2022

2022

MMXXII


 * UK Prime Minister: Boris Johnson, succeeded by Liz Truss (from 06 September), succeeded by Rishi Sunak (from 25 October)
 * FA Cup Winners: Liverpool FC (beat Chelsea FC 6-5 on penalties; 0-0 aet)
 * Christmas Number One: Ladbaby - Food Aid
 * Eurovision Song Contest: Turin, 14 May (final)
 * Contest Winner: Kalush Orchestra - Stefania (Ukraine)
 * UK Eurovision Entry: Sam Ryder - Space Man (2nd place)


 * Blue Peter Team: Richie Driss, Mwaksy Mudenda, Adam Beales (until 15 July) - replaced by Joel Mawhinney (from 11 November).
 * Doctor Who: Jodie Whittaker (3 specials). Ncuti Gatwa named as next Doctor, David Tennant appears as regenerated Doctor (23 October)
 * Radio 1 Breakfast Show DJ: Greg James
 * Big Christmas Day Film On BBC1: Aladdin (live-action musical, 2019)

Main events

 * Jan.: Downing Street 'Party-gate'; COVID restrictions lifted; Tongo volcano explosion; Russia/Ukraine tensions.
 * Feb.: Winter Olympics in Beijing; Storm Eunice hits UK; Russia begins invasion of Ukraine
 * Mar.: Russia-Ukraine War continues, fuel and energy costs crisis; COVID-19 travel restrictions lifted;
 * Apr.: N.I. contributions increased; war in Ukraine continues: 'Partygate'.
 * May: Sin Feinn gain seats in N. Ireland; war in Ukraine reaches 100th day
 * June: HM The Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations: war in Ukraine continues
 * July: PM Boris Johnson resigns; heatwaves and COVID resurgence; England win women's Euros.
 * August: cost of living crisis and energy price cap dominate;
 * September: Liz Truss becomes new leader of the Conservative Party and UK Prime Minister; HM Queen Elizabeth II dies, Charles III proclaimed new sovereign;
 * October: Conservative government in turmoil, Liz Truss resigns, succeeded by Rishi Sunak, the UK's first Hindu PM; war in Ukraine continues; 100 years of the BBC.
 * November: G20 in Bali, FIFA World Cup in Qatar
 * December: Strike action by nurses, railways and postal service, first winter World Cup, pre-Christmas coldsnap and rapid surge in flu cases, King Charles' first Christmas speech, Pelé dies.

New shows/series
(first broadcast date in brackets) full list
 * BBC 1: The Tourist (01 Jan.), The Green Planet (09 January)
 * BBC2: Cunk On Earth (20 Sept.)
 * ITV: Trigger Point (23 Jan.)
 * Netflix: Harry & Megan,

Returning series

 * The Apprentice (06 January), Britain's Got Talent (16 April), The Crown (S05), The White Lotus (S02), Junior Eurovision Song Contest (11 December)

Shows/series ending

 * BBC: Holby City (since 1999), Peaky Blinders (S6), Killing Eve
 * Netflix: After Life (S3),
 * Sky Max: A Discovery of Witches (S3)

full list

Other TV events

 * Platinum Party at the Palace (BBC1, 04 June), The Power of the Doctor (BBC1, 23 October)
 * ITV becomes ITV1
 * New streaming services Paramount+ and ITVX (replacing ITV Hub) begin





Radio

 * July: Steve Wright, Chris Stark and Scott Mills announce exit from radio shows in BBC shake-up. Mills takes Wright's place on R2.
 * September: death of Queen Elizabeth II broadcast across BBC channels; final Steve Wright in the Afternoon
 * November: 100 years of the BBC; Shaun Keaveny joins Greatest Hits Radio



Music
70 years of charts
 * Biggest selling singles (2022 release): Harry Styles - As It Was (full chart here)
 * Biggest selling albums: Harry Styles- Harry's House, Taylor Swift - Midnights (full chart here)
 * Compilation albums: Robbie Williams - XXV, Siouxsie and the Banshees - All Souls, VV AA - Now That's What I Call Music 111, 112 & 113, Garbage - Anthology, Will Young - 20 Years: The Greatest Hits, VV AA - Eurovision Song Contest 2022
 * Debut albums: Sam Ryder - There's Nothing But Space, Man!, Yard Act - The Overload
 * Eponymous debuts - Wet Leg,
 * Alternative/independent: The 1975 - Being Funny in a Foreign Language

Films
UK release


 * Top Gun: Maverick, The Batman, Minions: The Rise of Gru, Thor: Love and Thunder, Elvis, Jurassic World Dominion



Births

 * Name Surname (day)

Birthdays

 * 20:
 * 30: Freddie Highmore (14 Feb.), George Mackay (13 Mar.), Demi Lovato (20 Aug.)
 * 40: Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge (09 Jan.), Prince William, Duke of Cambridge (21 June), Fearne Cotton (03 Sept.), Billie Piper (22 Sept.), Matt Smith (28 Oct.),
 * 50: Mark Owen (27 Jan.), Geri Halliwell (06 Aug.), Idris Elba (06 Sept.), Liam Gallagher (21 Sept.), Jude Law (29 Sept.), Vanessa Paradis (22 December)
 * 60: Eddie Izzard (07 Feb.), Vanessa Feltz (27 Feb.), Jon Bon Jovi (02 March), Clare Grogan (17 March), Phillip Schofield (01 April), Dave Gahan (09 May), Nick Rhodes (08 June), Jack Dee (24 September), Ralph Fiennes (22 December)
 * 70: Ryuichi Sakamoto (17 Jan.), Liam Neeson (07 June)
 * 80: Neil Kinnock (28 March), Paul McCartney, Harrison Ford, Michael Crawford
 * 90: Petula Clark (15 Nov.)

Deaths

 * David Sassoli (11 Jan.), Meat Loaf (20 Jan.), Bamber Gasgoigne (08 February), Jack Smethurst (16 February), William Hurt (13 March), Peter Bowles (17 March),
 * June Brown (03 April), Dennis Waterman (08 May), Vangelis (17 May), Andrew Fletcher (26 May), Bernard Cribbins (28 July, 93), Olivia Newton-John (08 August), Mikhail Gorbachev (30 August, 91), Bill Turnbull (31 August, 66)
 * HM Queen Elizabeth II (08 September, 96), Robbie Coltrane (14 October), Ruth Madoc (09 December), Angelo Badalamenti (11 December, 85), Siniša Mihajlović (16 December), Terry Hall (19 December, 63), Vivienne Westwood (29 December, 81), Pelé (29 December, 82), Pope Benedict XVI (31 December, 95)