Peaches Geldof keen to follow Katie Holmes into Scientology

Peaches Geldof is the latest celebrity to fall victim, sorry, in love with Scientology — and her pals are blaming Hollywood actress Katie Holmes for getting the 20-year-old daughter of Bob Geldof involved in the oddball religion.

Keeping the faith: Peaches Geldof is interested in signing up to Scientology

After interviewing Holmes, 30, for Nylon magazine last year, Peaches was described as being "totally in awe" of her.

We're told that she wanted to "become friends" with Tom Cruise's wife and hang around in the same circles. So she looked into her local Scientology centre in New York to find out what it was all about.

A pal tells us: "Peaches was very impressed by Katie, she loved interviewing her and really wanted to become friends with her. She thought that taking up Scientology would be the perfect springboard to work her way into that New York clique.

"In the beginning she didn't know what it was all about, so she just went along to find out more information, but the more classes she attended the more she got into it.

"She knows her dad won't be happy about it but she feels it will help her move into bigger and better celeb circles, so she is willing to keep up with her studies to become a fully fledged Scientologist."

If Peaches successfully infiltrates the religion — which teaches that we are actually immortal alien spirits called Thetans, currently trapped on Earth in human bodies — she can look forward to rubbing shoulders with the likes of fellow Scientologists John Travolta, Juliette Lewis, Priscilla Presley and Beck (even Nancy Cartwright, the voice of Bart Simpson).

But even the good folk of Scientology might not appreciate Peaches' reason for embracing their faith.

"Getting religion" simply to expand your circle of rich and famous friends is the best reason we've heard yet.