8. X Factor alumni's success, or lack thereof(01 of08)
Open Image ModalBen Haenow won the battle of X Factor 2014, and we thought Fleur East was the princess of pop hearts after what happened with 'Uptown Funk', but alas... neither of them were able to convert this into anything approaching a firm footing on the charts. Of course, it didn't help that Ben was 'advised' to release his album on the same day as One Direction's. Who needs rivals...?
7. Luther Series 4(02 of08)
Open Image ModalWithout Idris Elba at the helm, this cliche-ridden Sarf London cop show would have been put out to pasture years ago. With him, it's become a victim of its own success, with its lead actor a worldwide star too busy to commit to anything like a full a series. Instead, we got a much-hyped, little-delivered two-hour special that neither dealt with a brand new killer, nor unknotted old demons, just sat somewhere uncomfortably in the middle. More, please.
6. Rihanna(03 of08)
Open Image ModalWhere is the album? Repeat, where is the album?
5. Entourage movie(04 of08)
Open Image ModalEverything that was charming, slapstick, forgivable about the original TV series somehow turned into self-satisfied, casually misogynistic, entitled tosh in the big screen version. Pray no sequel.
4. Nick Grimshaw on 'X Factor'(05 of08)
Open Image ModalThe Radio One wunderkind had been billed as a star signing by Simon Cowell, who thought this easy grinner was an easy pathway to a bigger youth audience. As it was, he had little to prove and less to say in a series remarkable only for low ratings and poor judgement. No, he does not look like a young Louis Walsh.
3. Sam Smith's Bond theme(06 of08)
Open Image ModalThis year's Bond theme came with all the requisite mystery surrounding the voice, not disappointed by news it would be Sam Smith at the wheel. And then we heard it. Despite its number one chart placing, and all the requisite 007 strings and hoo-ha, it was no 'Skyfall'. How unsurprised were we to hear that Mr Smith had penned it in a full ten minutes? That must have included a tea break.
2. Broadchurch Series 2(07 of08)
Open Image ModalWhat we wanted - basically another mystery with all the same people, and possibly a love affair between Olivia Colman and David Tennant. What we got - the same mystery revisited, with some side dishes added, David and Olivia settling for a platonic, sad cuddle and Charlotte Rampling emoting. The good news - the bar for Series 3 is no longer quite so high.
1. Johnny Depp(08 of08)
Open Image ModalFor his choices in general, the horror that was 'Mortdecai' in particular. Stunningly, Johnny Depp in a few, short years has gone from the arty indie kid that stayed classy despite dressing up as a Pirate and helming a billion-dollar franchise, into a Hollywood cling-on that nobody can say no to? The result: Forbes recognising him as the year's most overpaid actor, with a tottering career that not even blue contact lens and a big forehead for 'Black Mass' can quickly rescue.