Jennifer Aniston voted No 1 dinner date

Los Angeles - Jennifer Aniston and her ex-husband Brad Pitt would be the preferred guests at a holiday meal for many Americans, along with the Duchess of Cambridge.

Aniston, the former Friends star, topped the list with 30% in the survey that asked Americans which celebrity they would like to sit next to at a holiday meal.

Pitt polled third with 16%, while the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, came in second with 21%.

Actors Charlie Sheen and Ashton Kutcher and reality television star Kim Kardashian rounded out the top choices.

But when it came to party guests, food doyenne Rachel Ray was the person chosen by 31% of people, followed by late night talk show host Jay Leno, who was a distant second at 17%.

Celebrity chef Paula Deen was named as the cook most people wanted to prepare their holiday meal. Cantankerous chef Gordon Ramsey came in second, while Martha Stewart was third.

The poll, conducted by retailer HomeGoods, questioned 1 008 Americans in an online survey in October.