Because the Wimbledon Tennis championship has been cancelled this year, BBC TV have just transmitted as a substitute, a programme about Wimbledon, in which they have run through the profiles in chronological order, along with interviews of, the champions of the modern age, both men’s and women’s. They have reached the age of the 8 times men’s champion Roger Federer and have just interviewed him...and some of his fans, who include Katherine, Duchess of Cambridge. She has just described him as more than a mere tennis champion but to her mother and many other female fans as a “heartthrob”! This was a word I hadn’t heard used for some time, and was formerly reserved for movie stars. It got me thinking about It, and wondered when it was that sports stars and other personalities such as musicians began to be included in that category.

Who in the non-actor/actress category would you describe as your heartthrob/s? I don’t mean your significant other, but someone in the public arena who makes your heart beat faster. This may be just a lighthearted post prompted by watching something on TV this afternoon, but I think a bit of unrequited love or admiration of a public figure is a harmless and healthy emotional outlet for us, which contributes to our health and wellbeing. Do you agree with me?