The UK's biggest heroes and villains of 2016

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2016 has been a year of seismic change in sport, politics and the media. The lines between social media, celebrity culture and politics are becoming increasingly blurred, and the added scrutiny this has brought upon public figures has made protecting their reputation even more difficult.

Ed Balls
In a year of political turmoil, the political elite have at times seemed irreconcilable with the general public.

Step forth the unlikely saviour of British politics and popular culture, Ed Balls. Ed’s performance on Strictly Come Dancing has given a human face to our politicians, provided some much needed comic relief, and even sparked talk of a return to frontline politics.

And who is to say 2017 won’t see Ed and his snake hips sashaying into Downing Street? A reality star being elected leader of an entire country? Well it wouldn’t be the first time…

Scarlett Moffatt
Catapulted from couch potato to "Queen of the Jungle", it’s testament to the changing nature of celebrity that Scarlett is now one of the biggest TV stars of the year.

Initially famed for watching TV on Gogglebox, Scarlett had autumn success with her own fitness DVD, before her down-to-earth attitude and quirky sense of humour won the hearts of the nation on I’m a Celebrity get Me Out of Here! Rumours abound that her own show is now in the pipeline making 2016 a year of success for the Geordie girl.

The Brownlee Brothers
In a year of imperious Olympic success for Great Britain, a tender moment of brotherly love between Alistair and Jonathan Brownlee struck a special chord with the public.

In an act of selflessness, Alistair abandoned his own chances of winning the Triathlon World Series in Mexico to help his exhausted brother Jonny over the finish line as he looked set to collapse.

A moving moment, an iconic picture and one of the feel-good stories of the year.

Brendan Cox
Jo Cox’s appalling murder shook the nation to its very core. And yet at the heart of the media storm that followed, one man remained stoic, dignified, and astonishingly conciliatory.

Brendan Cox’s unwavering dedication to preserving the legacy of his wife by opposing the hate that so cruelly took her life was deeply touching.

Eulogising his wife as someone who dreamed of a better world and fought for it every day of her life, he said: “The killing of Jo was…an act designed to drive communities apart which has instead pulled them together.” The example Brendan set to a nation divided at a time of personal tragedy was truly heroic.

Claudio Ranieri
Jamie Vardy may have stolen the limelight by firing Leicester to the unlikeliest of Premier League titles, but the greatest triumph belonged to football’s "Nice Guy".

In an age of fiery tempers, complicated mind-games and Jose Mourinho, Claudio Ranieri put paid to the old adage that nice guys finish last. Ranieri’s appointment was greeted with derision in 2015, given his reputation as journeyman following his unceremonious sacking by Roman Abramovich in 2004.

But his charming demeanour, off-the-wall press conferences and "Dilly Ding Dilly Dong" catchphrase endeared him to the British public. He masterminded one of the greatest underdog stories in sporting history and wrote Leicester into footballing folklore.

Eric Bristow
Always think before you tweet. Or in the case of Eric Bristow, probably best to outsource all tweeting and thinking to somebody else entirely.

The football abuse scandal has brought to light shocking revelations from across the country. Bristow’s decision to comment on the mental weakness of the abuse victims was therefore all the more astonishing.

Bristow promptly lost his role with Sky, and following the backlash to his comments his reputation is in tatters.

Tyson Fury
After finishing 2015 as World Heavyweight Champion, Tyson has since dedicated all of his time to aggressively dismantling his public image.

From threatening physical violence against a journalist, to homophobic, sexist and racist outbursts, Fury did all in his power to make himself a venomous figure of villainy.

Modern sport is crying out for more personality and perhaps Fury thought he could supply it. But his sporting prowess has been superseded by the negative headlines and abrasive persona that have come to define him.

Sir Philip Green
No villain list would be complete without everyone’s least favourite person. With even MPs laying into him, Green is the most disliked man in Britain right now.

Worse still is his total apathy to his reputation, his Knighthood and the battered BHS pension pot.

He has offered no kind of defence for his actions and has displayed breath-taking arrogance by swanning about on his three superyachts in full public view as the scandal has unfolded. The quintessential unapologetic business villain.

Nigel Farage
The poster boy for the divisiveness the EU referendum caused, Farage has proved a relentlessly inflammatory force.

His campaigning was riddled with disingenuous claims about the NHS (who could forget the infamous red bus), and ill-advised anti-immigrant rhetoric. The "Breaking Point" poster really was rock bottom.

Politics aside the novelty of his clichéd beer-drinking "every man" persona is wearing thin with the public. His newly found friendship with Donald Trump and the now notorious grinning picture inside the goldplated Trump Tower are in stark contrast to the image he tries to project.

David Cameron
After “Piggate” in 2015, David Cameron must have thought that the next 12 months couldn’t get much worse.

But he hadn’t bet on the lunacy of 2016. By September, Cameron’s credibility and career had been butchered. First he was tarnished by Zac Goldsmith’s toxic London Mayoral campaign, then defeated in a referendum where his patronising tone and outlandish claims (World War Three, anyone?) utterly undermined his argument.

He subsequently resigned as Prime Minister – contrary to his previous statements – and, clearly bored of losing, he then quit as an MP altogether. Two campaign defeats and two resignations: a dreadful year.

Phil Hall is the Chairman of PHA Media