The celebrities and other notable figures who died this year
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From veteran stars of stage and screen to a music industry titan and a style icon centenarian, we have lost several famous faces in 2024. Dame Maggie Smith, Donald Sutherland, Quincy Jones, John Prescott, Iris Apfel and Shannen Doherty were among the notable figures we said goodbye to.
One Direction star Liam Payne also tragically died, aged 31. Here, we look back at the lives and careers of those who are no longer with us. January. Derek Draper, a former political adviser and husband of TV presenter Kate Garraway, died after several years of serious health complications due to coronavirus.
A prominent figure in New Labour in the 1990s, Draper worked for Blairite Peter Mandelson and set up the Progress organisation with Liam Byrne, who went on to become an MP. The 56-year-old was said to be one of the UK's longest-suffering COVID patients, spending 13 months in hospital after contracting the virus in March 2020.
Garraway announced the death of her "darling husband", while former prime minister Sir Tony Blair, who Draper worked with in the 1990s, and prominent New Labour figure Alistair Campbell also shared tributes. Obituary: Larger than life Labour character will not be forgotten.
Broadcast icon Annie Nightingale was Radio 1's first female DJ, appearing as a panellist on the BBC's Juke Box Jury before joining the radio station seven years later. She remained the station's only female DJ until 1982, which saw the arrival of Janice Long, and is credited with helping to pave the way for the likes of Sara Cox, Jo Whiley and Zoe Ball.
