Conservative leader David Cameron may want to be taken seriously as a politician - but he has the face of a comic, new research has shown.
Unlike either Tony Blair or Gordon Brown, David Cameron has the kind of features that make people laugh, according to experts.
In this respect he shares the same qualities as comic stars Ricky Gervais and Jimmy Carr.
Like them, he has the round, wide face, large eyes and soft, feminine appearance that is said to be perfect for comedy.
Face expert Dr Anthony Little, from the University of Stirling in Scotland, who carried out the research, said: "The features most likely to mark male comedians out for success are predominantly soft and feminine. The face is a strong indication of character, and today's study appears to explain why comedians of a certain appearance would have been drawn to their career.
"The characteristics of a feminine face imply that the person may be agreeable and co-operative, which can be causal in our first impressions of comedians as being friendly and funny."
Dr Little came to his conclusions after using computer software to map and blend together 179 different facial aspects of 20 top comedians.
The result was the "perfect comedy face" - a composite portrait containing some of the same features seen in Ricky Gervais and the Conservative leader.
"David Cameron is a strong candidate for comic proficiency, due to his round and wide facial shape, large eyes and soft features," said Dr Little, whose research was commissioned by Jongleurs Comedy Clubs.
Mr Cameron's rivals, Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, both had faces that were "too classic and masculine" to raise a laugh.
