2016 showbiz quotes of the year

“I can’t believe that after all these years Elvis and I are both in the charts — the new, young whippersnappers still have to compete with us” — Cliff Richard

“I was so worried when Darcey Bussell was going to be one of the Strictly judges. I thought she was going to be all posh, la de da. And yet she’s the most charming, lovely person” — Len Goodman

“People think actors act the same every night. Well, this actor doesn’t. I take huge inspiration from the audience” — Ian McKellen

“I’m pretty disappointed with Kanye West that he says he would have voted for Trump. I think Trump has been corrosive, his message has been corrosive to the country” — singer John Legend, describing rapper West’s meeting with the president-elect as a publicity stunt.

“Cross-border crime and terrorism will still need to be tackled after Brexit. We cannot let political dogma get in the way of public safety” — Nick Clegg, former British Liberal Democrat leader and ex-deputy prime minister.

“We have a proper laugh when we’re doing rehearsals. We become like baboons, not in a bad way. We’re telepathic” — Claudia Winkleman, on her Strictly Come Dancing co-presenter Tess Daly.

“I’m a virgin but I won’t go into it in too much detail. I’m saving that for the autobiography” — former London mayor Ken Livingstone.

“I couldn’t make up my mind whether it was arrogance or just insanity” — British actress Glenda Jackson on her decision to play King Lear after leaving parliament where she had been a Labour MP.

“A new generation of uninhibited young female writers and comedians are getting so explicit that they make Bridget Jones’s diaries sound like the chronicle of a virgin Victorian milkmaid” — commentator Libby Purves

“I’ve never got to the bottom of streaking” — Jonathan Agnew, cricket commentator.

“I am in favour of a free press, freedom of speech, free universal suffrage and free drink” — British foreign secretary Boris Johnson

“He is over-endowed with the flamboyant thespian gene and under-supplied with that which promotes restraint. He cannot help making waves” — Bernard Ingham on Boris Johnson.

“Donald Trump doesn’t smoke or do drugs, which is another reason not to trust that bag of cat balls” — actor Charlie Sheen

“If you thought 2016 was bad, I’m releasing an album in 2017” — singer James Blunt

“Congrats to Mick Jagger on becoming a dad again at 73. Which reminds me - I need to pick up a pregnancy test. I am 936 weeks late” — veteran entertainer Bette Midler, 71.

“The best approach must surely be to ignore the sour-faced shrews” — former Tory minister Ann Widdecombe on what she describes as “the screeching sisterhood” of feminists.