Italy's crusading comic Beppe Grillo has come seventh in Forbes magazine's annual poll of the world's top bloggers.
''His name may be unfamiliar to most Americans...but his highly political material struck a chord with audiences and Grillo became a force in Italian politics,'' said the citation on the website of the top US business magazine.
It noted that Grillo's blog, started in 2005, is now available in English and Japanese and ''is one of the most widely read in the world, making him a truly global Web Celeb''.
''I'm happy, it's a demonstration of the power of the Web, which is fantastic,'' Grillo said.
The comedian, who became increasingly political after being blackballed from TV 20 years ago, said Forbes' accolade showed that ''we're more alive than ever'' despite getting less coverage in the traditional media recently.
Grillo shot into the public eye in 2007 with his 'V-Day' initiative, in which V stands for the Italian expression corresponding to f*** off. It was directed at the many MPs currently sitting in parliament who have been convicted or are on trial.
The 60-year-old Grillo has long been a thorn in the side of the powers that be. He has been off the airwaves since 1987 when he made a stab at Bettino Craxi - six years before the late Socialist leader's downfall amid escalating corruption scandals.
In 2005 American magazine Time named Grillo one of its European heroes of the year, praising him for his hard-hitting brand of humour.
The Forbes web celeb list was topped for the second straight year by celebrity gossip blogger Perez Hilton (Mario Lavandeira), who takes his name from his favourite target Paris Hilton.
Tech blogger Michael Arrington came second, followed by Diggs founder Kevin Rose in third.
