With smoking now about as welcome as Angelina Jolie at Jennifer Aniston's house, the New Year sees everyone trying to kick the habit. Even the stars have become quitters.

Once celebs puffed on their cigarettes and cigars to look the part of movie stars, today Hollywood's finest are desperate to snuff out their smokes.

Here we reveal Tinseltown's top quitters, how they did it and how you can too. And we expose a few stars whose no-smoking efforts have sadly gone up in smoke...

By John Bedford

More stop-smoking stories:

10 ways to help you stop smoking

Real women's stories of how they gave up

Quit with: Willpower

Gwyneth will only light up for films now, having stubbed out her last cigarette when she was 24. Despite the odd puff for movie roles, she's managed to stay a non-smoker.

How it works: The trick is that you really need to want to give up otherwise you'll soon be back on the ciggies. A good trick to maintain the effort is to change your routine to avoid as many of your usual lighting-up times as possible.

Success rate: Not good. Gwyneth is in the minority of success stories who have quit like this. Experts say only 10 per cent who try to will themselves to kick the habit succeed.

Gwyneth says: "Even now there are times when I think I want a cigarette but I take great pleasure in being able to control myself."

Quit with: Nicotine patches

Brad used nicotine patches to first kick his habit for movie Troy in order to be in tip-top shape, then again for Angelina Jolie and the kids. Sadly Brad has picked up his bad habit again.

How it works: Low levels of nicotine are fed to your body through patches. A 12-week course is supposed to reduce withdrawal symptoms and cravings.

Success rate: Said to double your chances of quitting but it didn't work in the long-term for Brad

Brad says: "I'm a professional smoker. I miss it too much to give up."

Quit with: Nicotine gum

Kill Bill star Uma describes her efforts to give up her killer addiction as the "biggest struggle of my life". After years of trying and failing, Umafinally chewed her way to success in 2005...sort of.

How it works: Like Nicotine patches, gum releases small amounts of nicotine into the body but with the added bonus of giving your mouth something to do other than sucking on ciggie or cigar.

Success rate: While nicotine gum, by itself, may not guarantee your success at stopping smoking, it helps. Research shows that when used appropriately, nicotine gum can triple your chance of conquering an addiction to cigarettes.

Uma says: "Smoking is terrible for the appearance. I quit, but it was really hard. Really hard."  Sadly, Uma still finds herself succumbing to the odd puff, having recently been pictured having a crafty drag outside a London restaurant.

Quit with: The Allen Carr Method

Ashton used to smoke an incredible 40 cigarettes a day but had to find a way to quit because of health conscious wife Demi Moore and her kids.

How it works: Allen Carr's book, 'The Easy Way to Stop Smoking', concentrates on the reasons why people smoke rather than why they shouldn't.

Success rate: Apparently there is a 90 per cent success rate and a money-back guarantee. The book has sold more than seven million copies worldwide and treated 40,000 smokers in 30 countries.

Ashton says: "I read the book. It gives you guidance, and allows you to smoke as you read - and on the final page it says ‘And now, quit', and I closed the book, and I did!  I still drink, however."

Quit with: guilt

It was her squeaky-clean image and the thought of letting her fans and family down that saw Cameron quit. In the 90s the Charlie's Angels beauty was a heavy smoker - and not just you off-the-shelf smokes either. Cameron puffed on up to 20 roll-ups a day before seeing the error of her ways.

How it works: While some use their own will-power to give up, others need a little help. Many smokers quit because of pressure from friends or family. Often the thought of letting down loved-ones is even more incentive then letting yourself down.

Success rate: This is risky way to give up, not only because it's hard on you but also hard on friends and family if you fail.

Cameron says: "I gave up because my parents were upset that I was smoking so much and I was setting a bad example It preyed on my conscience. I was into roll-your-own and I was killing myself. Smoking is one thing I am glad to have given up but if I stopped doing everything that is bad for me, I would die!"

Quit with: Exercise

Oscar winner Charlize used to be three-packets-a-day girl until packing it in favour of more healthy habits like yoga and Pilates.

How it works: According to research carried out in the US, the biggest reason for ex-smokers to relapse is that the quitter feels anxious about being without cigarettes. Stress management techniques, like yoga, can play an important role in long-term success, whether you want to stop by yourself or join a programme.

Success rate: The natural high provided by exercise combined by a change in routine can often be a good combination for smokers worried about missing their fix. Most smokers find they don't crave cigarettes after exercise.

Charlize says: "I used to be such a bad, bad smoker - shameless, Marlboro Reds, three packs a day, chain-smoking, horrible. I don't know how anybody lived with me. I started yoga and Pilates in the hope that dedicating myself to a healthy ritual would help me stay off cigarettes and it has. But I still love my food!"

Quit with: Motherhood.

Having failed miserably to kick her addiction on many previous occasions it took the arrival of little son Ryder to finally make her see sense.

How it works: Any doctor, nurse or midwife will advise an expectant mother of the dangers of smoking during pregnancy. Most find the risks far outweigh their addiction.

Success rate: High. Most mums-to-be quit for their baby. It's just a matter of not lighting up again during those stressful early years.

Kate says: "Pregnancy for me was the perfect time to go on a clean-cut thing, kicking bad habits. I finally quit smoking thanks to being pregnant. It was the best thing I ever did."

Meet three women who gave up smoking: read their success stories here

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