Lancashire academic creates first image of ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ heart-throb Christian Grey (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Lancashire academic creates first image of ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ heart-throb Christian Grey

3:30pm Wednesday 11th July 2012 in Books news By Catherine Pye, Health reporter

THE first image of ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ heart-throb Christian Grey has been created by a Lancashire academic.

Described by chart-topping author E L James as having copper-coloured hair and grey eyes, Christian Grey has been brought to life in full by Dr Faye Skelton, senior lecturer at the University of Central Lancashire’s School of Psychology, using police image-generating software.

The erotic novel, which recently became the fastest adult paperback novel to sell one million print copies, tells the story of the steamy relationship between billionaire businessman Christian Grey and ‘unworldly, innocent’ literature student Anastasia Steele.

Dr Skelton, 33, who has family in Rawtenstall, was asked to produce the image “as a bit of fun” for Buckinghamshire-based radio station Mix 96.

She said: “The station emailed me a list of descriptions of Christian from their listeners.

“There were a lot of people saying he would look like Ryan Reynolds, Ryan Gosling, Chris Hemsworth, Channing Tatum and Ian Somerhalder.

“I began by looking up all of these people on a search engine, and comparing what was similar about them. I found that there were common themes such as angular jawlines and intense eyes.”

Knowing she would be asked to complete the task, Dr Skelton began reading the first book in the trilogy, trying not to let her own thoughts of Christian influence her work.

She said: “I tried not to form an idea of what he would look like, but it was hard not to think of Michael Hall from Dexter.

“Different women will have different ideas of what he looks like, and what is attractive, but I have had feedback that the image I’ve created is quite handsome.

“I thought that the image would just be put on a radio’s website, I can’t quite believe that it’s caused so much of a fuss!”

Dr Skelton said research had shown that women tended to be attracted more to men who looked strong, healthy and who they thought could protect them.

But, as these types are deemed unlikely to stay around, for long-term partners, women favour gentler men.

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