Hollywood stars seem to have it all with fame, glamour and wealth, but for many this cannot compare to having a family of their own.

The number of celebrities adopting children is growing, with Angelina Jolie and husband Billy Bob Thornton adopting a baby from Cambodia.

Celebrity adoptions are nothing new. Stars of the silver screen, Bette Davis and Joan Crawford both adopted children at the height of their careers, while Mia Farrow adopted her first child in the 1970s from Vietnam.

Jolie is not alone among modern actresses, either. Sharon Stone has given a home to a young boy with her husband Phil Bronstein, while Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise adopted two children during their marriage. Calista Flockhart, star of Ally McBeal, is now a single mum following the adoption of her young son.

And the trend is not only for Hollywood celebrities. Closer to home, Lenny Henry and Dawn French have an adopted daughter.

Michelle Davies, features editor of Heat magazine, says it is too flippant to regard it as simply a celebrity trend. "I wouldn't say it was a trend as such, but I think it's easier perhaps if you are a celebrity and have the money to support a child on your own."

Ms Davies believes many single female celebrities have adopted children because they can. Their status and income means they have fewer worries about needing to be supported financially in the absence of a partner.

She cites Michelle Pfeiffer who adopted her daughter Claudia Rose in 1993 - then soon met her future husband David E Kelley, creator of Ally McBeal, with whom she had a son.

"If they don't have a partner, adoption is often the best option.

"Michelle Pfeiffer famously said she had decided to adopt because she had given up hope of meeting someone and starting a family."