Every generation grows up with their own celebrities and big characters on TV and film, and they tend to stay with us for a very long time, even for the rest of our lives. The 80s were no exception and had some wonderfully vibrant and charismatic individuals, some real, some fictional, so let’s take a look at some of those that have stayed with us…
Dirty Den
[adunit mobile=”RTK_dVa8″]
The bad boy of Albert Square, Dirty Den was the original nasty soap character that all others since have aspired to!
Angie Watts
[adunit mobile=”RTK_wCZW”]
You can’t have Den without Angie, and the wife of Den could be just as nasty as he was, especially after a drink. They were as bad as each other really!
Sam Fox
[adunit mobile=”RTK_z9hm”]
The ultimate Page 3 girl of the time, Sam Fox was every teen boy’s fantasy and the reason why many people bought The Sun in the first place!
Anneka Rice
[adunit mobile=”RTK_dVa8″]
Every weekend, millions would tune in to see Challenge Anneka as she went on her obligatory treasure hunt!
Cilla Black
[adunit mobile=”RTK_wCZW”]
Surprise Surprise and Blind Date were classic shows of the era. They have both had recent reboots, but without Cilla at the helm they just aren’t the same!
J.R. Ewing
[adunit mobile=”RTK_z9hm”]
The centre of the ultimate Who Dunnit saga, J.R was the central character in the hit US program, Dallas, that ran for years and had millions of fans!
Michael Jackson
[adunit mobile=”RTK_dVa8″]
He was around for a long time before this, but the 80s were when Michael Jackson became the legend he was with the release of albums like Thriller.
Big Daddy
[adunit mobile=”RTK_wCZW”]
British wrestling was a massive thing in the 80s and the personalities didn’t come any bigger than the housewives’ favourite, Big Daddy!
Frank Bruno
[adunit mobile=”RTK_z9hm”]
The British boxer who had the infectious laugh and loved to call everyone “Harry”, one of the true nice guys in sport!
Diego Maradona
[adunit mobile=”RTK_dVa8″]
The Argentinian footballer who rose to fame and, indeed, infamy, with his “hand of God” goal against England in 1986.
Marty McFly
[adunit mobile=”RTK_wCZW”]
The main character in Back to the Future and one that has stayed with us all this time, everyone loves Marty!
Doc Brown
[adunit mobile=”RTK_z9hm”]
How can you have Marty McFly on the list without Doc Brown, his eccentric best friend and inventor of the time machine?
Darth Vader
[adunit mobile=”RTK_dVa8″]
He came to prominence in the 70s in the first Star Wars film, but it was in the 80s that we got “I am your father” and things changed big time!
E.T.
[adunit mobile=”RTK_wCZW”]
The pint-sized alien who captured the hearts of audiences around the World, we all had our fingers crossed that he would get home!
Bob Geldof
[adunit mobile=”RTK_z9hm”]
He was known as the lead singer of the The Boomtown Rats, but it was in the 80s that Geldof shot to stardom as the guy who started Band Aid and raised money for charity in a way that hadn’t been seen before!
Eddie Murphy
[adunit mobile=”RTK_dVa8″]
Murphy starred in a string of hit movies like Trading Places, Coming to America and Beverly Hills Cop and became a comedy legend in the process.
Jasper Carrott
[adunit mobile=”RTK_wCZW”]
The Brummie comedian, he was great on stand-up, great in The Detectives, and we all loved watching Carrott’s Commercial Breakdown!
Ben Elton
[adunit mobile=”RTK_z9hm”]
Not only was Ben Elton a wonderful comedian in his own right, but he wrote some amazing shows including The Young Ones and Blackadder.
Rik Mayall
[adunit mobile=”RTK_dVa8″]
He had a very distinctive voice and was perfectly cast in everything he starred in, whether it was The Young Ones, or Drop Dead Fred!
Del Boy
[adunit mobile=”RTK_wCZW”]
Possibly the greatest sit-com character ever created? Del Boy was the cheeky chappy who would do anything to get a quick quid, but as the years went on we found he really had a heart, too!
[adunit mobile=”RTK_z9hm”]
Who was your favourite 80s star, celebrity, crush, or character and why? Have we missed them off? Let us know all of your thoughts in the comments as always!