Dead Famous

She was the rebellious star of Beverly Hills, 90210, the unforgettable Prue Halliwell in Charmed, and one of the most talked-about actresses of the 1990s. But behind the fame, fortune and Hollywood glamour, Shannen Doherty was fighting battles the public knew little about.Branded difficult, hounded by the tabloids and surrounded by rumours of bitter feuds, Shannen became Hollywood's ultimate bad girl. Her explosive departure from Beverly Hills, 90210, her turbulent relationships and her controversial exit from Charmed threatened to overshadow her extraordinary talent.But was Shannen really the nightmare the headlines made her out to be? Or was there another side to the woman Hollywood loved to hate?In this week's Dead Famous, we uncover the remarkable life of Shannen Doherty, from teenage stardom and behind-the-scenes drama to heartbreak, betrayal and an extraordinary battle with breast cancer that would reveal a very different side of the actress.This is a story of fame, feuds, resilience and a woman who refused to be silenced.October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. If you or someone you love has been affected by breast cancer, the following UK organisations offer information, advice and support:Breast Cancer Now: https://breastcancernow.orgFree helpline: 0808 800 6000CoppaFeel!: https://coppafeel.orgBreast Cancer UK: https://www.breastcanceruk.orgMacmillan Cancer Support: https://www.macmillan.org.ukFree support line: 0808 808 00 00

Olivia Newton-John was one of the most beloved stars of her generation — the voice behind Physical, the unforgettable Sandy in Grease, and a woman whose warmth made her famous around the world.But behind that famous smile was a life marked by extraordinary highs, private battles, a disappearance that remains a mystery more than 20 years later, and a cancer diagnosis that would ultimately transform Olivia's life and legacy.This week on Dead Famous, I tell the remarkable story of Olivia Newton-John.This episode is released during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. For information, awareness, advice and support:Breast Cancer Nowhttps://breastcancernow.orgCoppaFeel!https://coppafeel.orgBreast Cancer UKhttps://www.breastcanceruk.org.ukMacmillan Cancer Supporthttps://www.macmillan.org.uk

Judy Garland became one of the most recognisable stars in Hollywood history. As Dorothy Gale in The Wizard of Oz, she created an image of innocence and optimism that would endure for generations. But behind the rainbow was a life shaped by extraordinary fame, relentless pressure, addiction and personal turmoil.Pushed into showbusiness as a child, Judy was still a teenager when MGM transformed her into a global star. Behind the scenes, however, studio executives controlled her appearance, her weight and even her sleep, while a punishing schedule helped begin a lifelong dependence on prescription drugs.Yet Judy Garland was far more than the tragedy that came to surround her name. She possessed an extraordinary voice, a wicked sense of humour and an ability to connect with an audience that made her live performances legendary. Her 1961 concert at Carnegie Hall became one of the defining triumphs of her career.In this episode of Dead Famous, we explore Judy Garland’s remarkable rise, her five marriages, her battles with addiction and financial instability, her relationship with her children, and the final months of her life in London.

David Bowie was never just one person.Across a career spanning more than five decades, he transformed himself again and again, from the flame-haired alien Ziggy Stardust to the Thin White Duke, from global superstar to actor, artist and one of the most influential musicians of the modern era.But behind the characters was David Jones: a boy from south London whose extraordinary ambition would take him from suburban obscurity to international fame.In this episode of Dead Famous, we explore the remarkable life of David Bowie — his childhood and early struggles, the creation of Ziggy Stardust, his complicated relationships, battles with addiction, reinventions and the music that made him an icon.We also follow Bowie through the final chapter of his life: his very private battle with his health, the creation of his haunting final album Blackstar, and his death on 10 January 2016, just two days after his 69th birthday.This is the story of an artist who spent a lifetime becoming somebody else — and left the world wondering who David Bowie really was.

On 14 September 2009, Patrick Swayze died at the age of just 57.Seventeen years later, on the anniversary of his death, Dead Famous looks back at the extraordinary life of one of Hollywood’s most enduring leading men.From a childhood shaped by dance and a formidable mother, to the roles that made him a global star in Dirty Dancing, Ghost and Point Break, Patrick’s journey was one of ambition, determination and, at times, extraordinary physical endurance.But behind the movie-star image was a man who battled injury, addiction, personal tragedy and the pressures of fame — while his marriage to childhood sweetheart Lisa Niemi endured for more than three decades.Then, in 2008, came the diagnosis that would change everything.This is the story of Patrick Swayze: dancer, actor, sex symbol and reluctant Hollywood heartthrob — remembered on the 17th anniversary of his death.

In Part One of this special two-part edition of Dead Famous, we go back to the beginning: a quiet royal childhood transformed by an unexpected abdication, the war years that shaped her extraordinary sense of duty, her marriage to Prince Philip, and the sudden death of her father that placed the Crown on her head at just 25 years old.We follow Elizabeth through the first four decades of an unprecedented reign — from the fading British Empire and the birth of the modern Commonwealth to Aberfan, royal intruders, political tensions, changing attitudes towards the monarchy and the arrival of a young Diana Spencer.For forty years, Elizabeth weathered almost everything by following the same formula: remain calm, reveal little and carry on.But by the early 1990s, the greatest threat to her reign was about to come from inside her own family.And you don't have to wait for the conclusion — Part Two is available right now.