The Spice Girls' have been propelled back into the Forbes Most Powerful Celebrity List after nine years.

Their return is thought to be attributable to their recent money-spinning tour.

The band are 50th in the famous list, ranked according to the influence of a celebrity in one year.

David Beckham moves from 15th last year to fifth in 2008, thanks to his return to the England team.

Oprah Winfrey retains the top spot for the second consecutive year.

Golfer Tiger Woods is second, followed by actress Angelina Jolie, and singer Beyonce Knowles.

JK Rowling is ninth, from 48th place last year, and is the highest earner on the list - having made £153 million this year.

The Police enter the Forbes list for the first time, at number seven, thanks to a world tour.

Gordon Ramsay makes his debut in 95th place after launching restaurants and a TV series in the US.

Simon Cowell is at 22 from 21 last year, Keira Knightley up from 71 to 37, and Daniel Radcliffe is at 64.

The list is ordered according to how much celebrities are paid and the levels of attention they receive.

© Independent Television News Limited 2008. All rights reserved.