David Bowie, Prince, Carrie Fisher and more: A year of loss for entertainment

A year planet Earth said a final goodbye to some of its brightest lights.

It started on January 10 with David Bowie just two days after he released his 25th studio album, Blackstar. His death at the age of 69 came as a total shock. It later emerged the star had been suffering from liver cancer for 18 months before his death.

Makeshift memorials were erected in London, New York, Berlin, and other cities in which the singer-songwriter had lived, while sales of his albums and singles spiked.

And just four days later Britain was mourning the death of another artist, the actor Alan Rickman. Also 69, he had been suffering from pancreatic cancer.

He became one of Britain's best-loved acting stars thanks to roles including Professor Snape in the Harry Potter films and Hans Gruber in Die Hard. Harry Potter author JK Rowling led the tributes, describing him as 'a magnificent actor and a wonderful man'.

She wrote on Twitter: "There are no words to express how shocked and devastated I am to hear of Alan Rickman's death."

On the last day of January – bringing an end to a brutal month, veteran BBC broadcaster Sir Terry Wogan died aged 77.

In a statement, his family said: "Sir Terry Wogan died today after a short but brave battle with cancer.

"He passed away surrounded by his family.

Limerick-born Sir Terry had a 50-year career on radio and television, including being

the voice of Eurovision in the UK for many years and being involved in the Children in Need appeal since it began in 1980.

In February Harper Lee, the author of To Kill a Mockingbird, died at the age of 89.

The book remains a towering presence in American literature, telling the tale of a white lawyer defending a black man accused of rape in the Deep South.

It sold more than 40 million copies worldwide and 55 years after it was published, in 2015, she released the sequel, Go Set a Watchman.

March would also be devastating for the entertainment industry.

On March 17 magician Paul Daniels died aged 77, after being diagnosed with a brain tumour.

He was at his Berkshire home with wife Debbie McGee when he died in the early hours.

And then a fortnight later on March 31 Ronnie Corbett, best known for BBC comedy sketch show The Two Ronnies, died aged 85.

Corbett was one of the UK's best-loved comedians and along with Ronnie Barker; their double act was one of the most successful of the 70s and 80s.

The entertainer had been suffering from ill-health for some time.

And if the first three months of the year were bad then the rest of it would get worse.

In April, Britain lost another household name in the form of Victoria Wood.

Comedian, singer and writer – you could not pigeon-hole one of the nation's favourite stars of TV. She died after 'a short but brave' battle with cancer aged 62.

She was the long-time comedy partner of Smethwick-born Julie Walters. Wood found fame in the 80s and was best known for her BBC sketch Acorn Antiques and comedy Dinnerladies.

The same month, acclaimed and influential musician Prince died at his home in Minnesota at the age of 57.

Prince became a global superstar in the 80s, with albums such as 1999, Purple Rain and Sign O' the Times. His innovative music spanned rock, funk and jazz. He sold more than 100 million records during his career.

And in June, the whole world was silenced. Boxing legend Muhammad Ali – one of the world's greatest sporting figures – died at the age of 74. The former world heavyweight champion had been suffering from a respiratory illness, a condition complicated by Parkinson's disease.

"Muhammad Ali shook up the world. And the world is better for it," said then-US President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle.

On July 2, cancer took another young female TV favourite, Caroline Aherne.

Aherne, star and writer of The Royle Family and The Mrs Merton Show, had been diagnosed with lung cancer, having previously had bladder and eye cancer.

The following month US actor Gene Wilder, remembered by many for his lead role in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, died at the age of 83

on August 29 in Stamford, Connecticut, due to complications from Alzheimer's disease.

Then as 2016 was drawing to a close, Canadian singer, songwriter and poet Leonard Cohen, Fawlty Towers star Andrew Sachs and Cuba's former president Fidel Castro, one of the world's longest-serving and most iconic leaders, also passed away to mark the end of harrowing year. On Christmas Eve Status Quo's Rick Parfitt died aged 68. And when you thought it couldn't get any worse, at 11pm on Christmas Day it was announced that Wham! star George Michael had passed away aged just 53.

Yet that was still not the end of it.

Actress Liz Smith, 95, of Royle Family fame and Watership Down author Richard Adams, 96, both died on Christmas Eve but their deaths were not announced until December 27. And on the same evening it was announced Star Wars actress Carrie Fisher, who played Princess Leia, had died aged 60 after suffering heart problems.

And the next day her mother, Singin' in the Rain star Debbie Reynolds, died aged 84. Her last words were said to be: "I want to be with Carrie."

Will we see another year like it? Let's hope not.