9 celebrities CRN A-listers would most like to invite to a Zoom party

We asked 132 UK channel bigwigs who they'd invite to their fantasy Zoom party, and the results are in...

We've all become Zoom (other platforms available) aficionados this year, with the number of Brits using the videoconferencing platform rocketing from 659,000 in January to 13 million in April.

But which three celebrities - dead or alive - would be on your invite list if you were tasked with throwing a Zoom party?

Would you opt for verbal sparring session with the greatest Renaissance thinkers, or just crack open the wine for an evening of banter with Russell Howard or Sarah Millican?

As part of the CRN A-list 2021, in association with Agilitas, we put this very question to 132 top channel executives, and the results are in.

Read the A-list in full here, and the individual profiles here.

Here we count down their top nine most popular choices, from last to first place.

Celebrity: Kylie Minogue

Rank: 9

Percentage of A-listers who nominated her: 3%

They include: Andy Wright, XMA, Mark Johnson, NTT Ltd, Rob May, Ramsac

"Kylie Minogue, Robbie Williams, Lionel Richie - they should get the party going," - Sam Mudd, Phoenix Software

Celebrity: Michelle Obama

Rank: 8

Percentage of A-listers who nominated her: 4%

They include: John Baskerville, RM, Angela Whitty, Cisco, Tim Griffin, DCC Technology

"If I had a choice, I wouldn't be having a Zoom party - it's a bit of a contradiction in terms. But I would love a chance to talk to Michelle Obama, Brene Brown and Jay Shetty. You can see I have channelled my inner monk in lockdown," - Hayley Roberts, Distology

Celebrity: Freddie Flintoff

Rank: 7

Percentage of A-listers who nominated him: 4%

They include: Roger Harry, Circle IT, Glenn Robertson, Purechannels, Andy Wright, XMA

"Having watched a hero of mine Freddie Flintoff show his true mettle in the last few weeks by openly talking about his mental health journey he has to be head of my Zoom table. To lighten the mood his fellow Top Gear mate Paddy McGuiness, and to balance the Yorkshire/Lancashire party ratio I would invite honorary Yorkshireman and Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa to talk about coaching for performance and his PowerPoint presentation skills," - Howard Hall, DTP

Celebrity: Ricky Gervais

Rank: 6

Percentage of A-listers who nominated him: 4%

They include: Jeanette Forbes, PCC Group, Mark Forster, Comms-care, Guy Hockin, Utilize PLC

"PG Wodehouse, Ricky Gervais and Christopher Hitchens - that would allow me to sit back and enjoy the strong opinions from three excellent conversationalists who are bright, articulate and incredibly amusing," - Dave Stevinson, QBS

See who made the top five on the following page...