London, Nov 2 : Cherie Blair, the wife of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, has been chosen for the dubious honour of being the 'Celebrity Guy' at the bonfire celebrations this year.

Cherie’s 30-feet effigy, holding a yet-to-be-published autobiography and wads of fake cash, will be torched in front of a crowd of about 20,000 on Guy Fawkes night in Edenbridge, Kent.

According to the Daily Mail, the news that she could earn more than one million pounds for her book, which will be published next October, seems to have clinched her the top place on the pyre.

"The reason it is Cherie is because of the book, but I should say we're not making a political statement - it's just fun,” said Charles Lazer, of the Edenbridge Bonfire Society.

"We had two contenders this year, Cherie Blair and Heather Mills, and the committee chose Cherie. Jade Goody wasn't considered.

"We're not making a political statement as she hasn't been in the news lately, and we've done Gordon Brown in 2000 over the fuel protests. On the night we will have an unveiling before it's burned.

"Generally, it's the highlight and I expect it will be this year too," Lazer added.

Cherie has now joined a mixed bunch of public figures like royal "love rat" James Hewitt, Anne Robinson, John Prescott and Saddam Hussein, who have been given the Bonfire Night treatment by the mischievous residents of Edenbridge.

Hewitt was the first to have his effigy burned in 1996.

Last year, John McCririck was selected for the event following the racing pundit's' behaviour on Celebrity Big Brother. 

It is unlikely to be much comfort to Mrs Blair to hear that an effigy of her husband was also reduced to charcoal in 2004, the daily reported. (ANI)