26 notable celebrities who have died in 2025 so far

Metro

6 days ago

Link is copied Comments While every year has its fair share of good and bad celebrity stories, it also brings us sad news as stars from the world of entertainment and showbiz sadly pass away. 2025 has been no exception to this; we've already bid farewell to some legends from film, TV and music, as well as others who have kept us enthralled and entertained over the years. Let's take a look at some of those who have left us so far this year...(Picture: Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
2025 got off to a tragic start when it was revealed on January 5 that The Vivienne - the first ever winner of RuPaul's Drag Race UK in 2019 - had died aged just 32. The performer, real name James Lee Williams, was found at their home near Chester and later confirmed to have died as a result of 'effects of ketamine use causing a cardiac arrest.' As well as Drag Race, The Vivienne became a familiar face on TV in the likes of Blankety Blank and Celebrity Hunted, made history as the first ever drag queen to appear on Dancing On Ice, (finishing in third place), and appeared on the West End stage in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and The Wizard Of Oz (Picture: Scott Garfitt/REX/Shutterstock) Film director Jeff Baena (the husband of actress Aubrey Plaza) died on January 3, aged 47, with the LA County Medical Examiner's office later confirming he had died by suicide. Baena was famous for directing indie films such as Life After Beth and The Little Hours, while he was also known for projects including Joshy (2016), Horse Girl (2020), Spin Me Round (2022), and for co-writing I Heart Huckabees (2004) (Picture:) Legendary soul singer Sam Moore, best known as half of Sam & Dave, died on January 10 aged 89, following complications from surgery. Moore was best known for some of his major hits in the 60s including Hold On, I'm Comin', Soul Man, and Bring It On Home To Me - while he also forged a successful career as a solo artist. The singer worked with some of the greats, including Bruce Springsteen, Don Henley, Elton John, Phil Collins, Lou Reed, and Mariah Carey, during his life (Picture:) Iconic film director David Lynch - who was behind the likes of Mulholland Drive, Wild At Heart, The Elephant Man, Blue Velvet and the TV series Twin Peaks, died aged 78 on January 15 from cardiac arrest due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. His family confirmed his passing, saying: 'It is with deep regret that we, his family, announce the passing of the man and the artist, David Lynch. We would appreciate some privacy at this time. There's a big hole in the world now that he's no longer with us. But, as he would say, 'Keep your eye on the donut and not on the hole.' It's a beautiful day with golden sunshine and blue skies all the way' (Picture: Ernesto S. Ruscio/Getty Images) Comedian Tony Slattery - a familiar face on British TV in the 90s thanks to such shows as Whose Line Is It Anyway? - died on January 14, aged 65. Slattery, who also starred onstage and in movies including Peter's Friends and The Crying Game, dropped out of the public eye somewhat in the 90s as he struggled with substance abuse, eventually receiving a diagnosis of bipolar disorder (Picture: TV Times via Getty Images) Irish singer Linda Nolan, who rose to fame as a member of family singing group The Nolans, died on January 15, aged 65. While she was diagnosed with secondary breast cancer in 2017, sister Maureen confirmed in a heartbreaking statement that this was not the cause of her death. 'I would just like to say, to all the people out there who felt inspired by Linda, the big C didn't actually get her. She contracted double pneumonia over Christmas and New Year and because of her immune system it was one battle too much,' she said (Picture: Getty) Award-winning British actress Dame Joan Plowright died on January 16 aged 95. Dame Joan, who was the third wife and widow of Laurence Olivier, will be remembered for her six-decade career in acting - which included prestigious roles in TV, film and theatre, as well as Golden Globe awards for her performances in TV biopic Stalin and 1991 film Enchanted April. Theatres in London's West End dimmed their lights for two minutes as a tribute following her death (Picture: STEFAN ROUSSEAU/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) Actor and reality TV star Paul Danan died aged 46 in January, with an inquest later confirming the cause of his death to be a cocktail of drugs including cocaine and heroin. Danan was best known for his role as Sol Patrick in Hollyoaks as well as appearing on Celebrity Big Brother in 2017. His management said in a statement: 'Paul was a beacon of light to so many. His untimely departure will leave irreplaceable voids in the lives of all who knew him' (Picture: Karwai Tang/WireImage) Grammy-award winning singer Roberta Flack, best known for the classic Killing Me Softly, died in February, aged 88. Flack was first catapulted to stardom in the early 1970s with tunes such as The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face. She achieved stardom practically overnight when Clint Eastwood used the ballad as the soundtrack for an explicit scene in his 1971 film Play Misty for Me. Although no cause of death was given, Flack announced in 2022 she was suffering from the degenerative disease ALS and was no longer able to sing (Picture:for BET) Gossip Girl star Michelle Trachtenberg was found dead in her apartment in Manhattan on February 26. The actress, who was 39, was later confirmed to have passed due to complications from diabetes mellitus. Trachtenberg began her acting career as a child, appearing in commercials from the age of three before her film debut in 1996, starring in Harriet the Spy. She went on to play Georgina Sparks in Gossip Girl and Dawn Summers in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Picture: MICHAEL TRAN/AFP via Getty Images) Legendary Hollywood actor Gene Hackman, best known for such films as The French Connection, Bonnie and Clyde and Unforgiven, was found dead aged 95 at his New Mexico home in February, along with his wife Betsy Awakawa, who was 65. It was revealed later that the Oscar-winning star had died from heart disease, with advanced Alzheimer's disease 'as a significant contributory factor'. Awakawa is believed to have died of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, several days before her husband's death (Picture: AFP/Getty Images) Heavyweight boxing legend George Foreman died on March 21, aged 76. Foreman fought Muhammad Ali in one of boxing's most historic fights, Rumble In The Jungle, and was also the oldest heavyweight world champion in history. Away from boxing, Foreman achieved worldwide fame as the face of the George Foreman Grill, which sold over 100 million units.
A statement released by his family on his Instagram account said he died peacefully 'surrounded by loved ones'. No cause of death has been given (Picture: Mark Von Holden/Variety via Getty Images) Former teen idol Richard Chamberlain died in March aged 90, following complications from a stroke. The actor soared to fame in the 1960s playing TV medic Dr Kildare, before going on to star in the likes of Shogun, Centennial and The Thorn Birds. His longtime partner Martin Rabbett said in a statement: 'Our beloved Richard is with the angels now. He is free and soaring to those loved ones before us' (Picture;) Actor Val Kilmer, who rose to fame as Iceman in 80s blockbuster Top Gun, was confirmed to have died on April 2, aged 65. His daughter Mercedes told the New York Times that Kilmer, who was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014, had died from pneumonia. As well as Top Gun, Kilmer starred in a string of blockbuster movies in the 80s and 90s, including playing Batman in 1995's Batman Forever as well as portraying music legend Jim Morrison in The Doors. He also appeared alongside Robert de Niro and Al Pacino in crime thriller Heat (Picture: Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic) Musician Clem Burke, who was one of the core members of new wave band Blondie, died aged 70 in April, following what the band described as 'a private battle with cancer'. Burke, along with Debbie Harry and Chris Stein, was one of the core members of the group throughout their nearly 50-year lifespan. Blondie said in a statement on Instagram: 'His influence and contributions have spanned decades and genres, leaving an indelible mark on every project he was a part of' (Picture:for Coachella) RuPaul's Drag Race star Jiggly Caliente died aged 44 in April after suffering a severe infection which led to her right leg being amputated. The Philippine-born star, real name Bianca Castro-Arabejo, came eighth on the fourth season of RuPaul's Drag Race in 2012 and appeared on All Stars season six in 2021, having come out as a trans woman in 2016 (Picture;) Singer Jill Sobule died aged 66 in a house fire in Woodbury, Minnesota, on May 1. The folk-pop musician was best known for her 1995 song I Kissed A Girl, which rose in prominence after Katy Perry dropped a different song with the same name, and Supermodel from the Clueless soundtrack. Her manager John Porter hailed her as a 'force of nature and human rights advocate whose music is woven into our culture' (Picture: Mark Von Holden/Variety via Getty Images) Actor and comedian George Wendt, best known for his role as Norm in the 80s sitcom Cheers, died on May 20, aged 76. Although a cause of death was not originally given, it was later reported that he died of a cardiac arrest. His Cheers co-star Ted Danson was among those who paid tribute, remembering his wife and family as he said: 'I am sending all my love to Bernadette and the children. It is going to take me a long time to get used to this. I love you, Georgie' (Picture: Rick Kern/WireImage) Stunt performer and actor Ed Gale died in May aged 61, with his niece Kayse Gale confirming the news on Facebook as she paid tribute to her 'fun uncle'. 'It is with a heavy heart and a surprisingly light coffin (see what I did there?) that we announce the sudden passing of our uncle, Official: Ed Gale, Actor – retired, Ed Gale has taken his final bow and is now headlining in the afterlife.' Gale, who had dwarfism, was best known for his roles as Chucky in the horror franchise Child's Play and the title character in 1986's Howard the Duck (Picture:) Sly Stone, a pioneer of funk music in the late 60s and early 70s, died on June 9 aged 82, following a prolonged battle with COPD.The Texas-born musician - real name Sylvester Stewart - scored numerous hits with his band The Family Stone throughout the 60s including chart-toppers Family Affair, Everyday People and Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin). Other hits included I Want to Take You Higher, Hot Fun in the Summertime, and Dance to the Music. He, along with the band, was inducted into the Rock n'Roll Hall Of Fame in 1993 (Picture: ABC TELEVISION) TV personality Kim Woodburn passed away on June 17, aged 83, following a short illness. Kim became a household name in the UK after rising to fame on the Channel 4 show How Clean Is Your House, alongside co-host Aggie McKenzie. She went on to star in I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here in 2009, where she was runner-up, as well as Celebrity Big Brother. Kim was also a regular face on ITV daytime shows such as This Morning and Loose Women (Picture: Mike Marsland/WireImage) Brian Wilson, the last surviving brother from iconic 60s band the Beach Boys, died on June 11, aged 82, with the cause of his death reported to be respiratory arrest. Originally established as a garage band focused on Wilson's songwriting and managed by their father, Murry Wilson, the Beach Boys had their first national hit in 1963 with the hit song Surfin' USA - releasing an astonishing 15 albums before the end of the decade. The band's other notable hits included Good Vibrations, God Only Knows and California Girls (Picture:) Composer Lalo Schifrin (best known for penning the theme to Mission: Impossible) died aged 93 on June 26. Schifrin's long and incredibly decorated career earned him a hugely impressive six Academy Award nominations and four Grammy wins. In 2019, he was bestowed with an Honorary Oscar, joining a short list of composers to receive the distinction, including Ennio Morricone and Quincy Jones (Picture: Bob Riha, Jr./Getty Images) Actor Michael Madsen, star of movies including Reservoir Dogs and Kill Bill: Vol 2, died on July 3 aged 67. His manager Ron Smith confirmed that the actor, who was found unresponsive in his Malibu home, suffered a cardiac arrest. Madsen began his acting career in the 1980s and had over 300 screen credits, including the likes of Sin City, Species and James Bond flick Die Another Day. He sprang to fame as terrifying villain Mr Blonde in Reservoir Dogs, which started his long-running collaboration with filmmaker Quentin Tarantino (Picture:) Liverpool forward Diogo Jota tragically died in a car crash in Spain on July 3, aged just 28. The Portuguese-born football star was killed, along with his brother, after his Lamborghini crashed in northwest Spain following a tyre blowout. Jota had been on his way to Santander to catch a ferry after being advised by doctors not to fly due to recent lung surgery. He had married long-term partner Rute Cardoso, the mother of his three children, just two weeks before his death (Picture: Maja Hitij - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images) Australian actor Julian McMahon, who rose to prominence in Home and Away before finding fame in Hollywood, died on July 2, aged 56, from lung metastasis as a result of head and neck metastatic cancer. Aside from his roles as Dr Doom in the Fantastic Four franchise and Cole in Charmed, McMahon was famous for playing Dr. Christian Troy on the Ryan Murphy series Nip/Tuck. He was also previously married to Dannii Minogue, whom he met on the set of Home And Away in 1991 (Picture: WireImage) • Britt Allcroft (Thomas the Tank Engine creator) - January, aged 81• Wayne Osmond (original member of The Osmonds) - January, aged 73• Peter Yarrow (member of Peter, Paul and Mary) - January, aged 86• Brian Murphy (British sitcom star) - February, aged 92• Lee Joo-Sil (Squid Game star) - February, aged 81• Rick Buckler (drummer in The Jam) - February, aged 69• Angie Stone (R&B singer ) - March, aged 63• Emelie Dequenne (Rosetta actress) - March, aged 43• Wings Hauser (US soap actor) - March, aged 78
• Pamela Bach (pictured) (actress and wife of David Hasselhoff) - March, aged 61 • Clive Revill (original voice of Emperor Palpatine in Star Wars) - March, aged 94• Johnny Tillotson (60s singer) - April, aged 86• Nicky Katt (90s film actor) - April, aged 54• Jean Marsh (British actress known for Upstairs Downstairs - April, aged 90• Sophie Nyweide (former child actress) - April, aged 24• Priscilla Pointer (actress) - April, aged 100• James Foley (director of Glengarry Glen Ross and Fifty Shades Of Grey) - May, aged 71
• Joe Don Baker (actor known for Bond movies and 'tough guy' roles) - May, aged, 89 (Picture: STEFAN ROUSSEAU/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) • Samuel French (Killers Of The Flower Moon actor) - May, aged 45• Michael McStay (British actor) - May, aged 92• Georgia O'Connor (gold medal-winning British boxer) - May, aged 25 • Loretta Swit (MASH actress) - May, aged 87• David Hekili Kenui Bell (Lilo and Stitch actor) - June, age not given• Jo Bacon (EastEnders and Love Actually actress) June, aged 72• Anne Burrell (celebrity chef) - June, aged 55• Lynn Hamilton (Waltons actress) - June, aged 95• Rebekah del Rio (singer who appeared in Mulholland Drive) - June, aged 57• Bobby Sherman (60s singer) - June, aged 81• Rick Hurst (Dukes Of Hazzard Star) - June, aged 89• Pik Sen-Lim (Dr Who actress) - June, aged 80• Kenneth Colley (Star Wars actor) - June, aged 87• Eden Blackman (Celebs Go Dating coach) - June, aged 57• Patrick Walden (Babyshambles guitarist) - June, aged 46• Frank Barrie (EastEnders actor) - July, aged 88• Wayne Dobson (TV magician) - July, aged 68
• Connie Francis (60s singer) (pictured) - July, aged 87 • Eileen Fulton (US soap star) - July, aged 91
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