Celebrity News:

It's been a busy 12 months in the world of celebrity, with babies, jail terms and comebacks galore. Here are our picks of those who made the most of the past year, tell us what you think by posting a comment at the bottom.

1) Spice Girls

Is it 1997 all over again? It felt like it, after the Spices came out of retirement 10 years after their heyday for a sell-out worldwide tour.

Always more spectacular on stage than they were in the studio, they have been vowing existing fans, as well as winning new ones such as bitchy celeb blogger Perez Hilton, confounding the doubters who said they were too old and too rubbish to reform.

After selling more than 55 million albums and having 10 No. 1 singles before they split, there is now talk that Baby, Posh, Scary, Sporty and Ginger may capitalise on their rediscovered popularity with a new album. Zig-a-zig-ahh.

2) Nicole Richie

The pregnant Simple Life star may have served a whole 82 minutes in jail for driving under the influence of drugs, (reduced from four days because of prison overcrowding), but 2007 has largely seen an improvement in her fortunes.

Due to have a baby in the New Year with Good Charlotte rocker Joel Madden, the once-skinny star, who sparked worries for her health after drastically slimming down, has never looked healthier or more content.

Her decision to give away many of the baby gifts she received to disadvantaged mothers, and start a charitable foundation for the same purpose also shows a newfound maturity.

3) Helen Mirren


Helen Mirren vowed the Oscars
Already a glittering star in the field of British acting, Mirren's portrayal of the Queen in the film of the same name propelled her to superstardom and an Academy Award for best actress in 2007.

She also received Best Actress awards from the Venice Film Festival, Broadcast Film Critics, National Board of Review, Satellite Awards, Screen Actors Guild and a BAFTA, as well as numerous critics awards.

And she also beat Kate Moss in a list of Britain's best dressed women compiled by Harpers Bazaar - not bad for a 62-year-old.

4) Leona Lewis


At the start of the year, Leona looked like being another Steve Brookstein - winning the X Factor talent show but then disappearing without trace.

Protestations by mentor and X Factor judge Simon Cowell that she was in America being groomed as the next Whitney Houston were dismissed as desperate attempts to persuade the public that the show picked winners.

But everyone's a believer now. Her single Bleeding Love topped the UK chart for seven weeks and was the biggest selling single of the year here, and the accompanying album was the fastest selling debut album of 2007.

As if that wasn't enough, the singer is being credited with a tripling in the popularity of parents naming their babies Leona.

5) Paris Hilton

This one is bound to be controversial, but we think Paris has been a winner in 2007 for serving her 23-day jail term for driving on a suspended licence with more stoicism than expected and devoting more time to charitable work.


YouTube: Paris released from jail
Ok, so the "new beginning" promised by the socialite after she left jail, along with vows that she was over partying, have not completely come to pass, but she has toned down her party-girl image and worked hard to show another side of her.

A planned five-day humanitarian trip to Rwanda with the children's charity Playing for Good has been postponed, but is now due to take place next year.

Given that Paris rose to fame outside America largely thanks to a tape of her having sex, this year has been a big improvement.

6) Coleen McLoughlin


The WAG who gives the impression she could happily spend 25 hours a day shopping has carved her own niche this year, making a fortune herself through deals such as modelling for George at Asda, her own perfume and penning a magazine column.

The fiancée of Manchester United footballer Wayne Rooney, the 20-year-old from Liverpool has just had her independent wealth estimated at £10 million.

The lack of any pesky footballing commitments for Summer 2008 means she has also been able to set a date for her wedding, while a new make-up range is in the pipeline for 2008. Kerrrching!

7) Lily Allen


2007 had already been a very good year for the singer daughter of Keith Allen, before this week's news that she is expecting a baby with her boyfriend, Chemical Brothers star Ed Simons, 37.

Her debut album Alright, Still earned the 22-year-old nominations at the Brit awards and the MTV Video Music Awards and is also up for a Best Alternative Music Album grammy in the 2008 shortlist. A new album and BBC 3 show called Lily and Friends are also planned for next year.

She also fulfilled a childhood ambition by playing at the Glastonbury Festival.

Incidentally, the MySpace protege also gained more notoriety by revealing her third nipple to the world on the Friday Night project.

8) Christopher Biggins


Ever cheerful, but noted primarily in recent years for his love of a good party and performing as a pantomime dame, Biggins laughed his way back into the public consciousness after winning I'm a Celebrity....get me out of here!

On his final day in camp, Biggins successfully completed the show's infamous bush tucker trial, where he ate items including a kangaroo penis and testicle, cockroaches and a crocodile's foot.

He is now apparently mulling over a multitude of offers designed to capitalise on his re-discovered popularity.

It couldn't happen to a nicer bloke.

9) Rihanna


Achieving modest success but far from a household star at the start of the year, Rihanna is etched on the public consciousness at the end of it largely thanks to her long-reigning no1.

Umbrella topped the charts and stubbornly refused to leave for 10 weeks at a time when Britain was suffering the wettest summer on record.

It was the longest-running number one single since Wet Wet Wet's Love Is All Around dominated the charts in 1994, but was eventually nudged off the top spot by Timbaland's The Way I are.

But that wasn't the end of things- Umbrella scooped two awards at the MTV VMAs and Rihanna is up for four awards at the Grammys next year.

10) Billie Piper


The past 12 months saw the singer-turned-actress finally divorce Chris Evans and win plaudits for her burgeoning acting career.

Her stage debut in Christopher Hampton's Treats was well received, and playing a high-class prostitute in ITV2's The intimate adventures of a London call girl, complete with semi-nudity, lesbian romps and a whipping scene earned her a whole new audience.

Billie's popular turn playing Doctor's Who's assistant Rose Tyler led to an appearance in the Much Ado about Nothing as part of the BBC's much-vaunted series of Shakespeare updates, where she more than held her own against more experienced actors.

Couple all this with winning the Most Popular Actress award at the National Television Awards in October and 2007 has certainly been Billie's year.