At number ten we have SIMON LEGREE, one of the definitive nineteenth century villains, a real nasty piece of work who lifts Harriet Beecher Stowe's sentimental opus into the realms of a classic. Wonderfully played by Herbert Lom in the 1965 movie.

At number eight, we have our first villainess, although some would say that she's an antihero. Whatever way you look at her though, BECKY SHARP deserves her place on this list

In the twentieth century we switch to film and bring in one of the nastiest in the form of Maleficent. There are loads of Disney feature heroines who can chill the blood, the queen in Snow White, for example, but I'm picking Maleficent since I had to be taken out of the cinema at the age of three because she was so scary.

At number four we have the slimy Denis Peck, easily Richard Gere's most wonderful role, harking back to Mr Carker, the smiling man from Dombey and Son, and what a SOB!

At number two, we have the Preacher, played so wonderfully by Robert Mitchum in the Charles Laughton film but nine times nastier in the original Davis Grubb novel. Read it and loathe!