TRAILBLAZERS, game-changers and history-makers – all hail the women who made the world a better place in 2024.
It's time to take a bow, ladies…
Catherine, Princess of Wales, 42
From diagnosis to chemotherapy, Kate Middleton’s valiant nine-month battle with cancer has been, as she put it recently, “incredibly tough” for her, Prince William and their children George, Charlotte and Louis, as they navigated “the stormy waters and road unknown”.
Last month, William, who has also been supporting his father King Charles through cancer, echoed his wife’s sentiment by describing 2024 as being “the hardest year in my life” and a “dreadful” experience.
Following months of speculation about why she had been absent from public appearances last winter, Kate revealed in March this year that she had cancer, after it had been identified following abdominal surgery two months earlier.
During her gruelling chemotherapy, the princess generously shared updates with the public.
READ MORE IN FABULOUS
On June 14, one day before her first public appearance in months at the King’s official birthday celebrations, she tweeted that her treatment was “ongoing” and would continue “for a few months more”.
Three months on, she posted a moving video montage of family time over the summer to announce that she’d completed chemo, adding that her focus remained: “Doing what I can to stay cancer-free.”
Soon after, Kate returned to royal duties when she accompanied William to Southport to visit families of the young victims of the tragic dance studio stabbings in July.
Kate has inspired countless other cancer patients – there are more than 385,000 new cases in the UK every year – and her positive outlook will continue to provide strength and comfort, particularly when she hosts her annual Christmas carol concert at Westminster Abbey this month.
Most read in Celebrity
With the aim of celebrating the compassionate acts of Brits within their communities, Kate’s Together At Christmas service, which will air on ITV on Christmas Eve, celebrates individuals who have: “Shown that love is the greatest gift we can receive.”
Yet, even this inspiring and courageous queen-in-waiting hasn’t escaped scrutiny from trolls, who recently accused her of looking “old” following her attendance at last month’s Remembrance Sunday service in London.
This year, Kate has proved herself to be Olympic-level strong, both physically and mentally. If she can withstand the trauma of cancer, we hope she has the power to ignore the bullies.
“Despite all that has gone before, I enter this new phase of recovery with a renewed sense of hope and appreciation of life,” said Kate in her September video message.
“To all those who are continuing their own cancer journey – I remain with you. Out of darkness can come light, so let that light shine bright.”
Taylor Swift, 34, Singer
Whether it was her enthusiastic Scottish fans shaking it off so hard in Edinburgh that they triggered earthquake monitors, or Stockholm Swifties causing Swedish inflation to rise for the first time in over 12 months, 2024 will go down in history as the year Tay-Tay’s sell-out, five-continent Eras tour took over the world.
Mortals and celeb fans alike – including Prince William, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, along with Nicola Coughlan and Salma Hayek, in London alone – turned out in their droves to catch a glimpse of Miss Americana perform.
And, of course, to sneak a glance at her NFL-player boyfriend Travis Kelce supporting her from the crowd.
The tour grossed more than $1billion (the highest-grossing of all time), but Taylor also paid it forward, donating to over 1,400 food banks across Britain during her UK dates.
You go, girl!
Sky Brown, 16, Olympic skateboarder
Sporting hero Sky first went viral at four, after her dad posted clips of her skateboarding – a talent she honed by watching tricks on YouTube.
Now with 1.4 million Instagram followers, she’s the youngest-ever Olympic medallist for Team GB.
Born to a British dad and Japanese mum, Sky was just 12 when she declared: “I want to go to the Olympics to inspire girls.”
One year later, she won bronze in Tokyo – a glory she repeated four years on in Paris, little more than a week after dislocating her shoulder (she also fractured her skull after falling 15ft during training, aged 11).
As well as being into tennis and singing, her 2020 pop single GIRL has been watched more than 29 million times on YouTube.
She’s now hoping to qualify for the 2028 LA Olympics in surfing to: “Bring home two gold medals.” Only a fool would discount her!
Keely Hodgkinson, 22, Olympic runner
When the Olympics kicked off in Paris this summer, there was only one name on everyone’s lips – that of track “It girl” Keely Hodgkinson.
Known for her glam on and off the sports circuit, thanks to her love of elaborate nail designs and posh handbags, the Atherton-born sporting star secured her first gold medal in the 800m final to become only the third British woman ever to win the title, and the first since Kelly Holmes in Athens 20 years earlier.
“I’d like some more bling,” she said boldly, not long after winning a silver medal at the Tokyo 2020 Games.
And win the bling she did. What a champ.
Raye, 27, singer-songwriter
In February, Raye made BRITs history by scooping six awards out of her seven nominations.
For years, the singer – who we named in our “ones to watch” list of hot new talent back in 2017 – was locked into a four-album deal with Polydor, who refused to release her record.
By 2021, she’d had enough and spoke out online, tweeting: “I’m done being a polite pop star.” She was subsequently released by the label – and her rise since then has been epic.
The night after her BRITs clean-up, which included becoming the first woman to win Songwriter Of The Year, her songs hit a total of 5 billion streams.
On top of music-industry battles, she has also beaten personal ones. At 17, she endured sexual assault by a music producer, before a struggle with drugs and alcohol. Raye, you’re an inspiration.
Ambika Mod, 29, actress
What a year it’s been for Ambika, thanks to a career-defining role as Emma Morley in Netflix’s adaptation of David Nicholls’ One Day.
And it almost didn’t happen, with the actress reluctant to audition, as she didn’t see herself as a “romantic lead”.
Ambika got her start in stand-up comedy, before she bagged her first major role in BBC hit This Is Going To Hurt.
Then, One Day came along – and more than 15 million people fell in love with her as Emma.
She has since voiced her hope to inspire other South Asian girls, saying: “Even if she doesn’t want to be an actor, but she sees One Day and thinks: ‘I’m worthy of love, I’m worthy of achieving my dreams,’ what an amazing thing to give someone.”
Maggie Smith, 89, actress
When Dame Maggie died on September 27, the acting world lost one of its true greats.
Over 60 years, the Essex-born screen icon, who made her debut in 1952, played everything from her Oscar-winning role as no-holds-barred teacher in The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie, to the ice-cold dowager in Downton Abbey and the great Professor McGonagall in the Harry Potter franchise.
When she wasn’t reading film scripts, she was fronting luxury fashion campaigns, including Loewe’s spring 2024 pre-collection at 88. Talk about doing life right.
Davina Mccall, 57, presenter
She’s the queen of TV turned relentless menopause campaigner, whose work has helped normalise the menopause and its symptoms for millions of women.
But this year, the feisty presenter had a new and unexpected challenge of her own to contend with, when it was discovered that she had a rare benign brain tumour.
Taking to Instagram last month, shortly after we’d shot her for the cover of Fabulous, she told her followers how a routine health scan had found a colloid cyst in her brain and her surgeon made her realise: “I have to get it taken out”.
She underwent a craniotomy to remove the 14mm mass, after which she was then taken to the intensive care unit.
Thankfully, the My Mum, Your Dad presenter is now recovering well – and we couldn’t be more relieved.
Katarina Johnson-Thompson, 31, olympic heptathlete
Jessica Ennis-Hill once said that KJT has “been through every possible scenario” during her athletics career. And she’s not wrong.
Surgery in 2015 for a knee injury, a ruptured Achilles tendon in 2019, a torn calf muscle at the Tokyo Games. . . but the Liverpudlian never gave up.
One week after pulling out of the European Athletic Championships with a leg injury, she ran the greatest 800m of her life at the Paris Olympics to end the heptathlon.
As well as banking a personal best, she won her first-ever Olympic medal – a silver – two years after winning gold at the Commonwealth Games in 2022.
Her grit and perseverance are in her DNA. Raised by a single mum, KJT didn’t often have the funds of other athletes, but she made it to London 2012, representing Team GB when she was just 19.
Twelve years on, she’s still our golden girl.
Amy Dowden, 34, dancer
We couldn’t be more in awe of the Strictly pro, who had to hang up her sequins in 2023 after discovering a lump in her breast.
She was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer and had a mastectomy, later revealing the extent of her battle in BBC’s Strictly Amy: Cancer And Me, which aired in August.
The dancer, who was awarded an MBE in the King’s Birthday Honours list for her campaign work for Crohn’s disease which she was diagnosed with at 19, made a triumphant return to Strictly this year, before having to pull out last month due to injury.
“I’d be lying if I said I’m OK, but I know I will be and I’m lucky to have so many loved ones around me. 2025 sounds like an even better year,” Amy posted on Insta. A true fighter.
Leanne Lucas, 35, Dance teacher
It was every parent’s worst nightmare when a masked knife-wielding attacker burst into a Taylor-Swift-themed dance class on July 29, 2024 in Southport, Merseyside, and stabbed the children and teachers inside.
Three children – Alice Da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven – tragically died, and eight more were injured. During the attack, heroic teacher Leanne bravely used her body to try to protect the children.
Critically injured, she underwent life-saving surgery and faces a long road to recovery.
Her aunt Pauline Bennett told The Times that she: “Just wanted to protect those children.”
Lindsey Burrow, 41, Motor Neurone Disease campaigner
After being diagnosed with MND in 2019, former rugby player Rob Burrow threw himself into raising awareness of the condition and funds to find a cure.
His wife Lindsey stepped up as his unpaid carer, while also looking after their three children and working as a NHS physiotherapist.
Now, after his tragic death in June, aged 41, she is carrying on Rob’s mission.
As well as speaking publicly about MND, last year she ran the Leeds Marathon and raised more than £110,000 to create an MND Centre in Leeds.
As Rob’s wife, Lindsey showed reserves of resilience, personal sacrifice and love. As a mum, she’s supporting their children through their grief.
Lindsey’s memoir Take Care features a foreword by Prince William – a fitting declaration of support for a woman whose love knows no bounds.
Holly Willoughby, 43, TV presenter
After 14 years presenting ITV’s flagship This Morning show, Holly Willoughby stepped down in October 2023, six days after ex-security guard Gavin Plumb, 37, was arrested for plotting to kidnap, rape and murder the mum of three.
Plumb is now serving a minimum of 16 years in prison. According to her legal rep, the impact on Holly has been “life-changing”.
At first, she was too terrified to leave her £3million home, which she recently sold.
But in January, she defiantly returned to what she does best, as the co-host of ITV’s Dancing On Ice, plus she’s also set to host Bear Hunt on Netflix next year.
Kate Garraway, 57, Presenter
Presenter, author, host and then, quite unexpectedly, full-time carer. Kate Garraway’s life took a devastating turn in March 2020, when her husband, Derek Draper, contracted Covid and was rushed to hospital, where his life hung in the balance for months.
Eventually, Derek returned to the home he shared with Kate and their children, Darcey, 17, and Billy, 15, but he needed round-the-clock care.
Kate, along with a medical team, cared for her husband of 18 years, while juggling her jobs on Good Morning Britain and Smooth Radio.
Her ITV documentary Kate Garraway: Derek’s Story captured the last chapter of his battle, before he died in December last year.
Pamela Anderson, 57, Actress
For the last year, former Baywatch star Pamela Anderson has been ditching her make-up, opting to go fresh-faced on the red carpet.
After decades of being judged solely on her appearance, thanks to her role as lifeguard CJ Parker and a certain sex tape, Pammy is now opting to embrace her natural self, showing the world that beauty is so much more than skin deep.
She explained: “Beauty does come from within and you don’t have to play the game.” Amen to that.
Ashley Graham, 37, model and activist
A decade after she hit the mainstream, Ashley is still changing the shape of the fashion industry.
At the Victoria’s Secret comeback show in September, all eyes were on her, and she admitted afterwards on Instagram that she’d hesitated to take part, as VS had never before embraced body diversity.
The trailblazer, who refuses to be retouched in photo shoots, has long been vocal about designers who fail to cater to a wide range of bodies.
Two years ago, after documenting her pregnancy with her twin boys Malachi and Roman, Ashley posted gloriously inspiring (and unfiltered) postpartum body selfies, then proudly showed off her stretchmarked belly on the red carpet, attracting praise from her 21 million followers.
She’s said she will talk about body image “for the rest of my life”. We’ll be listening!
Gabby Logan, 51, Sports presenter
After a busy summer fronting the Euros and the Olympic Games, Gabby has become commentating royalty.
Whether it was her enthusiastic whoops as Keely Hodgkinson won the 800m or her unapologetic use of the term “cock-up” to describe the US Olympics team, we just couldn’t get enough of the ex-gymnast.
With more than 27 years of industry experience, the mum of two has presented everything from Inside Sport to Match Of The Day. And we have a feeling her star will keep on shining.
Gisèle Pelicot, 72, rape survivor
It was the trial that shocked France – for nine years, Dominique Pelicot, 71, spiked his wife Gisèle’s food and drink with sleeping pills, then raped her – and allowed at least 73 strangers into their home to rape her, too.
Bravely waiving her right to anonymity, Gisèle requested an open trial and agreed to videos that her ex-husband made to be shown in open court, to display the “true horror of rape.”
Dedicating her legal and personal battle to every survivor of sexual violence, and in speaking without shame, she has galvanised a global conversation around sexual violence and shown, as her lawyer Stéphane Babonneau said, that anyone can be a perpetrator.
Her enduring bravery is incredible.
Charlotte Tilbury, 51, Beauty Entrepreneur
She’s been a big name in make-up since the ’90s, working with celebrities including Victoria Beckham and Kate Moss, and there’s barely a woman around who doesn’t have at least one item of her eponymous collection.
But the CEO and chief creative officer is determined to take her brand global, into areas where women have not been able to find a space.
This year, Charlotte Tilbury became the first female-founded beauty brand to partner with F1 Academy, and its first-ever global sports sponsor.
“I love breaking rules, breaking the status quo,” says Charlotte, who received an MBE in 2018.
“The world still isn’t where it should be in terms of supporting women… Just because things have been done a certain way forever, why do they have to be that way? Why can more women not be represented in sport?"
Kris Hallenga, 38, cancer campaigner
Diagnosed in 2009 with stage four breast cancer that had spread to her spine, aged only 23, Kris worked tirelessly to change the conversation around the disease.
Confounding all expectations, she lived for another 15 years and devoted herself to raising awareness of the symptoms of breast cancer among young women, with her charity CoppaFeel!.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
Its message was projected on to the Houses of Parliament and included the first showing of a nipple in an advertising campaign.
Her work has saved countless lives and Fabulous’ 10 years of charity treks with CoppaFeel! raised over a £1million. Kris died in May, but her legacy lives on.