She captured the hearts of the nation playing feisty Purdey in The New Avengers and eccentric Patsy in Absolutely Fabulous.
As the 311 men and women of Team GB boarded the plane bound for the Beijing Olympics, they carried the hopes of the British public with them.
Racing driver Lewis Hamilton shot to fame this year after a spectacular run of podium finishes in Formula One.
When Little Britain comedian David Walliams said he was going to swim the Channel most people thought he was having a laugh.
