Socialities showered Social and Personal editor PJ Gibbons with gifts of expensive champagne in a bid to make it on to the coveted most-invited list.

PJ Gibbons has revealed to the Herald how party-goers canvassed in a bid to be named one of the country's top socialities.

Speaking at the magazine's Christmas party last night in Cafe en Seine, where this year's list was announced, with actress Rachel Kavanagh topping the poll, beating other celebs such as Louis Walsh and Grainne Seoige, diplomatic PJ declined to name the wannabes.

"It happens every year," he laughed. "This year a few different people kindly sent me a bottle of champagne with a very nice note explaining exactly what they were looking for -- a spot on the Top 50. I would never put anyone on because they want to be on -- the team of us in the office all decide between us. I always send [the champagne] back," he said.

The editor explained how the staff whittle down the hundreds of names that they start out with to just fifty.

Photographers

"How it works is that we talk to different groups of people who would know who is popular at that time.

"PR people, photographers and nightclub owners all give us names and it's the names that keep cropping up in every list that we put in."

Meanwhile, PJ also defended the fact that one-time poll topper Caroline Morahan had not made it on to the list at all this year.

"There are a number of reasons why people who feature heavily on the list for a few years will not make it another year.

"Caroline isn't presenting Off the Rails anymore but it's more down to the fact that she hasn't been going to the same amount of social and media events. It's very easy to just drop off the radar," he added.

One woman making a comeback to the list is Jackie Lavin who came in at number 13. PJ explains: "Jackie Lavin hasn't been on the list for a few years, even though she used to feature quite heavily, but now her profile had gone up again because she's on The Apprentice."

Speaking at the glitzy event, Jackie said she hates watching herself on The Apprentice.

Jackie also said that she didn't feel that the judges were too tough on the contestants: "I don't think we were too harsh overall ... tough but fair."

- Elaine Stenson