Year in Review 2025: Canada's top entertainment searches from Taylor Swift to Jimmy Kimmel to Katy Perry

Taylor Swift, Meghan Markle, Jimmy Kimmel and Katy Perry were among Canada's top entertainment searches of 2025. It's no surprise, as they dominated the headlines this year in Canada and around the world with massive tours, relationship shifts, health changes and political controversy.

These are the top 20 celebrities Canadians searched for this year:

Taylor Swift

The most searched celebrity of 2025 is none other than Taylor Swift, who owned headlines this year after her record-breaking Eras Tour, her engagement to NFL star Travis Kelce and the announcement of her new album The Life of a Showgirl.

She started the year with Billboard naming her the top artist of the 21st century. She then went into the Grammys with a whopping six nominations. In May, Swift announced she had bought back the rights to her first six albums, finally gaining full ownership of her entire master recording catalogue.

Later in the year, Swift pivoted into a new chapter by kicking off her next album and announcing her engagement - two different kinds of "Eras."

Plus, Canadians did not forget her Eras Tour run in late 2024, which felt less like a stop and more like a national pop-culture takeover of Canadian cities Toronto and Vancouver in November and December.

Meghan Markle

Meghan Markle commanded headlines in 2025, but on her own terms this year — starting with her return to Instagram on New Year’s Day.

She spent a significant amount of time in Canada for the Invictus Games in Vancouver and Whistler (including a headline-making introduction speech for Prince Harry), before pivoting hard into her "founder era" with the As Ever rebrand.

Her new Netflix lifestyle show With Love, Meghan landed on March 4 and received widespread news coverage and mixed reactions worldwide. Later in the year, the Meghan and Harry Netflix chapter expanded again with reports that they’re producing a rom-com, The Wedding Date.

Jimmy Kimmel

Jimmy Kimmel’s 2025 can be summed up as "comedy-meets-chaos."

His biggest headline of the year was about his brief ABC suspension in September from affiliate network stations Nexstar Media Group and Sinclair Broadcasting after his monologue about Charlie Kirk's death. The suspension sparked free-speech debates and massive backlash from politicians, commentators, entertainers, industry unions, constitutional scholars, and the general public, resulting in boycotts against Disney and ABC.

ABC quickly backtracked, and his show returned to air in less than a week. In December, the network signed Kimmel to a one-year contract extension, keeping him on air until at least May 2027.

Prince Harry

Prince Harry kicked off 2025 by hosting the first-ever winter edition of the Invictus Games in Vancouver and Whistler. He delivered an opening ceremony speech on the power of adaptive sports.

His top story of the year was about his security saga, when he lost his appeal over the decision to downgrade his publicly funded police protection when visiting Britain.

And then there was another unexpected legal side-plot: a U.S. judge ordered the release of Harry’s visa records to determine if Harry lied on his visa application about past drug use. But when the documents were released, they were so heavily redacted that they fuelled even more speculation.

In September, Harry met with King Charles at his home after over a year apart. He also said he would "love a reconciliation," noting there was no point in "continuing to fight."

Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales

Kate Middleton’s 2025 wasn’t about constant appearances — it was about the moments that mattered. The big one came Jan. 14, when she shared that her cancer is in remission.

The Princess of Wales made a significant but cautious return to full-time royal duties, marking a year of recovery and growth.

One of her most viral moments this year occurred in late August when the Princess debuted a significantly lighter, "bronde" (brown and blonde) hair colour during a family trip to Balmoral.

In September, she attended a banquet for U.S. President Donald Trump, where fashion critics noted a shift toward more traditional, senior royal aesthetics.

Sydney Sweeney

Sydney Sweeney’s 2025 was one of those years where the pop culture headlines kept finding her.

Career-wise, she was booked this year, with buzz surrounding the film adaptation of Freida McFadden's psychological thriller, The Housemaid, and her upcoming return to Euphoria for Season 3. She also gained significant attention for her role as professional boxer Christy Martin in the biopic Christy.

But some of her top headlines of the year were about her American Eagle "Great Jeans" campaign. The ad sparked a viral debate over its "wordplay," which many interpreted through a political lens, accusing her and the company of supporting white supremacy and eugenics. Sweeney later clarified she simply "loved the jeans."

Diane Keaton

On Oct. 11 American actress and legend Diane Keaton died in California at the age of 79. Her family confirmed that she died from pneumonia and expressed gratitude for the global outpouring of support.

Following her passing, several of Hollywood’s most prominent figures, such as Al Pacino, Steve Martin, Bette Midler, and Goldie Hawn, offered their tributes.

AMC brought back Annie Hall and Something’s Gotta Give in theatres as a tribute, and her memoirs shot back onto bestseller lists as people revisited her life in her own words. Keaton’s family requested that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to local food banks and animal shelters.

Katy Perry

Katy Perry dominated the news cycle in Canada in 2025, first for headlining the opening ceremony of the Invictus Games in Vancouver and then due to her romantic relationship with former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

The frenzy began the moment the two were spotted walking and dining together in Montreal in July, with photos and videos sparking the summer rumour storm.

As their sightings together escalated, the clearest confirmation arrived in December, when Perry made them https://www.instagram.com/p/DR7MEYMkSwx/?hl=en&img_index=2 with photos from a trip to Japan during her tour. They also met Japan’s former prime minister, Fumio Kishida, who referred to Perry as Trudeau’s "partner."

Perry also commanded headlines when she became one of the first pop icons to travel to space. She joined an all-female crew aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard, reaching the edge of space where she unveiled her tour setlist.

Stephen Colbert

This was a landmark year for Stephen Colbert. In mid-July, CBS announced that The Late Show with Stephen Colbert will end in May 2026, citing a "financial decision." But the announcement immediately sparked a huge debate about the state of censorship in the U.S.

Then came the plot twist: Colbert won Outstanding Talk Series at the Emmy Awards in September and got a prolonged standing ovation from the attendees.

He also received the Robert F. Kennedy Ripple of Hope Award in December for his commitment to social change and civic duty.

Ozzy Osborne

This was also a heartwrenching year for rock fans, as Ozzy Osbourne took a final bow.

In February, Black Sabbath announced "Back to the Beginning" in England as Osbourne's last-ever performance, with profits going to charities including Cure Parkinson’s.

For the first time in 20 years, all four original members of Black Sabbath—Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward—reunited on stage. Despite his battle with Parkinson’s, Ozzy performed his set from a "bat-winged throne". His vocals were noted for being remarkably strong as he sang solo hits

But shortly after his final bow, Osbourne died on July 22 at the age of 76.

Bianca Censori

Bianca Censori's 2025 was controversial.

Censori made her red carpet debut with husband Kanye West at the Grammy Awards, wearing a nearly sheer dress that set off social media buzz and garnered significant attention.

Despite rumours of a separation in early 2025, West and Censori were spotted together in Spain in April.

Travis Kelce

Travis Kelce made headlines in 2025, both for his professional achievements and his personal life.

His professional highlights included becoming the all-time NFL leader in Super Bowl receptions and being named to the Pro Bowl.

In personal updates, pop icon Taylor Swift announced their engagement, instantly turning the NFL’s most famous tight end into the rare athlete who can dominate both sports pages and celebrity coverage in the same week.

Justin Bieber

Justin Bieber’s 2025 was a low-key comeback that still generated a lot of attention.

After months of “is he OK?” and "where is he these days?" chatter, he dropped a surprise studio album, Swag, in July 2025, followed by an expansion titled Swag II in September.

He also celebrated his first Father's Day in June 2025, following the birth of his son, Jack Blues Bieber, with his wife, Hailey Bieber.

Robert Redford

One of the defining moments of 2025 was the death of actor and director Robert Redford on Sept. 16, at the age of 89. He died peacefully in his sleep at his home in Utah, surrounded by family.

Prior to his passing, Redford made his final screen appearance in the AMC detective series Dark Winds.

Prince William

Prince William’s 2025 felt like a mix of "future king in training" and "someone who is really trying to bring attention to social issues."

He focused heavily on global environmental initiatives and expanded his work in wildlife conservation through a BBC documentary.

His most memorable moment was of bringing Prince George to volunteer at a homeless charity in London in December — a very intentional "passing the baton" scene that also tied back to the Prince's own childhood visits with his mother.

Michelle Trachtenberg

Michelle Trachtenberg died on Feb. 26 at the age of 39. She was found unresponsive in her New York City apartment.

The Medical Examiner’s Office later confirmed that the Gossip Girl actress died of natural causes related to complications from diabetes.

In the wake of her death, many outlets highlighted her iconic roles as Dawn Summers in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the villainous Georgina Sparks in Gossip Girl, and the title character in Harriet the Spy.

Vanessa Trump

In 2025, Vanessa Trump made headlines, mainly due to her romantic relationship with golf legend Tiger Woods and her presence at major political and sporting events.

In March, Tiger Woods publicly confirmed their relationship on social media with photos of the couple with the caption, "Love is in the air and life is better with you by my side!"

Despite her divorce from Donald Trump Jr. in 2018, she attended the 2025 presidential inauguration.

Val Kilmer

Actor Val Kilmer died in his sleep on April 1 at the age of 65. His daughter, Mercedes, confirmed the cause was complications from pneumonia.

Major figures in Hollywood paid tribute to him. Tom Cruise held a moment of silence for him at CinemaCon, calling him a "wonderful person to work with".

Pamela Anderson

In 2025, Pamela Anderson received her first-ever Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Motion Picture (Drama) for her role in The Last Showgirl. Her performance received widespread critical acclaim.

She also made a high-profile return to comedy, costarring with Liam Neeson in the reboot of The Naked Gun.

The couple fuelled dating rumours by appearing together at premieres. In December, Anderson confirmed they were "romantically involved for a short while" after filming concluded.

Anne Burrell

Anne Burrell died on June 17 at the age of 55. She was found in her Brooklyn home by her husband, Stuart Claxton.

The Medical Examiner later ruled her death a suicide caused by "acute intoxication."

She was honoured by peers, including Bobby Flay, Guy Fieri, and Rachael Ray. The Food Network aired a curated selection of episodes from shows she featured in to celebrate her legacy as a chef and teacher.

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