The famous people who have sadly died in 2025

Here we pay tribute to stars of TV, film, music, sport, and politics who have left us during 2025. The year started with the news the Wales' former deputy first minister Jenny Randerson had died aged 76.

There was also the shocking news that The Vivienne had died aged just 32 and fellow reality star Paul Danan, who had also starred in Hollyoaks, was found dead at a house in Bristol aged just 46.

Tributes also poured in for Nolan sister Linda after it was announced she had died following a battle with cancer aged 62. She had long been a campaigner and fundraiser for cancer awareness having been first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005.

Jenny Randerson

The former Liberal Democrat Assembly Member died aged 76. Her death was announced in a statement from her party who called her someone who "left an indelible mark on our politics and society".

Mrs Randerson is credited with being the person who decided to build the Wales Millennium Centre and give free entry to Wales' national museums. She was the first female Liberal Democrat minister anywhere in the UK as minister for culture, sport, and the Welsh language from 2000 to 2003 and was acting deputy first minister from July 2001 to June 2002. Read more here.

The Vivienne

The reality TV star who became famous thanks to RuPaul’s Drag Race died aged 32. Their real name was James Lee Williams and they were born and raised in Colwyn Bay, in north Wales, before moving to Liverpool aged 16. Williams was given their name of The Vivienne because they were known for wearing Vivienne Westwood clothing.

The Vivienne shot to fame in 2019 when they won the first ever series of RuPaul's Drag Race UK and had other TV roles including starring in Morning T&T on WOW Presents Plus, BBC Three series The Vivienne Takes on Hollywood, and the Netflix show I Like to Watch while they also took part in the 2020 Christmas special of The Great British Sewing Bee. They became the first drag act to take part in Dancing on Ice. You can read tributes here.

Tony Slattery

The comedian died aged 65 following a heart attack. Slattery appeared on the Channel 4 comedy improvisation show Whose Line Is It Anyway? and comedy shows Just A Minute and Have I Got News For You.

He was a contemporary of Dame Emma Thompson, Sir Stephen Fry, and Hugh Laurie at the University of Cambridge and was the former president of the improvisation group Cambridge Footlights. Outside of stand-up Slattery appeared in 1980s and 1990s films including crime thriller The Crying Game, Peter's Friends with Laurie, Sir Stephen, and Dame Emma, and black comedy How To Get Ahead In Advertising with Richard E Grant.

Linda Nolan

Linda's sister Maureen expressed how "heartbroken" and full of sadness she and her family were after the death of the Irish singer at the age of 65. Nolan, who rose to fame in family group The Nolans with sisters Coleen, Maureen, Bernie, Denise, and Anne, died surrounded by family after being admitted to hospital in Blackpool with pneumonia.

She had long been a campaigner and fundraiser for cancer awareness having been diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005. The Dublin-born star was given the all-clear in 2011 but in 2017 was told she had secondary breast cancer which later spread to her brain.

Paul Danan

The Hollyoaks and reality TV star died at the age of 46, sending shockwave through the showbiz community. The actor, who played bad boy Sol Patrick from 1997 to 2001 on the Channel 4 soap, was later known for his reality TV appearances including on Celebrity Big Brother and Celebrity Love Island.

Danan had been open about his struggles with addiction having entered rehab and tried to recover. He had appeared on ITV's Celebrity Love Island as a contestant in 2005 and 2006 but did not win either series. He also appeared in the 2006 ITV2 reality show Calum, Fran, And Dangerous Danan, in which he, former Westlife bodyguard and Celebrity Love Island winner Fran Cosgrave, and Calum Best travelled across the US.

David Lynch

The US filmmaker, whose work included surrealist TV series Twin Peaks and films such as The Elephant Man, Mulholland Drive, and Blue Velvet, died at the age of 78. It came five months after Lynch revealed he had been diagnosed with emphysema, a chronic lung disease, after "many years of smoking". Lynch's back catalogue included Eraserhead, Wild At Heart, Lost Highway, The Straight Story, and Inland Empire.

Dame Joan Plowright

The Oscar nominee died at the age of 95. The British actress, who was married to Lord Laurence Olivier, was known for her Golden Globe award-winning performances in TV biopic Stalin and Enchanted April for which she was also nominated for an Academy Award.

Dame Joan also starred in Love You To Death with River Phoenix and was a star of the West End and Broadway before her international movie success. Her wedding to Lord Olivier in 1961 was the sensation of the year and their marriage was an enduring one until the theatre great's death in 1989 at the age of 82. Her role in the 1991 British comedy Enchanted April won her a Golden Globe for her waspish widow character and she was also known for 101 Dalmatians in 1996 and Tea With Mussolini in 1999. She won a second Golden Globe for the TV biopic Stalin in 1993.

Denis Law

He was described as "one of football's giants" as tributes poured in for the former Manchester United and Scotland great following his death at the age of 84. The Aberdeen-born striker won two league titles with United and was a member of their European Cup-winning side under Sir Matt Busby in 1968 when they became the first English club to lift the trophy.

Law, known as The King, was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia in 2021. The ex-Manchester City and Huddersfield striker is Scotland's joint all-time leading scorer with 30 goals in 55 appearances and is third on United's all-time scoring list behind Wayne Rooney and former team-mate Sir Bobby Charlton.

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