Catch up on the showbiz highs and lows of 2016 in 12 pictures

There have been heartfelt losses, huge successes, and some moments that we really never saw coming.

So, in case you missed them, here are some of the most memorable moments in pictures.

1. David Bowie became a star man.

The Morley’s store mural in Brixton in January (Anthony Devlin/PA)

It was a sad start to the year as the nation mourned the loss of one of its greatest stars at the age of 69, and fans of all ages flooded to lay heartfelt tributes and hold a musical vigil at his south London birthplace, Brixton.

2. Leo finally got his Oscar.

He couldn’t look more natural (Ian West/PA)

At last! All jokes were put to rest for good as Leonardo DiCaprio was finally handed the trophy he has deserved for years. It was his role in The Revenant which clinched his title of Best Actor.

3. One Direction won a Brit award… then split up.

We never saw it coming… (Ian West/PA)

Almost as if it were a goodbye gift, One Direction claimed the video award at the prestigious ceremony, shortly before disbanding to the sound of shattering hearts across the globe.

4. Matt LeBlanc twisted the wheel on Top Gear.

Good luck, Matt! (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

The American actor made his mark presenting on the typically British show this year – to mixed reviews.

5. Little Mix made a big costume change.

Their outfits outraged this year (Daniel Leal-Olivas/PA)

The girl group cracked the charts with this year’s new releases, but they caused an even bigger storm with their revealing new costumes and spoke out about the importance of freedom to wear what you want.

6. The Great British Bake Off turned its ovens off for the last time.

The finalists meet fans in London (Isabel Infantes/PA)

The beloved show announced its move from the BBC to Channel 4, taking only Paul Hollywood with it. But the final series as we know it with Mary, Sue and Mel did not disappoint as lipstick-toting Candice Brown was crowned queen of the cakes.

7. Ed Balls swapped Westminster for the dancefloor.

Now Ed dances wherever he goes (Daniel Leal-Olivas/PA)

In the best series of Strictly Come Dancing so far, the former shadow chancellor won the hearts of viewers everywhere with his comical, if slightly awkward, endeavours on the dancefloor. We will never hear Gangnam Style in the same way again.

8. We saw the most Magnificent entrance on the red carpet.

Are horses even allowed on the Tube? (Matt Alexander/PA)

In an impressive stunt for central London, the cast of The Magnificent Seven arrived at the Leicester Square premiere on actual horses. We can only imagine what the guys at TfL thought about that.

9. A spoonful of Honey G turned the X Factor sour.

And now you can actually buy Honey G merch (Jonathan Brady/PA)

At first, nobody knew whether she was for real or not, but the unlikely rapper generated enough attention to get her through to the competition’s quarter-final, almost overshadowing the success of actual winner Matt Terry, with both releasing singles before the year was out.

10. Stormtroopers descended on London.

Not your usual commute… (Matt Alexander/PA)

The famous space soldiers surprised commuters as they marched across the city to promote the latest in the much-loved Star Wars franchise, Rogue One. With another film set already in the making for 2018, it goes to show that some gems never get old.

11. We saw a Last Christmas in too many ways.

Tributes piled at the door of George Michael’s Oxfordshire home (Ben Stevens/PA)

Ending the year with another hard-hitting loss, the death of Wham! singer George Michael was announced on Christmas Day, aged only 53.

12. The most heart-breaking mother-daughter story of the year.

The pair couldn’t have been closer (PA)

In the space of a day we lost Star Wars legend Carrie Fisher and her mother, Singin’ In The Rain sweetheart Debbie Reynolds. Debbie, 84, passed shortly after her daughter, 60, saying she missed and wanted to be with Carrie.