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Celebrities we sadly said goodbye to in 2024

Celebrities we sadly said goodbye to in 2024

We have lost an immense amount of talent this year

2024 is about to end, and while it has seen some amazing moments, there has also been a lot of tragedy.

From actors and singers to sports legends and change-makers, 2024 has seen a terrible loss for most major industries as many icons have sadly passed away.

Today, we’re going to remember them all...

Derek Draper

(Andrew Matthews - Pool/Getty Images)
(Andrew Matthews - Pool/Getty Images)

Derek Draper was the husband of TV presenter Kate Garraway, as well as a former political adviser.

Sadly, he died aged 56 on 3 January due to complications after contracting Covid-19.

Annie Nightingale

(Tristan Fewings/Getty Images)
(Tristan Fewings/Getty Images)

Annie Nightingale CBE was Radio 1's first female DJ and continued to be the station's only female DJ until 1982.

Tragically, she passed away on 11 January at the age of 83 'after a short illness'.

Franz Beckenbauer

(Bongarts/Getty Images)
(Bongarts/Getty Images)

Franz Beckenbauer was a prominent figure in football, having won a World Cup with West Germany.

He received an outpouring of love from sporting fans, including former England star Gary Lineker, following his death on 7 January aged 78.

Steve Wright

(Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
(Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Steve Wright MBE was a DJ on BBC Radio 1 and Radio 2 for more than four decades.

The broadcasting legend died at the age of 69 on 12 February.

According to his death certificate, his cause of death was a ruptured ulcer in his stomach.

John Savident

(Denzil McNeelance/TV Times via Getty Images)
(Denzil McNeelance/TV Times via Getty Images)

You’ll remember John Savident for his fantastic role in Coronation Street, playing the role of Fred Elliott from 1994 to 2006.

Sadly, Savident died on 21 February aged 86.

Dave Myers

(David M. Benett/Getty Images)
(David M. Benett/Getty Images)

Hairy Bikers star Dave Myers’ death was a shock to fans.

Having been a staple on our screens as one half of the biker duo along with Si King, he was a favoured TV cook to many.

Myers passed away from cancer aged 66 on 28 February.

Kelvin Kiptum

(Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
(Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

Kelvin Kiptum was an athlete who ran his first marathon in Valencia in 2022 before winning the London Marathon and setting a course record the following year.

In Chicago 2023, he went on to break the world record for the fastest-ever marathon time by completing it 34 seconds earlier.

Kiptum, 24, and his coach, Gervais Hakizimana, 36, died in a road collision on 11 February.

Alexei Navalny

(Alexei Sefa Karacan/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
(Alexei Sefa Karacan/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Alexei Navalny had been serving 19 years in prison for extremism after he became one of President Vladimir Putin's worst critics and would campaign against corruption.

On 16 February, the 47-year-old was found dead in his cell at an Arctic Circle prison.

Iris Apfel

(Noam Galai/Getty Images for Central Park Tower)
(Noam Galai/Getty Images for Central Park Tower)

Fashion icon Iris Apfel was an interior designer for the elite, particularly the White House.

She died at her home in Palm Beach, Florida, on 1 March at the age of 102.

Eric Carmen

(Tom Hill/WireImage)
(Tom Hill/WireImage)

Eric Carmen was part of the pop group the Raspberries before he released the hit songs 'All By Myself' and 'Hungry Eyes'.

On 11 March, his wife announced that he had died in his sleep over the previous weekend at the age of 74.

OJ Simpson

(Jason Bean-Pool/Getty Images)
(Jason Bean-Pool/Getty Images)

Celebrity or not, OJ Simpson, was a name we all knew.

Be it for his career as an American football star and Hollywood actor, or for being the main suspect in the 1994 murder of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman.

While Simpson was found not guilty of murders, the rumour followed him until his death from cancer at 76 on 10 April.

Roberto Cavalli

(Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images for Vogue & The Dubai Mall)
(Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images for Vogue & The Dubai Mall)

Robert Cavalli was a fantastic fashion designer who inspired celebrities to wear his signature animal prints.

He died at his home in Florence, Italy on 12 April at the age of 83.

Professor Peter Higgs

(Leonardo Cendamo/Getty Images)
(Leonardo Cendamo/Getty Images)

Professor Peter Higgs was a physicist who won the Nobel Prize in 2013 after his theory led to the discovery of the Higgs boson particle.

It explains why matter has mass and holds the universe together.

The 94-year-old passed away on 8 April following a short illness.

Kris Hallenga

(Joseph Okpako/WireImage)
(Joseph Okpako/WireImage)

Kris Hallenga founded the CoppaFeel! breast cancer charity after being diagnosed with the disease when she was 23.

Tragically, she died of cancer aged 38 on 4 May.

Bernard Hill

(CBS via Getty Images)
(CBS via Getty Images)

You’ll probably remember Bernard Hill as King Theoden in the Lord of the Rings trilogy or as Captain Edward Smith in Titanic.

Sadly, Hill died at the age of 79 on 5 May.

Donald Sutherland

(Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)
(Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)

Donald Sutherland, AKA President Snow from The Hunger Games, was a renowned actor whose career had spanned decades.

As the father of Kiefer Sutherland, he was known as a brilliant man on and off screen. On 20 June, he died from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease aged 88.

Michael Mosley

(Brook Mitchell/Getty Images)
(Brook Mitchell/Getty Images)

Michael Mosley, 67, was the TV doctor for This Morning and The One Show.

He tragically died on 5 June after going missing while on holiday on the Greek island of Symi.

Rob Burrow

(Jan Kruger/Getty Images)
(Jan Kruger/Getty Images)

Rob Burrow CBE, a former rugby league star, was an advocate of motor neurone disease (MND) after being diagnosed with it in 2019.

He died from complications of the disease on 2 June aged 41.

Shannen Doherty

(Earl Gibson III/Getty Images)
(Earl Gibson III/Getty Images)

The 90210 star was incredibly candid in the years leading up to her death at 53 after being diagnosed with breast cancer.

On 13 July, she passed away from cancer at her home in Malibu, California.

John Mayall

(Javier Bragado/Redferns)
(Javier Bragado/Redferns)

Blues musician John Mayall OBE was esteemed within the industry right up until his death at age 90.

He died surrounded by his family at his home in California on 22 July.

Abdul Fakir

(Scott Legato/Getty Images)
(Scott Legato/Getty Images)

Abdul Fakir was the last surviving original member of The Four Tops and was among the best musical artists of his generation.

The 88-year-old passed away from heart failure on 22 July.

John Anderson

(Ferdaus Shamim/WireImage)
(Ferdaus Shamim/WireImage)

John Anderson was a household name in the 90s and a staple on Saturday night TV, best known for his role as referee on Gladiators.

He died aged 92 on 28 July.

Shelley Duvall

(Vinnie Zuffante/Getty Images)
(Vinnie Zuffante/Getty Images)

The Shining’s Shelley Duvall was an actor you’ll never forget.

She died at the age of 75 due to complications related to diabetes on 11 July.

Sven-Göran Eriksson

(Silvia Lore/Getty Images)
(Silvia Lore/Getty Images)

Sven-Göran Eriksson was the first foreign manager of the England men's football team and led the Three Lions to the quarter-finals at three major tournaments in between 2001 and 2006.

Sadly, he was diagnosed with cancer and died on 26 August at age 76.

Connie Chiume

(Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images)
(Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images)

Black Panther star Connie Chiume was an important member of the cast and she was loved by her fans and co-stars alike.

Chiume passed away aged 72 on 6 August.

Fatman Scoop

(Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
(Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

The US rapper and hype man is best known for his 'Be Faithful' song, which is still a bop to this day.

The 56-year-old's death was a shock after he collapsed on stage during a performance in Connecticut on 30 August and died shortly afterwards.

Dame Maggie Smith

(Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
(Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)

Dame Maggie Smith's death rocked the world after it was announced on 27 September.

The 89-year-old had dominated the small and big screen in her decades of acting on the stage and on set.

Smith was most known by younger generations for her iconic role in the Harry Potter franchise as well as in Downton Abbey.

James Earl Jones

(Jemal Countess/Getty Images)
(Jemal Countess/Getty Images)

James Earl Jones was the voice of many people’s childhoods - most known for Darth Vadar and Mufasa - and it was a tragedy to hear of his death.

He died aged 93 on 9 September.

Kris Kristofferson

(Rick Diamond/Getty Images)
(Rick Diamond/Getty Images)

The country music legend was known for his crooning voice and his songs were a favourite for others to cover.

In 1976, Kris Kristofferson won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor after his performance in A Star Is Born opposite Barbra Streisand.

Many shared their tributes after his death on 28 September aged 88.

Tito Jackson

(Dominik Bindl/Getty Images)
(Dominik Bindl/Getty Images)

An original member of The Jackson 5, Tito Jackson was the third eldest out of all nine Jackson children.

He was actually touring with brothers, Jackie and Marlon, earlier this year before he died on 15 September at the age of 70.

Liam Payne

(Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)
(Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)

Liam Payne, 31, rose to fame as one-fifth of One Direction and had branched out as a solo artist after the band went on an indefinite hiatus in 2016.

On 16 October, he tragically died from multiple injuries and internal and external bleeding after falling from his hotel room's balcony in Argentina.

Alex Salmond

(Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
(Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Alex Salmond was part of the Scottish National Party between 1990 and 2000 and again between 2004 and 2014.

He died of a heart attack, aged 69, on 12 October.

Cissy Houston

(Paras Griffin/Getty Images)
(Paras Griffin/Getty Images)

Real name Emily Drinkard, the two-time Grammy winner was the mother of the late Whitney Houston and a legend in her own right.

She died aged 91 on 7 October.

Quincy Jones

(Tom Cooper/Getty Images for Global Down Syndrome Foundation)
(Tom Cooper/Getty Images for Global Down Syndrome Foundation)

Quincy Jones was a music master for over 75 years which saw him receive 28 Grammy awards.

According to his death certificate, the 91-year-old died from pancreatic cancer on 3 November.

John Prescott

(Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
(Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

As the longest-serving deputy prime minister in British history, John Prescott was a staple in Labour politics.

He died on 20 November 2024, aged 86. His family said that he had Alzheimer's disease and was living in a care home.

Janey Godley

(Carlo Paloni/BAFTA via Getty Images)
(Carlo Paloni/BAFTA via Getty Images)

Janey Godley was a brilliant Scottish comedian whose impression of former first minister Nicola Sturgeon's Covid-19 news briefings brought her viral fame.

After receiving palliative care for her ovarian cancer diagnosis, she passed away on 30 November at the age of 63.

Timothy West

(Matt Cardy/Getty Images)
(Matt Cardy/Getty Images)

Timothy West was known for his roles in Coronation Street and EastEnders and went on to play Winston Churchill three times.

He died 'peacefully in his sleep' at the age of 90 on 12 November.

Tom Voyce

(Matthew Lewis/Getty Images)
(Matthew Lewis/Getty Images)

The former England rugby union player is believed to have died on 10 December aged 43 after going into the River Aln in his car.

If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence, contact Cruse Bereavement Care via their national helpline on 0808 808 1677.

Featured Image Credit: Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images/John Phillips/Getty Images for BFI

Topics: Celebrity, News