Who is the most popular person in America?

Tom Hanks? Michael Jordan? Oprah? Nicolas Cage?

Bafflingly, none of the above.

Less baffling though are the results of an academic poll, which has found that country icon and all-round legend Dolly Parton tops the list of the most beloved public figures in the US.

Finally, some good news.

Dolly Parton – AP Photo

According to a national survey of American adults conducted by the University of Massachusetts Lowell, the musician fared more favorably than any of the other suggested figures – including all of the country’s major political players.

Parton, who turned 80 last January, has a net favorability of +65, which is 51 points higher than Barack Obama (+14) and 52 points ahead of Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy (+13). She is also 62 points above the just-positive Taylor Swift (+3).

Some people clearly shared our thoughts on‘Life Of A Showgirl’…

Bernie Sanders scored +6, while George W. Bush surprisingly tallied +5. These politicians rank significantly higher than the likes of Marco Rubio (-3), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (-6), JD Vance (-10), Kamala Harris (-11) and Gavin Newsom (-14).

We know what’s on your mind… Where does Donald Trump rank?

Well, he’s at –18, meaning that the Queen of Country Music is 83 points ahead… Just imagine if the ‘9 to 5’ singer threw her cowboy hat in the ring for the Presidential elections…

Oh, the things that could be.

Further down the list are Joe Biden (-19), Benjamin Netanyahu (-19), Tucker Carlson (-21) and Mark Zuckerberg (a whopping –43). Vladimir Putin ranks at the bottom according to Americans, with -65. Meaning he’s essentially the anti-Parton.

Last month, Parton made her first public appearance of the year, following rumours of her ill health in 2025. She also recently made a “transformational” donation to a children’s hospital.

Indeed, te East Tennessee Children’s Hospital became the Dolly Parton Children’s Hospital following Parton making a considerable monetary contribution.

“What I can tell you is that she has made a generational and transformational commitment to Children’s and its mission,” said hospital’s president and CEO Matt Schaefer in an interview with the Chief Healthcare Executive.

“That commitment is something that goes beyond our wildest expectations, that is beyond generous, and will be a lifeline for this mission for now and for years to come,” he added. “And we’re excited about and humbled by her willingness to do so.”

Seriously, someone preserve this woman in amber and protect her at all costs.

And Dolly, if you’re reading – thank you for keeping us sane.