Daniel Craig appeared on the big screen in 2021 for the fifth and final time as James Bond when the delayed No Time To Die received a cinema release.

Meanwhile, Hollywood A-lister Tom Cruise brought some glamour to North Yorkshire after he was spotted filming in the region in April.

Celeste
Celeste performing during filming for the Graham Norton Show in January (Matt Crossick/PA Media on behalf of So TV)
Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
A wind octet from Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra rehearse in February ahead of an online streamed performance (Andrew Matthews/PA)

In March, Johnny Depp was refused permission to bring an appeal against a damning High Court ruling that he assaulted ex-wife Amber Heard and left her in “fear for her life”.

The actor had asked the Court of Appeal to grant permission for him to challenge the ruling, with the aim of having its findings overturned and a retrial ordered.

Johnny Depp
Johnny Depp leaves the High Court in London in March (Victoria Jones/PA)
Actor Stephen Fry
Actor Stephen Fry was among those who received a Covid-19 vaccine at Poets’ Corner in Westminster Abbey in March (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

Top Gun star Cruise waved to members of the public as he filmed scenes at a heritage railway in North Yorkshire in April.

The 58-year-old joined crew filming in the village of Levisham on the North York Moors. It appeared to involve the use of a modified train and tracks for what was thought to be a new Mission: Impossible film.

Tom Cruise
Actor Tom Cruise waves to onlookers in Levisham (Danny Lawson/PA)
Dua Lipa
Dua Lipa accepts the award for female solo artist during the Brit Awards 2021 in May (Ian West/PA)
Cinderella at Birmingham Royal Ballet
Karla Doorbar as Cinderella from Birmingham Royal Ballet performs during a dress rehearsal in June (Jacob King/PA)

A legal fight between two former Sex Pistols band members and frontman Johnny Rotten over the use of their songs in a television series started at the High Court in London in July.

In an August ruling, Sir Anthony Mann found ex-drummer Paul Cook and guitarist Steve Jones were entitled to invoke “majority voting rules” against the ex-singer in relation to the use of Sex Pistols material in TV drama Pistol, directed by Danny Boyle.

John Lydon
John Lydon, aka Johnny Rotten, smokes outside the Rolls Building at the High Court, London (Dominic Lipinski/PA)
Indiana Jones movie filming in Glasgow
A body double for Harrison Ford and Boyd Holbrook are seen on a horse and motorbike during a parade scene for the new Indiana Jones film on St Vincent Street in Glasgow city centre in July (Andrew Milligan/PA)
Anthony McPartlin wedding
Anthony McPartlin, with Declan Donnelly (right), arriving at St Michael’s church in Heckfield, Hampshire, for his wedding to Anne-Marie Corbett in August (Kirsty O’Connor/PA)
Cast of Scottish Opera’s Falstaff
The cast of Scottish Opera’s Falstaff during a dress rehearsal of the show at the Festival Theatre, Edinburgh, in August (Jane Barlow/PA)

The Rolling Stones star Charlie Watts was hailed as “one of the greatest drummers of his generation” following his death in August at the age of 80.

The musician had been a member of the rock group since 1963 and played on classic tracks including (I Can’t Get No)
Satisfaction, Paint It Black, Jumpin’ Jack Flash and Brown Sugar.

Charlie Watts of the Rolling Stones
Charlie Watts plays during a conference at Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh in 2018 (Jane Barlow/PA)
No Time To Die Royal World Premiere – London
The Prince of Wales speaks with Daniel Craig at the world premiere of latest James Bond film No Time To Die, at the Royal Albert Hall in London (Chris Jackson/PA)
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran performs during the 2021 MTV Europe Music Awards (EMAs) at the Papp Laszlo Budapest Sportarena in Budapest in November (Ian West/PA)
The Crown star Emma Corrin
The Crown star Emma Corrin arriving at the 24th British Independent Film Awards ceremony in London in December (Ian West/PA)

Reality TV kept the nation hooked throughout the year, with the big-hitting shows still pulling in millions of viewers. Italian engineer Giuseppe Dell’Anno triumphed in The Great British Bake-Off, while Emmerdale star Danny Miller was crowned the winner of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! after a Storm Arwen-disrupted stint in the Welsh castle.

There were also problems on Strictly Come Dancing, with injury reducing the final show to just two contenders, with soap actress Rose Ayling-Ellis winning the glitterball trophy with professional dance partner Giovanni Pernice.

Strictly Come Dancing winners Rose Ayling-Ellis and Giovanni Pernice
Strictly Come Dancing winners Rose Ayling-Ellis and Giovanni Pernice with the glitterball trophy in December (Guy Levy/BBC/PA)