Mills outburst tops cringe list

Heather Mills said her outburst had been "cathartic"

Heather Mills' televised outburst against the tabloid press has been voted the "most cringeworthy moment" of 2007 in a poll of internet users.

Some 31% of MSN UK users picked the emotional GMTV interview with Sir Paul McCartney's estranged wife as the most embarrassing episode of the year.

Reformed boy band Take That were named "comeback kings" by 41% of the 5,000 users who took part in the poll.

And Britney Spears was the top search of the year on the site.

She was followed by Paris Hilton, EastEnders, Angelina Jolie and Lindsay Lohan.

'On the edge'

Heather Mills hit out at the media in October after asking to appear on GMTV.

In an exchange that lasted almost 20 minutes, she accused the press of "pushing her to the edge", likening her treatment to that of Princess Diana.

"I've had worse press than a paedophile or a murderer and I've done nothing but charity for the 20 years," she said.

"They've called me a whore, a gold digger, a fantasist, a liar," she added, calling on the public to stop buying newspapers.

The press rounded on her, with Daily Mail columnist Amanda Platell accusing her of "self-delusion". But Mills later said she was happy with the public support she had received and the experience had been "unbelievably cathartic".