Editorials

12 Lists of Christmas: Celebrities

14 December 2015

By Lauren E. White

Celebrity culture can be, at times, an ugly, materialistic concept that nobody aspires to. I mean, who really wants to wake up one morning with their personal life splashed across the front page of The Daily Mail? However, here at b**p, we’ve hand-picked the best celebrities and the examples of strong and good-willed celebrity culture they’ve set. And this is the result…

10. Abby Tomlinson

abby tomlinson

Abby Tomlinson is no A-list celebrity, but during the General Election, she was a force to be reckoned with. Miss Tomlinson, who is 17 years old, caused a political earthquake when she founded the ‘Milifandom’ – a group of young people who supported the former Labour leader Ed Miliband. It made the news and dominated Westminster as well as encouraging young people to get into politics.

9. Nicki Minaj

Nicki Minaj

Nicki Minaj is no stranger to controversy but when she called out pop sweetheart Taylor Swift and MTV for being prejudiced towards black women, she made the world re-think feminism. Minaj’s confidence in herself as a black woman is something everyone can admire and her Twitter feud with Swift will go down in history as a turning point for equality.

8. Louis Tomlinson

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Unknown to many people, Louis Tomlinson has been a bit of a charity hero this year. His work with the Eden Dora Trust in Doncaster has led to raising thousands for the charity that recognises and works to raise awareness of childhood encephalitis. As well as this, the One Direction star organised his own charity ball for terminally ill children in aid of the Believe in Magic charity where ill children dressed as princes and princesses and partied well into the night.

7. Gary Neville and Ryan Giggs

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Former Manchester United stars Gary Neville and Ryan Giggs opened up their soon-to-be luxury hotel to the homeless over the winter period so they have somewhere to go. There are an estimated thirty homeless people staying in the building that the pair are renovating and they have a roof over their heads until February.

6.  Adele

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Superstar Adele has earned her place on our list this year due to her unprecedented musical achievements. While she shuns the limelight, there is no way she can escape the success of her latest album 25. It became the fastest million-selling album in British history and sold the most albums ever over the pond in the US.

5. Jennifer Lawrence

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Jennifer Lawrence caused tidal waves in the world of Hollywood this year when her essay on the gender pay gap went viral. In the essay, J Law said she blames herself for not fighting harder for better pay but admits that as she’s a woman, she felt under pressure not to be labelled as ‘difficult’ or ‘spoiled’. Since then, the Hunger Games actress has received praise from both Hollywood and the media.

4. Victoria Beckham

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Posh Spice AKA Victoria Beckham comes in at fourth place on our list this year due to her work fighting AIDS. Beckham became a UN Goodwill Ambassador and has vowed to use her voice and influence as a celebrity to do good and continue the lengthy battle against the disease.

3. Angelina Jolie

File photo of Angelina Jolie at the Hollywood Film Awards in Hollywood

Angelina Jolie has had an extremely public year this year. After finding out she carried a gene that gave her an increased risk of ovarian and breast cancer, Jolie went public and wrote about having her ovaries, fallopian tubes and breasts removed in The New York Times. This brave act brought awareness to women, promoting the action of getting screened for cancer and that’s why Ange is number three on our list.

2. Benedict Cumberbatch CBE

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The Imitation Game and Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch has brought attention to the refugee crisis this year, making appeals at the end of his performances in Shakespeare’s Hamlet to raise money. Moreover, Cumberbatch has also worked closely with the Save the Children charity and the ‘#HelpisComing’ campaign for Syrian refugees.

1. Malala Yousafzai

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This year’s number one celebrity is, of course, Malala Yousafzai. At the age of 18, Malala has already won the Nobel Peace Prize (and celebrated by going to a chemistry lesson), and released a book about her life after being shot in the head by a member of the Taliban back in 2012. The education, human rights and feminist activist is extraordinary and her work and achievements this year top everyone else’s. Miss Yousafzai is an example everyone can follow in 2016.

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