Saying goodbye to some of the biggest names in showbiz
January
Lord Snowdon
Princess Margaret’s former husband died peacefully at home on January 13th. The acclaimed photographer, film-maker, and designer died aged 86.
Gorden Kaye
Best known for his role as French cafe owner, Rene Artois, actor and ‘Allo ‘Allo! star Gorden Kaye passed away aged 75 on January 23rd in a care home. He appeared in all 84 episodes of the show for a decade until 1992.
John Hurt
Actor John starred in a number of films including Harry Potter and Alien. He sadly passed away at the age of 77 on January 25th after battling pancreatic cancer.
February
Tara Palmer-Tomkinson
Former It girl (and friend of the Royal family) Tara had secretly been battling a brain tumour for the last year of her life. She died aged 45 on February 8th.
Neil Fingleton
Standing at 7 ft 7in Neil Fingleton was crowned Britain’s tallest man in 2007.
He was known for his portrayal of Mag the Mighty in TV series Game of Thrones and also as Doctor Who villain the Fischer King. He was just 36 when he died suddenly at his home in Gilesgate, County Durham on February 25th.
March
Colin Dexter
Author Colin was best known creating Inspector Morse in novel form. It was later picked up as a TV show by ITV. The former Cambridge University alumni and teacher died on March 21st, peacefully at home aged 86.
April
Erin Moran
Happy Days star Erin died on April 22nd, aged 56. The actress, who played Joanie Cunningham in the TV show, was found unresponsive at her home by authorities in Indiana.
Tim Piggott Smith
With a career that spanned almost five decades on stage and screen, British actor Tim died at home on April 7th, aged 70. The Rugby-born star is best remembered for his role in the BAFTA-winning TV series, The Jewel in the Crown.
May
John Noakes
Blue Peter’s longest serving presenter John Noakes died on May 28th, aged 83.
He was best known for his daredevil stunts on the show, and of course for his catchphrase, “Get down Shep” when sharing the show’s limelight with long serving pet, Shep the Border collie.
Sir Roger Moore
James Bond star Sir Roger was knighted by the Queen in 2003 for his services to charity. The 89-year-old passed away on May 23rd in Switzerland following a short battle with cancer.
June
Adam West
Adam was THE original Batman, starring in the iconic TV show from 1966 to 1968. He later reprised his Batman role in animated movie Return of the Caped Crusaders and video game Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham. He also went on to voice a character called Adam West on TV show Family Guy. He died on June 10th, aged 88 after a short battle with leukaemia.
Peter Sallis
More cheese, lad! Sadly the voice of Wallace, the nation’s favourite animated character from Wallace and Gromit, died on June 5th, aged 96. The actor also starred in long running TV show Last of the Summer Wine playing Norman Clegg from 1973 until 2010.
Roy Barraclough
Coronation Street legend Roy died at the age of 81 on June 1st. Best known for playing Eric Gilroy in the ITV series for 22 years, the actor also appeared in Last of the Summer Wine and in the BBC’s one-off tribute to Are You Being Served? as Mr Grainger.
July
Barry Norman
Film critic Barry was reported dead on July 1st at the age of 83 after passing away in his sleep. Best known for presenting the BBC’s Film series for an incredible 16 years, he also wrote for newspapers The Guardian and the Daily Mail.
Carol Lee Scott
Carol was definitely best known as her character Grotbags the witch in kids TV show Emu’s World, and was so popular she went on to have her own spin off show Grotbags. She died on July 4th, at the age of 74 after a battle with cancer.
August
Glen Campbell
Rhinestone Cowboy legend Glen died following a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease on August 8th at the age of 81. The singer passed away in Nashville, in a specialist care unit.
Bruce Forsyth
Everybody loved a Brucie bonus, but sadly the legend of entertainment died on August 18th at the age of 89. Recognised by the Guinness World Records as having the longest television career for a male entertainer, he hosted shows like Play Your Cards Right, You Bet and of course The Generation Game. The shows made him a family favourite and spawned many catchphrases including, “Nice to see you, to see you nice”.
September
William G Stewart
Producer, director and host of general knowledge quiz Fifteen To One, William G Stewart, passed away aged 84 on September 21st after a brief illness.
Liz Dawn
Corrie fave Liz played Vera Duckworth on the soap for 34 years. She left in 2008 but returned for one final scene when her ghost visited husband Jack before he passed away. She passed away aged 77 on September 25th after complications resulting from emphysema.
Tony Booth
Cherie Blair’s father and star of sitcom Til Death Do Us Part died on September 25th following a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. The actor, who had been married four times and had eight daughters was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2004 and had experienced heart problems.
Hugh Hefner
Where do you start with Hugh Hefner? The founder of Playboy, died at the age of 91 on September 27th.
According to his spokesman he died “peacefully” from “natural causes” at his home The Playboy Mansion in Hollywood where he lived alongside his infamous Playboy Bunnies.
October
Tom Petty
The rocker behind hits such as I Won’t Back Down and Free Fallin’, was found unconscious and in cardiac arrest at his Malibu home and could not be revived. The 66 year old died on October 2nd.
Sean Hughes
Irish funnyman and actor Sean, was suffering with liver cirrhosis when he was rushed into a North London hospital. He suffered cardiac arrest and died at the age of 51 on October 16th. The stand-up comedian was one of the youngest ever winners of the prestigious Perrier Award.
November
Antonio Carluccio
Chef Antonio Carluccio had a career that spanned an epic 50 years. Known not only for his restaurants and amazing food, the Italian was also loved for his BBC2 TV show, Two Greedy Italians, which he hosted with fellow Italian chef Gennaro Contaldo. Following a fall at home he died on November 8th, aged 80.
Keith Barron
One of Britain’s most versatile actors, Barron’s finest hour undoubtedly came in the 1980s sitcom Duty Free, where he played the lovestruck holidaymaker David Pearce. On November 15th, the Yorkshireman passed away following a short illness. He was 83.
David Cassidy
New Yorker Cassidy became an international heartthrob in the 1970s after landing a role in the musical sitcom The Partridge Family, and scoring a succession of hits with the pop group of the same name. On November 21st, he died of liver failure, aged 67.
Rodney Bewes
Bewes will be best remembered for his role in The Likely Lads, alongside James Bolam. However, despite their on-screen chemistry, the pair hadn’t spoken to each other in the 40 years before Bewes’ death on November 21st, aged 79. Bolam subsequently claimed that the silence was due to their “busy schedules rather than resentment”.
December
Max Clifford
Shamed celebrity publicist Max Clifford died in hospital after suffering a heart attack and collapsing in prison on December 10th, at the age of 74. The former PR was found guilty of sexual offences carried out between 1977 and 1985 after police launched Operation Yewtree.
Keith Chegwin
Best known for hosting classic 1970s and 80s children’s TV shows Multi Coloured Swap Shop and Cheggers Plays Pop, the Liverpool-born star went on to finish fourth in the 2015 series of Celebrity Big Brother before losing his battle with a progressive lung disease on December 11th. He was 60.