The devastating tower block blaze that claimed the lives of 71 people shocked the nation when flames tore through the residential building in North Kensington in June. The fire was thought to have been accelerated by cladding used on the outside of the tower, while residents had previously complained about inadequate fire safety measures. Local authorities were slammed for their inadequate response, while Theresa May was heavily criticised for failing to meet with survivors when visiting the site. A Grenfell Tower Inquiry was launched the day after the tragedy and an interim report is expected by Easter next year. (Getty)

While annual viewing figures continue to dwindle, the non-celeb version of the reality show limped into its 18th series in 2017 with contestant Arthur Fulford quitting the show within a week of entering the house, after suffering “bullying and isolation”. Channel 5 had to resort to drafting in ‘celebrities’ including Georgie Shore’s Marnie Simpson to liven up the show and compete with stiff competition from main rival Love Island. (Channel 5)

The former glamour model may still popular as a search term, but 2017 has been a tough time for her. This year, the star saw the end of her marriage to estranged husband Kieran Hayler, and also found out her mother was terminally ill. She was also put under police protection after blackmailers threatened to assault her disabled son Harvey unless she paid them £50,000. In the aftermath of the Harvey Weinstein allegations, Price also claims to have been raped by a well-known celebrity. (Getty)

The Government’s Universal Credit system is replacing a number of payments including jobseeker’s allowance and housing benefit and was supposedly designed to make claiming benefits simpler, but the new system has left claimants confused and lacking in support. The rollout has been hit by problems, with claimants being forced to wait weeks for payment and suffering hardships as a result. Theresa May has conceded that 1 in 5 people are not happy with the new system. (Getty)

After the snap General Election she called in June backfired spectacularly, the Prime Minister has had a very rough 2017. Just days after the election, a massive two-thirds of Conservative Party members called for her to resign, and she has been facing mounting pressure to go ever since. Even the PM’s attempt to reset the narrative went spectacularly wrong when her disastrous Conservative Party Conference speech was hit by a series of blunders, including a prankster handing May a mock P45 and a lengthy coughing fit. She comes to the end of still 2017 in power – but only just. Boris Johnson – among others – remain waiting in the wings. (Getty)

In September, Kensington Palace confirmed that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are expecting their third child, with speculation already rife over what the royal baby will be named. The brother or sister for the couple’s two regal tots will become the fifth in line to the throne, bumping uncle Harry down to sixth place. The Prince of Wales is first in line, followed by William, Prince George and the couple’s daughter Princess Charlotte, who is two. (Getty)

The tropical storm claimed 134 lives after wreaking havoc across the Caribbean and Florida in September. Hurricane Irma left millions without power and completely devastated the island of Barbuda, while Puerto Rico was also badly hit. The Category 5 storm was the strongest to hit the US mainland since Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
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After bowling through three different surnames over the past 10 years, the artist formerly known as Cheryl Tweedy has finally dropped the surname for a one-word moniker. The ex-Girls Aloud singer hit the headlines in March when she had a baby with ex-One Directioner Liam Payne. The child’s name remained unknown for weeks, before the couple confirmed he was called Bear. Cheryl‘s public persona is carefully managed and her private life is often kept well away from the public gaze – which explains why so many Brits are searching for more information about her.
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The pop icon was finally laid to rest in London’s Highgate Cemetery in March, nearly three months after he passed away on Christmas Day at the age of 53. After the initial post-mortem was inconclusive, further tests revealed in March that the popular singer died from natural causes as a result of dilated cardiomyopathy (a condition that limits the heart’s ability to pump blood) with myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) and a fatty liver. (Getty)

It first launched in 2001, and 16 years later with viewer numbers gradually dropping each year, Celebrity Big Brother moved into its 20th series with the 2017 line-up featuring former Girls Aloud singer Sarah Harding, TV presenter John Leslie and a range of reality TV celebs from shows like TOWIE and Googlebox. The housemates got up to the usual shenanigans while YouTuber Trisha Paytas claimed that the show was rigged for Harding to win.
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On a year where the UK was struck by a number of terror attacks, the most deadly was the one carried out an Ariande Grande concert at Manchester Arena on 22 May. Twenty-two people were killed and countless more injured when a suicide bomber detonated a homemade nail bomb. The following month, the American singer returned to the venue along with performers including Take That, Katy Perry and Miley Cyrus to put on the One Love Manchester charity concert in aid of those who suffered in the attack. (Getty)

2017 was the year that nuclear war with North Korea became, according to some experts, an increasing possibility. Kim Jong-un’s regime carried out a series of missile tests, suggesting that Pyongyang may now have the capability to attack Guam, the tiny US Pacific territory island which is home to 7,000 US military personnel. The Pentagon predicts that North Korea will have a ‘reliable, nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile’ programme by the end of 2018. President Trump has repeatedly taken to Twitter to threaten the rogue state with war and even engaged in a volley of playground insults with the North Korea’s bellicose leader. (Getty)

The cult fantasy show reached its seventh and penultimate season in 2017, with viewers split between searching for fan theories online and desperately trying to avoid spoilers. The action was ramped up as the bloody epic edges towards its conclusion with the Targaryens, Starks and co. fighting against each other to sit upon the famous Iron Throne. Rumours suggest that series 8 could be made up of feature-length episodes.
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Terrorism has become a more common occurrence in the UK in recent years, with a number of atrocities taking place in 2017. In March, five people were killed when terrorists drove a car into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge and fatally stabbed a police officer in the nearby grounds of Westminster. Then in May, 22 people were killed when a bomb was detonated at an Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena, followed by an attack on London Bridge and Borough Market in June, in which eight people lost their lives. (Getty)

The fourth series of the resurrected reality show was the surprising standout hit of the TV summer, with fans keen to get their daily fix of romance and drama. Such was its success, that even after it had finished, viewers of the hit ITV2 show couldn’t get enough of the contestants. The programme lived up to its name when contestants Marcel and Gabby fell in love and moved in together. (Rex)

Celebrating its 15th sequin-clad series in 2017, Strictly Come Dancing continues to be a force to be reckoned with, thrashing its ITV rival The X Factor on its first night in the Saturday night ratings war this year. The breakout star of the show this year has been Debbie McGee – with many viewers searching to find out the age of the surprisingly supple former magician’s assistant (she’s 59). (Getty)

The flame-haired singer continues to enjoy great success around the world, spending much of 2017 touring the globe with his brand of harmless folk pop. His new albiun, ‘÷‘, has shifted more than 2 million copies in the UK alone. But 2017 also had its low points, including breaking his arm after being knocked off his bike by a car and deleting his Twitter account following the backlash he received for an inexplicably lame cameo in Game of Thrones. (Getty)

The past year has been dominated by turbulent politics, with the General Election doing absolutely nothing to steady the ship. In April, Theresa May’s ill-advised decision to call a snap election resulted in a hung parliament. It meant the PM had to strike a deal with the ultra-conservative DUP – during which she was widely derided for being able to ‘find’ £1bn from the magic money tree. An election that was meant to solidify her premiership only served to destabilise the PM, and the entire political landscape, even further. (Getty)

Unsurprisingly, Brits have spent a *lot* of time searching for more information on Brexit. The most substantial moments of progress have related to Theresa’s May’s calls for a two-year transition process. But Britain has spent most of the time tip-toeing around the Brexit divorce bill, a potential hard border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, and the future rights of EU citizens – all of which remain very much up in the air. Most recently, a secret report has revealed European alarm at the ‘chaos and confusion’ of the UK’s negotiations. 2018 should be interesting.
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It seems strange to think Trump has only been president for less than a year – he’s packed a lot in. When he’s not been threatening to start a nuclear war with North Korea or targeting NFL players’ #takeaknee protest, President Trump has spent 2017 slamming the ‘fake news media’. From a UK perspective, his ‘holding hands’ moment with Theresa May; the confusion over whether he was going to be denied a full state visit in 2018; his Twitter tirade after the Parson’s Green terror attack; and his Twitter-war with Sadiq Khan has made this a year in which he dominated the conversation. (Getty)