Patrick Swayze has beaten out the competition to win the title of Sexiest Man Not Alive in his first year of eligibility.

Bookmakers had it as a two-horse race between Swayze and Stephen Gately to win the coveted gong, handed out annually by Dead People magazine. The former Ghost actor and living human took the title in the same week that Johnny Depp won the non-deceased version of the prize for the second time.

“It’s great to see some new blood this year,” said Dead People editor Morticia Jones. “Last year’s winner Heath Ledger was always a dead cert, which meant the result was fairly predictable.

“But this year saw a really close contest between some extremely talented, attractive and expired individuals who were really dying to get noticed. A lot of very famous and beautiful people will have to kick the bucket if 2010 is to be anything like as good.”

The 2009 result was widely expected by many commentators. Swayze was immediately tipped to take the title following the announcement of his death this year, which inexplicably coincided with a surge in orders for pottery wheels and return to number one for the Righteous Brothers’ ‘Unchained Melody’.

He was the bookies’ clear favourite and his only serious challenge was from Gately, who entered the race late – as did all of the competitors, in accordance with the rules.

Michael Jackson has already been installed as the early favourite for next year’s competition. This is despite the fact that when the winner is announced he will have been dead for over a year.

“He’s at an advantage,” says Jones, “as being mostly made up of inorganic matter really slows down the decomposition process.”