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With a view to capture a modern audience amid its declining readership, Playboy Founder and Editor in-Chief Hugh Hefner announced last week that his magazine would no longer publish fully nude female models/centrefolds.
Playboy senior executives announced that February 2016 would see the last publication of its ‘nude magazine’ as the publisher takes on a social-media relevant, “PG-13” strategy.
Opening its “Last Playboy Centrefold” market, bookmaker William Hill has placed Canadian actress Pamela Anderson as 5/2 favourite to be the historic magazine’s final nude cover star. The former Baywatch actress has appeared on more Playboy covers (11 times) than any other model.
Anderson leads American comedienne model Jenny McCarthy (7/1) as market favourite. However it may be likely that the publisher chooses its first iconic centrefold Marilyn Monroe (10/1) to wave old Playboy goodbye.
“We think that the final magazine of the old style Playboy will have more than a whiff of nostalgia and one of their superstars will grace the centrefold for the last time at the start of next year,” said William Hill spokesman Joe Crilly.
The magazine which during the 1970’s had a circulation of 7 million, has seen its readership drop to 800,000.
Operating since 1953, high profile Playboy centrefolds have included Brigitte Bardot, Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss, Jayne Mansfield, Cindy Crawford, Kim Basinger and Charlize Theron.
William Hill “Last Playboy Centrefold” market
- 5/2 Pamela Anderson
- 7/1 Jenny McCarthy
- 10/1 Kelly Brook
- 10/1 Marilyn Monroe;
- 12/1 Kendra Wilkinson;
- 12/1 Carmen Electra;
- 12/1 Denise Richards
- 16/1 Kate Moss
- 20/1 Demi Moore
- 25/1 Selena Gomez
- 25/1 Lena Soderberg
- 25/1 Kim Kardashian
- 25/1 Dita von Teese
- 33/1 Elizabeth Jagger
- 33/1 Madonna;
- 33/1 Lindsay Lohan
- 50/1 Anna Nicola Smith
