BabesOfHollywood.com a celebrity web site focusing on beautiful female celebrities, today announced that Jessica Simpson has been named it's 2006 “Babe of the Year”. The award, handed out annually by the web site, is designed to acknowledge the female celebrity who looked the hottest while still being newsworthy during the year. Simpson beat out fellow blondes Paris Hilton and Britney Spears as well as Lindsay Lohan. She also finished ahead of 2005 Babe of The Year, Angelina Jolie, who came in a close second thanks to her role in the celebrity international baby adoption trend.



For Simpson, this “award” comes at the end of a banner year where the singer and sometimes actress was forced to face her popularity alone for the first time post her divorce from boy band singer/sports fan Nick Lachey. Simpson created a consistent buzz on search engines, web sites and celebrity blogs throughout the year.

From an artistic standpoint, Simpson was at a creative low. Following her 2005 role as Daisy Duke in the film version of The Dukes of Hazard, Simpson took on her first leading lady role in the low-brow comedy Employee of the Month. At the time of its release in June, Simpson was rumored to be dating her Employee of the Month co-star, comedian Dane Cook who was also her co-host at the Teen Choice Awards. All of this while finishing up her divorce from Lachey. In August, the singer returned to focus on music with the release of her fourth album A Public Affair. Despite a star studded video for it's title-track first single, which featured friends Eva Longoria, Christina Applegate, Christina Milian and Maria Menounous, the album has sold less than half that of her top selling album Irresistible. On the business side, Simpson continued to leverage her dumb-blonde “brand” following the huge success of her TV show Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica. Her most recent endeavor features a line of clip-in hair extensions with her hair stylist and close confidant Ken Paves, which continues to keep her active and in the limelight.

On the personal side, Simpson also had her struggles in 2006, including claims that she was dating and intimately involved with singer and musician John Mayer. Those claims were refuted by Mayer and left another embarrassing mark on the Simpson PR campaign. Making it especially painful were the news reports and photos of her ex-husband Nick Lachey romping around with MTV VJ Vanessa Minnillo.

Jessica Simpson's most recent newsworthy moment came at the recent Kennedy Center Honors. During a performance saluting Dolly Parton, an influential (and fellow well-endowed) singer, Simpson was brought to tears following the performance. While initially the reason given was that the emotion of performing in front of an idol was too overwhelming, it turned out that the only thing too overwhelming was Simpson's bust size. Apparently a near Janet Jackson-type wardrobe malfunction was to embarrassing for the pop-star.

Still, through all the ups and downs of the year, and all the press, paparazzi and media commentary, Jessica Simpson has weathered it all, and is certainly no worse for the wear. While her music and film careers may have there ups and downs, Jessica Simpson is still one of the internet's most popular figures. And what a figure it is. For that reason (and perhaps that reason alone), Jessica Simpson is BabesOfHollywood.com's 2006 “Babe of the Year”. Congratulations Jessica.