From Planet Earth II to the Olympics: 7 reasons why 2016 wasn't all that bad

Rachael Sigee gives us a handful of reasons to smile 
Team GB's Laura Trott with her two Gold Olympic medals
PA
Rachael Sigee19 December 2016

There were some glimmers of light this year amid the chaos.

These are the moments to preserve when we all erase this year from our brains in the style of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

Tim Peake

The first British astronaut to go to the International Space Station (and second to go into space, after Helen Sharman), Peake wowed the nation on a near-daily basis as he space-walked, ran the London Marathon, presented a Brit Award and accidentally dialled the wrong number, calling a grandmother in West Sussex and asking “Hello, is this planet Earth?” before she hung up on him.

Mission: The astronaut spent a six-month journey in space.
PA

Sadiq Khan

On the charm offensive with everyone’s favourite Canadian, Justin Trudeau, launching the Night Tube and currently managing to negotiate which MPs’ comments to endorse and which to condemn, the Mayor has been keeping things classy this year. On top of all of that, he still finds time for the occasional selfie.

Iceland

While England spent Euro 2016 looking about as enthusiastic as a Labour MP answering questions about Corbyn, Iceland’s football team started a new craze for Viking chants, were toppling giants (ahem...England) and winning our hearts.

That giant moth that landed on Cristiano Ronaldo during the final against France and launched a thousand spoof Twitter accounts also deserves a shout-out.

Iceland: in pictures

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Andy Murray winning Wimbledon (and SPOTY)

The last two weeks in June used to be reserved for a good old classic British whinge. Underperforming at Wimbledon (in terms of both the actual tennis and summer weather) was kind of our thing. Until one determined Scot arrived with a furrowed brow, a dry sense of humour and a killer return shot. Murray’s second conquering of SW19 was an almost seamless display of power and technique. He got our hopes up and, for once, rewarded them.

(Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
Getty Images

The Olympics and Paralympics

Both Team GB and Paralympics GB leapfrogged their London medal tallies this year. Spectacular performances by Laura Trott and Jason Kenny boggled the cycling world again (and raised the possibility that the couple’s offspring might just conquer us all). At the Paralympics, Kadeena Cox won medals in both cycling and sprinting and Adam Peaty made breaststroke cool.

Jeremy Selwyn

Planet Earth II

If that baby iguana could escape those sand snakes, there is hope for us all. Sure, there was the spectre of climate change looming over this year’s series but Sunday nights became a truly delightful journey, sweeping from Madagascan locust swarms to dancing grizzly bears and the humble red fox (left).

Ed Balls

Reality TV took over politics and politicians took over reality TV. At the start of the year the thought of Balls gyrating in a turquoise tux jacket and thrusting in the direction of Craig Revel Horwood would probably have been on the banned list. But as it turned out, the former shadow chancellor’s time on Strictly Come Dancing was just the tonic we needed.

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