"Yes, I have a crush on Aladdin. Please don't judge me."

By KAHLA PRESTON

My number one guilty pleasure movie is 27 Dresses.

I know, I know – it’s thoroughly predictable and Katherine Heigl isn’t known for taking on challenging roles. But I love it. One of the reasons for this is my embarrassingly large crush on James Marsden’s character, Kevin. He’s just perfect (well… apart from the name). He’s intelligent. A writer. Cheeky. Romantic. Disarmingly cute. And he sings the wrong lyrics to ‘Bennie and the Jets’, just like me.

Unfortunately, given the fact he is the product of a Hollywood writer’s imagination, my love shall remain unrequited forevermore. That’s what you get for fancying fictional people who DO NOT EXIST. (Or my other fun hobby – developing crushes on people who are no longer alive. Hello James Dean; hello Jeff Buckley.)

This isn’t my first fictional attraction. I’ve fancied many a novel, movie or TV character – sometimes even animated ones – over the years, and I started young. The list includes Luke Skywalker, Seth Cohen, Mr Darcy (both the Pride and Prejudice and Bridget Jones’ Diary iterations), Aladdin (Biggest. Crush. Ever), Wheeler from Captain Planet (I was FOUR, okay? And um, he had the power of fire), Noah from The Notebook… you get the point.

Yes, they’re a waste of time. But ultimately I think fictional flings are a bit of harmless fun. I’m not alone either – the hashtag #FictionalCharactersIWantToMarry went absolutely bonkers on Twitter earlier this month, with popular choices including Christian Grey (ugh), Chuck Bass, Hermione Granger and Catwoman among the most popular responses.

So come on, don’t be shy now – which character do you have a soft spot for? This gallery might provide you with some inspiration: