As the year draws to a close, we take a look back at the celebrities who really got it right in 2014.
1. Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran’s X was the biggest selling album in the UK, shifting more than a million copies. He’s gone from being a British singer-songwriter to a global superstar in 2014 and was named Spotify’s most streamed artist. Oh, and he played at the Victoria’s Secret fashion show surrounded by lingerie clad supermodels. Go Ed.
2. Zoe Sugg
This time last year you probably hadn’t heard of her, but now Zoella seems to be the face of successful vloggers. She has 2.6 million followers on her YouTube channel, brought out a book, and (despite a bit of controversy over the fact she had some help) Girl Online has broken records, selling 78,109 copies in its first week – the fastest-selling debut novel ever.
3. Emma Watson
Emma’s had a great year. Not only did she lead the winners at the Britannia Awards, she also stood in front of the UN and delivered a seriously great speech to launch the HeforShe campaign. She went from being known as that Harry Potter actress and fashionista to an inspiring, credible voice for gender equality.
4. Sam Smith
This year was the year Sam Smith really became a household name. He won a Brit Critics Choice, Mobo, BBC Sound of 2014 poll, and now has a massive six Grammy nominations. Worldwide, people have fallen in love with the honesty in his lyrics and incredible voice. The world is literally at his feet right now.
5. Cara Delevingne
Cara Delevingne really has been the model of 2014. She led the Burberry catwalk at London Fashion Week AW15, became the face of Topshop, and of Mulberry too. At just 21 she has one of the most recognisable faces in the world and this year she’s branched into acting, designing and singing. There seems to be nothing she can’t do.
6. Lupita Nyong’o
Lupita made her Hollywood acting debut in 12 Years A Slave and won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for it. She was on the cover of Vogue and has since been a keynote speaker at The Massachusetts Conference for Women. Plus everyone just fell in love with her for the Oscar acceptance speech.
7. Simon Cowell
Love him or hate him, you can’t deny things have gone pretty well for him this year. He got Cheryl to finally forgive him and the pair appeared back on UK X Factor. Of course the music mogul became a dad for the first time to son Eric too, and we all saw a softer side to him. Simon loves a bit of good PR.
8. Cheryl Fernandez-Versini
Cheryl came back with a bang this year. She announced she was married after just three months of dating Jean Bernard Fernandez-Versini, she returned to our screens as a judge on the X Factor, and broke a load of records with a best-selling single I Don’t Care. After a few tough years we’re glad she’s back.
9. Benedict Cumberbatch
As 2014 was the year geek became chic, Benedict Cumberbatch suddenly seemed to become one eligible man. The Sherlock star then broke millions of women’s hearts when he announced his engagement to Sophie Hunter in the most Cumberbatch way possible – in the announcements section of The Times newspaper. This year he also received an Emmy award for Sherlock and a British Independent Film Award.
10. Angelina Jolie
Apart from marrying Brad Pitt, Angelina co-hosted the Global End Sexual Violence in Conflict summit with William Hague and just generally was a great human being this year. She also directed the film Unbroken, which stars former Skins actor Jack O’Connell.
11. Jennifer Lawrence
To be fair, Jennifer Lawrence won at life in 2013 as well, winning an Oscar, Golden Globe and a BAFTA, but she hasn’t slowed down this year, starring in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 and staying in headlines all over the world. And it seems there’s nothing she can’t do as she sang on the film’s soundtrack. Veteran actor Donald Sutherland described her as “Joan of Arc or Jesus Christ”. Sounds about right.
12. Michael Fassbender
Its’ been a good year for the half German, half Irish actor, starring in X-Men: Days of Future Past and 12 Years a Slave, which got him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. He’s also been cast to play Steve Jobs in the upcoming biopic, and met his current girlfriend Swedish actress Alicia Vikander this year.
13. Michelle Keegan
It’s been a good year for soap star Michelle Keegan. She’s gone from being a Coronation Street actress to kind of the nation’s sweetheart. In 2014 she brought out her own fashion line and got engaged to TOWIE and Strictly star Mark Wright after just nine months of dating.
14. Ariana Grande
Pop songstress Ariana Grande’s popularity has seriously snowballed this year. Her second album, My Everything, reached number one in the States. She collaborated with Jessie J and Nicki Minaj this year and appeared on the cover of Teen Vogue. Kudos.
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