Celebrity of the Year Finalist #9: Hayden Panettiere

As 2007 draws to a close, it's time to reflect and pay tribute to the stars who made this a year to remember. On that note, The Hollywood Gossip is announcing its 10 finalists for its first annual Celebrity of the Year award.

They've given us their best, their worst and, in a more than a few cases, their naked pictures. Now it is time for us to give a little something back with this special feature, because without these celebrities, we are nothing.

We previously profiled the adorable little Suri Cruise at #10. Now, without further delay, we present Celebrity of the Year finalist #9 ... Hayden Panettiere!

As of this post, we've covered 981 different celebrities since The Hollywood Gossip debuted in mid-2006. But few bring as much to the table as Hayden.

Cover girl good looks, loads of talent, a bubbly personality, rampant over-exposure, maturity mixed with youthful exuberance, personal life speculation, constant material for inappropriate jokes about her age - the list goes on and on!

Fortunately, Hayden Panettiere - a Long Island native who stars on one of our favorite shows in Heroes - turned 18 this year, making us feel a little less dirty about our crush on her. But just look at her. Can you blame us, really?

Hayden Panettiere's middle name is Leslie. But it might as well be Sunshine.

Whether she's wearing that cute cheerleader uniform on the NBC show, dining out with friends at Koi, posing for 10 magazines per month or trying to save the dolphins in Japan, Hayden makes our world a little brighter and a lot more fun.

So here's to you, Hayden Panettiere. We'll buy you a drink in 32 months when it's legal for us to... as long as you haven't gone bonkers and checked into rehab prior to that. Please, Hayden. We beg of you. Don't go Lindsay Lohan on us.