Material Girl 'a closet romantic'

A new book claims that Madonna, renown for her risqu? on-stage outfits and sassy manner, is a straitlaced, old-fashioned romantic.

The book, called simply Madonna and penned by Andrew Morton - responsible for the Diana biography - describes how the singer spent years "searching for love" before meeting Guy Ritchie.

The singer has been romantically linked to a string of high-profile men - from John F Kennedy Jr and Michael Jackson to Warren Beatty and rapper Vanilla Ice.

Morton said: "Many of the men in her life have been arm candy. She flirted with Michael Jackson and had a relationship with Warren Beatty. She spent a long time looking for love in all the wrong places.

"In the end, she is just an old-fashioned Catholic girl who wants to be married."

But the unauthorised biography, to be published next week - and based on interviews with more than 70 of her friends, relatives and associates - has been dismissed by Madonna spokeswoman Liz Rosenberg, who said: "There isn't one thing in it that is true. It is a lovely work of fiction, I am sure."