentary about Kenya called entitled The Diary of Angelina Jolie and Dr Jeffrey Sachs in Africa to highlight the UN summit called to discuss the meeting of millennium development goals in 2005, and hit the headlines in 2007 for a piece she wrote for The Washington Post, calling for action to end the genocide in Darfur.

Alongside this, she has publicly campaigned for projects in Afghanistan, Haiti and Cambodia.

She was also honoured with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award at the Governor's Ball in November 2013 – a renown accolade she earned for her work as the co-founder of the Prevent Sexual Violence Initiative and as a special envoy for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

Meanwhile, The Boomtown Rats singer has this week announced the re-release of “Do They Know it's Christmas” with Band Aid, 30 years after it first hit the charts. The proceeds are expected to go towards the fight against the spread of the Ebola virus in west Africa.

In second place is Emma Watson, whose impact on politics is 16 per cent positive, thanks to her new UN Women role and the launch of the #HeForShe campaign for gender equality in September.

In third is Eddie Izzard, who is set to run for London Mayor in 2020, and who tirelessly campaigned for Scotland to vote ‘No’ to independence in the recent referendum.

Former UN ambassador George Clooney came in at fifth most influential, followed by Leonardo DiCaprio at sixth.

At the other end of spectrum, Russell Brand’s quest for parliamentary revolution has earned him the title of the famous person with the most negative impact on politics, with a landslide 46 per cent of the vote.

He was followed by Conservative voter Jeremy Clarkson in second place with 41 per cent of the vote, and U2 singer Bono in at third with 19 per cent.