According to a recent poll, blowing out the candles on your 61st birthday doesn't signal the onset of retirement, but rather that you're happily into middle age.

The poll of 1,080 adults by The Marist College Institute for Public Opinion revealed that 63% of people believe that 61 isn’t old and regard those in their 60s as being middle-aged rather than elderly.

Only 22% of participants thought 61-year-olds were ‘old’ and 15% described them as ‘young’.

So where does that leave actual middle-aged people? Well, it’s even better news for them, as the poll revealed that people aged 45 and above are considered to be 'really young'.

Take a look at our round-up of celebrity women over 50 (who rock it).

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• Meet The Real Material Girls

• Deborah Meaden

  Dragons' Den star Deborah Meaden (53) has an estimated fortune of £40 million

• Sharon Osbourne

  Together with husband Ozzy, 59-year-old music manager Sharon's reportedly worth £95 million

• Carol Vorderman

  Presenter Carol Vorderman (51) was reportedly paid £1.2 million a year for 40 days' work in her Countdown days

• Anne Robinson

  TV presenter Anne Robinson (67) has an estimated net worth of £62 million

• Jacqueline Gold

  Said to be worth £537 million, Gold (51) turned four Ann Summers sex shops into a global chain

Plus, enjoy our round-up of the 100 sexiest women in art...