UK Celebrity Deaths 2023

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Though these famous figures have died, their legacies live on and continue to inspire and delight us. Join us as we remember celebrities who died in 2023.

Tom Wilkinson (1948–2023)

Tom Wilkinson was an actor whose performances in “Michael Clayton” and “In the Bedroom” earned him two Academy Award nominations and who is arguably best known for his work in “The Full Monty” and “Shakespeare in Love.” Read More

Steve Halliwell (1946–2023)

Steve Halliwell was a longtime star of the soap opera “Emmerdale,” playing Zak Dingle from 1994 until his death in 2023. Read More

Richard Kerr (1944–2023)

Richard Kerr was a singer and songwriter who collaborated with Barry Manilow on such hit songs as “Mandy,” “Somewhere in the Night,” and “Looks Like We Made It,” as well as Dionne Warwick on “I’ll Never Love This Way Again.” Read More

Shirley Anne Field (1936–2023)

Shirley Anne Field was an actress known for roles in such films as “Saturday Night and Sunday Morning,” “Alfie,” and “My Beautiful Laundrette.” Read More

Benjamin Zephaniah (1958–2023)

Benjamin Zephaniah was a celebrated poet, author and playwright who regularly appeared on the period crime drama “Peaky Blinders.” Read More

Denny Laine (1944–2023)

Denny Laine was a singer, songwriter, and guitarist who cofounded Wings and the Moody Blues. Read More

Shane MacGowan (1957–2023)

Shane MacGowan was a singer and songwriter who fronted the Celtic band the Pogues, a politically charged, Celtic music-inspired folk-rock band best known for their Christmas ballad, “Fairytale of New York.” Read More

Dean Sullivan (1955–2023)

Dean Sullivan was an actor who starred as Jimmy Corkhill in the soap opera “Brookside.” Read More

Alistair Darling (1953–2023)

Alistair Darling represented Edinburgh in Parliament from 1987 to 2015, serving as Chancellor of the Exchequer from 2007 to 2010. Read More

Geordie Walker (1958–2023)

Kevin “Geordie” Walker was the longtime guitarist for Killing Joke, known for such songs as “Eighties” and “Love Like Blood.” Read More

Terry Venables (1943–2023)

Terry Venables was a footballer who played for such teams as Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur before going on to manage England in the 1990s. Read More

Russell Norman (1965–2023)

Russell Norman was a celebrity chef who founded the restaurants Polpo and Trattoria Bruto and appeared on the BBC’s “Saturday Kitchen.” Read More

Annabel Giles (1959–2023)

Annabel Giles was a TV presenter, actress, and model known for the children’s show “Razzmatazz” and the movie “Riders.” Read More

Joss Ackland (1928–2023)

Joss Ackland was a character actor known for his performances in such films as “White Mischief.” Read More

A.S. Byatt (1936–2023)

A.S. Byatt was an author who won the prestigious Booker Prize for her bestselling 1990 novel “Possession: A Romance.” Read More

Angelo Bruschini

Angelo Bruschini was a guitarist for Massive Attack, known for such hits as “Teardrop,” and with Blue Aeroplanes. Read More

Sir Bobby Charlton (1937–2023)

Sir Bobby Charlton was a soccer legend who played for the 1966 FIFA World Cup-winning team and is considered among the best players of all time. Read More

Haydn Gwynne (1957–2023)

Haydn Gwynne was an actress known for such TV shows as “Drop the Dead Donkey” and “Peak Practice,” and for the stage production of “Billy Elliott.” Read More

Ivor Robson (1940–2023)

Ivor Robson was a golf announcer best known for his long tenure as the first tee announcer for the British Open. Read More

Terence Davies (1945–2023)

Terence Davies was a filmmaker and author who was known for semi-autobiographical works like “Distant Voices,” and “Still Lives,” as well as such adaptations as “The House of Mirth” and “The Deep Blue Sea.” Read More

Francis Lee (1944–2023)

Francis Lee was a footballer best known as a striker for Manchester City, where he became one of the team’s greats in the 1960s and ‘70s. Read More

Horace Ové (1936–2023)

Horace Ové directed the 1976 film “Pressure,” the first feature-length film directed by a Black British filmmaker. Read More

Michael Gambon (1940–2023)

Sir Michael Gambon was an actor best known worldwide for playing Professor Dumbledore in six of the “Harry Potter” films, from 2004 to 2011. Read More

David McCallum (1933–2023)

David McCallum was an actor who played secret agent Ilya Kuryakin in the 1960s spy series “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” and later starred as medical examiner Dr. Donald “Ducky” Mallard on “NCIS.” Read More

Roger Whittaker (1936–2023)

Roger Whittaker was a folk singer and songwriter best known for his version of “Wind Beneath My Wings,” as well as “Durham Town (The Leavin’)” and “The Last Farewell.” Read More

Jean Boht (1932–2023)

Jean Boht was an actress best known for playing Nellie Boswell in the 1980s sitcom “Bread.” Read More

Sir Ian Wilmut (1944–2023)

Professor Sir Ian Wilmut was an embryologist who led the Roslin Institute team at the University of Edinburgh that cloned Dolly the sheep in 1996. Read More

Mohamed Al-Fayed (1929–2023)

Mohamed Al-Fayed was the former owner of Harrod’s and the Fulham Football Club, as well as the father of Dodi Al-Fayed, who was killed in a car crash with Diana, Princess of Wales. Read More

Bernie Marsden (1951–2023)

Bernie Marsden was a guitarist best known as a co-founder of the hard rock band Whitesnake. Read More

Michael Parkinson (1935–2023)

Michael Parkinson was the longtime host of the talk show “Parkinson,” widely considered to be one of the U.K.’s greatest talk show hosts. Read more

Patricia Bredin (1935–2023)

Patricia Bredin was a singer and actress who, in 1957, became the first UK contestant in the Eurovision Song Contest. Read More

Adrian Street (1940–2023)

Adrian Street was a professional wrestler known for his flamboyant glam persona. Read More

Edward Sexton (1942–2023)

Edward Sexton was a tailor and fashion designer whose work, sometimes in collaboration with Tommy Nutter, helped define the look and style of late 1960s and early 1970s British rock. Read More

Trevor Francis (1954–2023)

Trevor Francis was a forward for teams including Birmingham City, who became the first £1 million footballer when he moved to Nottingham Forest. Read More

Chris Bart-Williams (1974–2023)

Chris Bart-Williams was a defender and midfielder for Nottingham Forest and Sheffield Wednesday, as well as a coach in the U.S. Read More

George Alagiah (1955–2023)

George Alagiah was a newsreader who presented “BBC News at Six” from 2007 to 2022. Read More

Vince Hill (1934–2023)

Vince Hill was a singer best known for his 1967 cover of “Edelweiss.” Read More

John Nettleton (1929–2023)

John Nettleton was an actor best known for portraying Sir Arnold Robinson in “Yes Minister.” Read More

Meg Johnson (1936–2023)

Meg Johnson was an actress who starred in “Coronation Street,” “Brookside,” and “Emmerdale.” Read More

Julian Sands (1958–2023)

Julian Sands was an actor known for roles in movies including “A Room with a View,” “Warlock,” and “Arachnophobia.” Read More

Paxton Whitehead (1937–2023)

Paxton Whitehead was an actor who worked widely on Broadway and in movies, as well as playing memorable recurring roles on “Friends” and “Mad About You.” Read More

Angela Thorne (1939–2023)

Angela Thorne was an actress who starred as Marjory Frobisher in “To the Manor Born.” Read More

Gordon McQueen (1952–2023)

Gordon McQueen was a football player for Manchester United, Leeds United, St. Mirren, and the Scotland national team. Read More

Glenda Jackson (1936–2023)

Glenda Jackson was an actress who won Academy Awards for Best Actress for her performances in “Women in Love” and “A Touch of Class” before being elected to Parliament. Read More

Ray Stevenson (1964–2023)

Ray Stevenson was an actor who starred in movies and TV shows including “Rome,” “Punisher: War Zone,” “Thor,” and many more. Read More

Pete Brown (1940–2023)

Pete Brown was a poet and lyricist who collaborated with music acts like Cream and Jack Bruce, co-writing rock classics such as “White Room” and “Sunshine of Your Love.” Read More

Martin Amis (1949–2023)

Martin Amis was an author who wrote bleak yet humorous novels such as 1984’s “Money,” 1989’s “London Fields,” and 1995’s “The Information.” Read More

Andy Rourke (1964–2023)

Andy Rourke was the bassist for the Smiths, known for their melodic ‘80s indie rock. Read More

Terrence Hardiman (1937–2023)

Terrence Hardiman was an actor known for his performances in “The Demon Headmaster” and “Doctor Who.” Read More

Linda Lewis (1950–2023)

Linda Lewis was a singer, songwriter, and guitarist best known for her hit singles “Rock-a-Doodle-Doo” and “It’s in His Kiss.” Read More

Wee Willie Harris (1933–2023)

Wee Willie Harris was “Britain’s wild man of rock and roll,” known for his energetic onstage antics and for songs including “Wild One.” Read More

Barry Humphries (1934–2023)

Barry Humphries was a comedian and actor better known as Dame Edna Everage, the character he portrayed on TV, at comedy clubs, and in movies. Read More

Len Goodman (1944–2023)

Len Goodman was a ballroom dancer and instructor best known for his long tenure as a judge on “Strictly Come Dancing.” Read More

Mark Stewart (1960–2023)

Mark Stewart was the lead singer for the Pop Group, known for hit singles including “We Are All Prostitutes” and “Where There’s a Will There’s a Way.” Read More

Cliff Fish (1949–2023)

Cliff Fish was the bass player for the band Paper Lace, known for their hits “The Night Chicago Died” and “Billy Don’t Be a Hero.” Read More

Murray Melvin (1932–2023)

Murray Melvin was a stage and screen actor who performed in “The Phantom of the Opera,” “A Taste of Honey,” and “Barry Lyndon.” Read More

Judith Miller (1951–2023)

Judith Miller was an antiques expert who appeared regularly on “Antiques Roadshow.” Read More

Mary Quant (1930–2023)

Dame Mary Quant was a fashion designer who pioneered 1960s styles including the miniskirt and hotpants. Read More

Jah Shaka

Jah Shaka was a dub and reggae pioneer also known as Zulu Warrior. Read More

Anne Perry (1938–2023)

Anne Perry was a bestselling author of crime novels whose own crime, committed when she was a teen, was dramatized in the movie “Heavenly Creatures.” Read More

Ian Bairnson (1953–2023)

Ian Bairnson played guitar with Pilot, the Alan Parsons Project, and Kate Bush, including on such hits as “Magic,” “Eye in the Sky,” and “Wuthering Heights.” Read More

Paul Cattermole (1977–2023)

Paul Cattermole was a singer with S Club 7, known for hits including “Bring it All Back” and “Never Had a Dream Come True.” Read More

Nora Forster (1942–2023)

Nora Forster was a music promoter and the longtime wife of John Lydon of the Sex Pistols and Public Image Ltd., as well as the mother of Ari Up of the Slits. Read More

Peter Usborne (1937–2023)

Peter Usborne was the cofounder of the magazine Private Eye and the founder of the children’s book publisher Usborne Publishing. Read More

Bernadette Hunt (1963–2023)

Bernadette Hunt was better known as Falcon when she starred on the ITV show “Gladiators.” Read More

Keith Reid (1946–2023)

Keith Reid was a founding member and the primary lyricist of Procol Harum, known for writing songs including their enduring classic, “A Whiter Shade of Pale.” Read More

Paul O’Grady (1955–2023)

Paul O’Grady hosted TV shows including “Blankety Blank” and “The Paul O’Grady Show,” and he was also known for his drag alter ego, Lily Savage. Read More

Bill Tidy (1933–2023)

Bill Tidy was a cartoonist known for “The Cloggies,” published in Private Eye, and “The Fosdyke Saga,” published in the Daily Mirror. Read More

Margaret Lake (1942–2023)

Margaret Lake was better known as Mystic Meg as she wrote her astrology column for the Sun and News of the World. Read More

Steve Mackey (1966–2023)

Steve Mackey was the bass player for Pulp, known for songs including “Common People.” Read More

Hugh Hudson (1936–2023)

Hugh Hudson was a filmmaker whose movies included “Chariots of Fire” and “Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes.” Read More

Anton Walkes (1997–2023)

Anton Walkes was a football player who began his professional career with Tottenham Hotspur before joining Major League Soccer in the U.S. Read More

Jeff Beck (1944–2023)

Jeff Beck was one of the greatest guitarists in rock music history, known for his work with the Yardbirds and the Jeff Beck Group, and as a solo artist. Read More

Sylvia Syms (1934–2023)

Sylvia Syms was an actress known for decades of work in film and TV, from 1958’s “Ice Cold in Alex” to 2006’s “The Queen” and beyond. Read More

Alan Rankine (1958–2023)

Alan Rankine was the keyboardist and guitarist for the new wave band the Associates, known for songs including “Party Fears Two.” Read More