Most memorable moments of 2022 including Will Smith slapping Chris Rock, Harry Styles’ spitgate and more

2022 has been a memorable year for many reasons. It’s the first full year in the UK without Coronavirus restrictions since the start of the pandemic,  it was also 12 months which saw no less than three Prime Ministers in the top spot at Number 10, and, of course, it was the year the UK and Commonwealth lost their longest serving monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, replaced by her son, King Charles III.

As always, the entertainment industry provided many memorable moments too. We were treated to ‘spit gate’ in which a strange illusion gave off the impression that Harry Styles spat on Chris Pine. That incident occurred at the Venice Film Festival but was one of many controversial moments surrounding  the movie ‘Don’t Worry Darling’, featuring Styles and Marvel star Florence Pugh.

When November rolled around, we were treated to one of the nation’s most loved shows, I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here. The lineup included former Health Secretary and serving MP, Matt Hancock, alongside Mike Tindall, husband of the Queen’s eldest granddaughter Zara.

Later in the year, Halloween’s trick or treat (depending on how you view it) came in the form of Heidi Klum once again pulling out all of the stops for her costume. To the surprise and perhaps revulsion of fans across the world, the model was transformed into a terrifying worm before being interviewed laying on the floor.

SO, without further ado, here are the most memorable moments from 2022 that left the world shocked, entertained, or just downright bemused.

Will Smith slaps Chris Rock

During the 94th Academy Awards back in March, Will Smith walked on stage and struck comedian Chris Rock after he made a joke regarding Smith’s wife Jada Pinkett-Smith and her alopecia. Regarded as ‘slapgate’, Smith was banned from attending any Academy Award event or ceremony for 10 years.

Liam Payne’s strange accent

Sticking with slap gate, former One Direction star Liam Payne was giving his thoughts on the incident and appeared to speak in a number of accents including Irish and American. Being born in Wolverhampton, his accent left the internet confused.

Olivia Wilde being served legal documents on stage

Wilde split from father of her children Jason Sudeikis in 2020. Back in May, whilst promoting a new film on stage she was handed a mysterious envelope. According to various reports, the contents were custody papers from Sudeikis.

Harry Styles and Chris Pine ‘Spit Gate’

Back in September, during the Venice Film Festival, we saw the premiere of the film ‘Don’t Worry Darling’. The cast included big names such as Harry Styles, Chris Pine and Florence Pugh. During the premiere, the internet went into meltdown when Styles appeared to spit on Pine. A spokesperson for the Star Trek and Wonder Woman actor said at the time it was "a complete fabrication and the result of an odd online illusion that is clearly deceiving and allows for foolish speculation".

Heidi Klum’s Halloween outfit

Most celebrities go all out for Halloween, but Heidi Klum is in a league of her own. This year, she celebrated the holiday in a terrifying worm costume. Interviewed at her 21st Halloween party at Sake No Hana, she was lying down, barely able to speak or move, and the whole ordeal was quite unsettling.