Notable deaths 2025: Remembering some of the well known names to have left us this year

Peter Brown, 83

Former Scotland captain Brown won 27 caps for his country in rugby union and played eight Tests for the British and Irish Lions in the 1970s. The number eight delivered 66 points for Scotland, which is still a record for a forward player.

Wayne Osmond, 73

Sang with his brothers in chart-topping pop group The Osmonds. Osmond formed a barbershop quartet with his brothers Alan, Merrill and Jay in 1958 and they were later joined by younger siblings Donny and Jimmy to form The Osmonds.

Linda Nolan, 65

The Irish star was part of the family group The Nolans, which also included her sisters Coleen, Maureen, Bernie, Denise and Anne. The Nolans released their most enduring hit I’m In The Mood For Dancing in 1979, and enjoyed a string of further chart successes.

Dame Joan Plowright, 95

The British actress, who was married to Lord Laurence Olivier, was known for her Golden Globe award-winning performances in TV biopic Stalin and Enchanted April, for which she was also nominated for an Academy Award. Dame Joan also starred in Love You To Death with River Phoenix, and was a star of the West End and Broadway before her international movie success.

David Lynch, 78

Known for the surreal TV series Twin Peaks and films such as Eraserhead and Blue Velvet. The US director’s work had a dreamlike, surreal quality, with his films also including The Elephant Man (1980), Wild At Heart (1990) and Mulholland Drive (2001). Born in Missoula, Montana, Lynch began a career in painting before switching to making short films during the 1960s.

Marianne Faithfull, 78

Faithfull’s hits included As Tears Go By, which was written by The Rolling Stones’ Sir Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. In addition to her music career, Faithfull also acted in films including The Girl On A Motorcycle with French actor Alain Delon, as well as theatre productions.

Denis Law, 84

Law was described as “one of football’s giants” as tributes poured in for the former Manchester United and Scotland great following his death at the age of 84. The Aberdeen-born striker won two league titles with United and was a member of their European Cup-winning side under Sir Matt Busby in 1968 when they became the first English club to lift the trophy. Law, known as ‘The King’, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia in 2021.

FEBRUARY

Roberta Flack, 88

Grammy-winning US singer was known for songs including The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, originally by Ewan MacColl, and Killing Me Softly With His Song, written by Lori Lieberman and Norman Gimbel and composed by Charles Fox. In 2022 it was announced that Flack had amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a progressive neurological condition that had made it “impossible” for her to sing, according to a representative.

Gene Hackman, 95

Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead in their home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, in the US. Hackman received two Oscars, two Baftas, four Golden Globes and a Screen Actors Guild Award in an acting career which spanned six decades.

James Martin, 93

Played Eric in the hugely-popular BBC Scotland sitcom Still Game. Born in Partick, Martin lived for a long period in Musselburgh, East Lothian.

MARCH

Jack Vettriano, 73

Methil-born Vettriano left school at 15 to become a mining engineer but took up painting after a girlfriend gave him a box of watercolours for his 21st birthday. His 1992 painting the The Singing Butler is among his most famed work and shows an elegant couple dancing on a storm-swept beach accompanied by their butler and maid, becoming a best-selling image in Britain.

Christina McKelvie, 57

Scottish Government alcohol and drugs policy minister took medical leave from her role last year to seek treatment for secondary breast cancer. Keith Brown – SNP depute leader and Ms McKelvie’s long-time partner announced the news in March. First Minister John Swinney described the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse MSP as “one of the kindest and most generous people I have ever met in my life”.

George Foreman,76

Foreman was an Olympic gold medallist in 1968 before claiming his first heavyweight title with a stoppage win over Joe Frazier in 1973. He lost the belt a year later to Muhammad Ali in the infamous Rumble In the Jungle bout held in the African nation then known as Zaire. His second championship came more than two decades later at the age of 45, with a stunning knockout win over Michael Moorer in 1994 making him the oldest heavyweight champion ever.

Frank Laidlaw, 84

Part of two British and Irish Lions tours, Laidlaw earned 32 caps for Scotland and captained his country during a distinguished career where he represented Melrose.

Dick McTaggart, 89

A member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame, McTaggart was the first Briton to box at three Olympic games and remains the only Scottish boxer to win Olympic gold.

APRIL

Val Kilmer, 65

Top Gun star was also known for playing Bruce Wayne in Batman Forever (1995) and rock star Jim Morrison in 1991 film The Doors. Kilmer’s daughter Mercedes told the New York Times the actor had died from pneumonia.

Pope Francis, 88

Died on Easter Monday, just a day after greeting crowds in Vatican City. He had been vocal on politics, speaking out against war and climate change, and urged more focus on the poor and downtrodden of the world. His death prompted warm tributes from leaders across the globe and his funeral drew hundreds of thousands of mourners.

MAY

Alan Yentob, 78

Yentob joined the BBC as a trainee in 1968 and held positions as controller of BBC One and BBC Two, director of television, head of music and arts, as well as the director of BBC drama, entertainment and children’s. He launched CBBC and CBeebies and was credited with the revitalisation of BBC2 with commissions like Absolutely Fabulous, arts series The Late Show and Have I Got News For You, which later moved to BBC One.

Lachie Stewart , 81

Alexandria-born Stewart became a national hero by winning 10,000 metres gold for Scotland at the 1970 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh

JUNE

John Clark, 84

Clark is best remembered for his role as one of the Lisbon Lions – helping Celtic to European Cup glory over Inter Milan in Lisbon in 1967. Clark made more than 300 appearances for the Parkhead club.

Sandy Gall, 97

Scottish journalist whose career spanned more than 50 years. He was a renowned foreign correspondent for ITN and the face of ITV’s News At Ten from 1963 until 1992.

Ian McLauchlan, 83

Capped on 43 occasions for Scotland and captain on 19 occasions, the most famed image of a great career for ‘Mighty Mouse’ was the try he scored against the All Blacks for the Lions after he charged down a clearance to help inspire a 9-3 win.

James Prime, 64

Deacon Blue keyboardist James “Jim” Prime died after a short battle with cancer.

Kim Woodburn, 83

Woodburn, who rose to fame presenting How Clean Is Your House?, died following a short illness. She had appeared in Celebrity Big Brother in 2017 and was among the line-up for E4’s Celebrity Cooking School in 2022.

Brian Wilson, 82

Wilson was the eldest and last surviving of the three musical brothers who formed the Beach Boys in 1961, alongside their cousin Mike Love and school friend Al Jardine. His band, known for their vocal harmonies, released their most recognised album, Pet Sounds, in May 1966 which included the popular songs Wouldn’t It Be Nice and God Only Knows.

Frederick Forsyth, 86

A former RAF pilot and investigative journalist who went on to write novels including The Fox, The Kill List, and The Afghan. As a reporter he had covered international stories and the attempted assassination of French general Charles de Gaulle provided inspiration for his best-selling 1971 novel, The Day Of The Jackal, which was turned into a film starring Edward Fox in 1973.

JULY

Charlie Miller, 80

One of Scotland's most famous hair stylists, whose salons are spread across Edinburgh, received an OBE for services to hairdressing in the Queen's 2012 New Year's Honours List. His career spanned almost six decades.

Dame Cleo Laine, 97

Nicknamed the First Lady of Jazz, Dame Cleo was famed for her scat singing style. She was a Grammy award-winning, leading figure of the British jazz music scene along with her late husband, saxophonist Sir John Dankworth, for many years and worked with the likes of Ray Charles and Frank Sinatra.

Hulk Hogan, 71

Hogan, whose real name was Terry Bollea, was a leading figure in wrestling during the 1980s and won six WWE Championships. He faced names including Andre the Giant and Randy Savage and enjoyed a career in the media, featuring in films and television shows.

Ozzy Osbourne, 76

Osbourne died just over two weeks after the band were reunited at Birmingham’s Villa Park, barely two miles from where they first played together more than 50 years earlier. The heavy metal singer’s theatrical stage presence, including once biting off the head of a bat and styling himself as the Prince of Darkness, marked him out as a controversial figure.

Sir Kenneth Calman, 83

Led the Calman Commission review on devolution in Scotland. Sir Kenneth served as chief medical officer for both Scotland and England, and was elected Chancellor of the University of Glasgow in 2006. His daughter, comedian Susan Calman, announced the news on social media.

Lord Norman Tebbit, 94

Former Cabinet minister and Conservative grandee who was one of Margaret Thatcher’s closest political allies and played a key role in Tory politics for a generation. As employment secretary he took on the trade unions, and as chairman of the Conservative Party from 1985 to 1987 he helped Mrs Thatcher secure her third general election victory. He also served as trade secretary.

Diogo Jota, 28

A Lamborghini which Liverpool footballer Jota was travelling in veered off the road and burst into flames following a suspected tyre blowout in Spain. He was found dead alongside his brother Andre Silva.

Sir Jamie McGrigor, 75

Sir Jamie served as Conservative MSP for the Highlands and Islands for 17 years, from the dawn of devolution until 2016, and was later a councillor in Argyll and Bute.

AUGUST

Rod Petrie, 69

Former Hibernian chairman and Scottish Football Association president. Served as the head of the Hibs board for 15 years before stepping down in 2019 following Ron Gordon’s takeover, but was involved at Easter Road for 28 years in total.

Sir George Reid, 86

Former Holyrood presiding officer, Sir George began his career as a journalist and was first elected as an SNP MP for Clackmannan and Eastern Stirlingshire in 1974. Returned to journalism, becoming the producer who brought the world pictures of the Ethiopian famine in 1984 alongside presenter Michael Buerk. It was not until the opening of the Scottish Parliament in 1999 that he returned to the political frontline.

Terence Stamp, 87

The Academy Award-nominated actor played Kryptonian villain General Zod in Superman and Superman II.

Dame Stella Rimington, 90

Dubbed the “housewife superspy” when she became first female director general of MI5, she is widely credited as the model for Dame Judi Dench’s M in the James Bond films. After leaving MI5 in 1996, she was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the Bath and published her autobiography, Open Secret, in 2001, kickstarting her career as a novelist.

James Whale, 74

Whale rose to fame in the 1980s with his frank style, dry wit and no-nonsense approach on late-night programme The James Whale Radio Show gaining a legion of loyal listeners. He spent 13 years at TalkSport before hosting the drivetime show on LBC and the breakfast show on BBC Essex.

SEPTEMBER

Ming Campbell, 84

Former Lib Dem leader Lord Menzies Campbell, known as Ming, grew up in Glasgow and represented his constituency of North East Fife for almost three decades before taking his seat in the upper chamber in 2015. He was also known for being a talented sprinter, with the former Olympic athlete holding the British 100 metres record between 1967 and 1974.

John Stapleton, 79

Stapleton began his career in newspapers before presenting BBC’s Panorama and Newsnight and had reported from the Middle East, El Salvador and Argentina during the Falklands War in the early 1980s. He also presented on Good Morning Britain on ITV, before returning to the BBC in 1986 to to host consumer show Watchdog alongside his wife Lynn Faulds Wood until 1993.

Robert Redford, 89

Redford was acclaimed for films including All The President’s Men, Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid and The Sting, for which he was nominated for an Oscar. He won an Oscar for directing Ordinary People and was also known for his environmental activism.

The Duchess of Kent, 92

Katharine was known for consoling losing Wimbledon finalists, notably a tearful Jana Novotna in 1993, and presented trophies at the championships for many years. She preferred to be known as Mrs Kent and dropped her HRH style, retreating from royal life to spend more than a decade teaching music in a state primary school in Hull.

Giorgio Armani, 91

Armani, who dressed celebrities including Julia Roberts, George Clooney, Cate Blanchett and Lady Gaga, was famous for his relaxed tailoring. He was one of the most influential and globally famous designers of the late 20th century.

Ricky Hatton, 46

Boxer Hatton won world titles at light-welterweight and welterweight and his all-action style made him one of the most popular fighters in the first decade of the new century.

OCTOBER

Prunella Scales, 93

Scales was best known for starring in Fawlty Towers playing Sybil, the long-suffering wife of bumbling hotelier Basil Fawlty, played by John Cleese. Her big career break was starring in the early 1960s sitcom Marriage Lines and she featured in many BBC Radio 4 sitcoms, stage productions and films including 1987’s The Lonely Passion Of Judith Hearne.

Diane Keaton, 79

The actress shot to fame in the 1970s with her role as Kay Adams in The Godfather and was a regular collaborator of Woody Allen’s, winning an Oscar for his influential film Annie Hall and becoming associated with the title character’s menswear-centric wardrobe. Her other films included Father Of The Bride, The Family Stone, Something’s Gotta Give and The Book Club movies.

Dame Jilly Cooper, 88

Dame Jilly was best known for The Rutshire Chronicles books, featuring the showjumping lothario Rupert Campbell-Black. Her book Rivals was recently adapted for a successful television show by Disney+, attracting fans including Dame Jilly’s friend the Queen who said she binge watched the series when she had pneumonia.

Dame Patricia Routledge, 96

Dame Patricia was best known for her role as Hyacinth Bucket in BBC sitcom Keeping Up Appearances. She won an Olivier Award as the Old Lady in Leonard Bernstein’s operetta Candide in 1988, a Tony Award for her part as Alice Challice in Darling Of The Day in 1968, and had a career which spanned six decades.

Dame Jane Goodall, 91

Born in London, Dame Jane began researching free-living chimpanzees in Tanzania in 1960, arriving at Gombe Stream National Park on the shores of Lake Tanganyika at a time when it was unheard of for a woman to venture into the wilds of Africa. It was there she observed a chimpanzee named David Greybeard make a tool from twigs and use it to fish termites from a nest, a ground-breaking observation that challenged the definition of humans as the single species capable of making tools.

NOVEMBER

Pam Hogg, 74

Scottish fashion designer, known for her bold and eccentric style, created looks for Rihanna, Kate Moss, Lady Gaga, Kylie Minogue and Beyonce, among a host of others.

Sir Tom Stoppard, 88

Sir Tom, known for Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Are Dead, Arcadia and the film Shakespeare In Love, died at his home in Dorset. Over his six-decade career, earned Tony and Olivier awards.

Jimmy Cliff, 81

Musician, known for songs including I Can See Clearly Now and You Can Get It If You Really Want, had two Grammys and was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2010.

Gary ‘Mani’ Mounfield, 63

Former Stone Roses and Primal Scream bass player, he worked on the Manchester band’s 1989 self-titled debut album, which featured hits such as I Wanna Be Adored, She Bangs The Drums and I Am The Resurrection.

Quentin Willson, 68

Willson was one of the first hosts on the hit BBC motoring show Top Gear, alongside Jeremy Clarkson, fronting the series from 1991 until 2001 before going on to present Channel 5’s Fifth Gear.

DECEMBER

Sophie Kinsella, 55

Author of the Shopaholic series Kinsella, whose real name was Madeleine Sophie Wickham, died after being diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer. Her death prompted tributes from authors including Jodi Picoult, Adele Parks and Jenny Colgan, who described Kinsella as a “joy in life”.

Joanna Trollope, 82

Trollope studied English language and literature at the University of Oxford after winning a scholarship and joined the Foreign Office after graduating. She later trained as a teacher but turned to writing full-time in 1980 although it was not until 1991 that she became a household name with her novel, The Rector’s Wife.

Stanley Baxter, 99

Baxter’s TV shows, in which he often appeared grotesquely in drag, drew huge audiences and marked him out as one of the funniest, as well as occasionally one of the most controversial, comics of his generation. The Glasgow-born star, who was bold enough to mimic the Pope and even the Queen, was a popular figure on the Scottish pantomime circuit until his retirement in 1991.