1. For which role did Heath Ledger win a posthumous Oscar?

2. Which comedy duo received a BAFTA Fellowship at this year’s ceremony?

3. Who became the first female artist to ever win three awards in the same year at the Brit Awards?

4. Which Irish author won the Costa Book of the Year Award for his novel The Secret Scripture?

5. A team from which university scored just 15 points in University Challenge – the worst score since 1971 and the second lowest of all time?

6. Which renowned US novelist and author of The Witches of Eastwick, died at the age of 76?

7. Which Sussex-born singer, who had a string of hits in the 1970s, became an Australian citizen, saying the country has given him a new lease of life?

8. Who was axed from the BBC’s The One Show after being accused of racist remarks?

9. Which Londoner won the public vote and was chosen to sing Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Eurovision Song Contest entry for the UK in Moscow?

10. Which best-selling writer, whose great-grandfather was French, received France’s highest civilian award, knight of the Legion of Honour, in Paris?

11. Which East London comedian was fined for smashing a mobile phone belonging to an audience member during a stand-up gig because he was angry that someone might be stealing his material?

12. A TV advert for the DVD release of which Angelina Jolie film was banned by the Advertising Standards Authority for glorifying gun use?

13. Which US actor’s wife and mother of his seven children filed for divorce after 28 years of marriage?

14. Which legendary record producer was found guilty of second-degree murder in Los Angeles?

15. What, according to a chart compiled for BBC Radio 2, emerged as the most played song in public places in the last 75 years?

16. Which US chatshow host apologised on air for sexual indiscretions after a blackmail plot was revealed?

17. Which winner of the talent show Any Dream Will Do married TV presenter Denise Van Outen?

18. Who won best entertainment performer at the BAFTA TV Awards for the second year in a row?

19. Which Oscar-winning actor became the first person to receive the Freedom of County Wicklow?

20. Who received a lifetime achievement honour at the British Soap Awards?

21. Who picked up two prizes – the Entertainment Award and Music Radio Personality of the Year – at the Sony Radio Academy Awards?

22. Which 34-year-old TV personality was named as the UK’s latest Chief Scout, the youngest to date?

23. Who won a $5m (£3.3m) out-of-court settlement from US clothing firm American Apparel after they used his image on billboards without consent?

24. Which leading British composer, whose works include Odyssey and the opera Sophie’s Choice, died in Washington DC, at the age of 73?

25. Which veteran broadcaster was reunited with his famous red velvet armchair bought on eBay by a conference and exhibition hall named after the 82-year-old?

26. The advertising watchdog cleared a TV advert with which singer on a bike after complaints that she didn’t have reflective clothing or lights?

27. Why did X-Factor judge Louis Walsh miss the first results show of the 2009 series in October?

28. Who is the famous father of debuting feature film-maker Duncan Jones whose film Moon had its international premiere at the 2009 Edinburgh Film Festival?

29. Which Charlie Chaplin song did Jermaine Jackson sing at the memorial service for Michael Jackson?

30. Where did a Sgt Pepper souvenir poster bearing the signatures of all four Beatles sell for $52,500 (£31,720) at a pop memorabilia auction?

31. Which 75-year-old announced his last role on stage, playing one of the lead characters in Samuel Beckett’s Endgame in London’s West End?

32. Who was dropped from supermarket Iceland’s advertising campaigns following newspaper allegations about her private life?

33. Which band announced hidden golden tickets to the Reading and Leeds Festivals inside two copies of their single Crying Lightning?

34. The 16-year-old Watford ballet dancer Natalie Carter became only the fourth British dancer to be given a place at which elite academy?

35. Who became the oldest living artist to enter the top 20 of the UK album chart, at the age of 92?

36. Which former chatshow host of the swinging sixties, whose voice was the first to be heard on Radio Caroline in 1964, died, aged 74?

37. Channel 4 announced that Big Brother will end in 2010 after how many series?

38. Which football club executive is to replace Margaret Mountford as an adviser to Lord Sugar on TV show The Apprentice?

39. The animation directors of which studios won the Venice Film Festival’s lifetime achievement award – the first team to be given the honour?

40. Which rising hip-hop star won the prestigious Mercury Music Prize for the best British album of the year for her debut album Speech Therapy?

41. Which show won the Emmy for best TV drama for the second year running?

42. Which last remaining original and founding member of the Sugababes quit, claiming that it was not her decision to leave the successful pop group?

43. Who took over the BBC Radio One mid-morning show from Jo Whiley?

44. The BBC announced the new Doctor Who to succeed David Tennant, and he will be the youngest to play the title role – who is he?

45. Who became the new host of Countdown and what’s the name of Carol Vorderman’s replacement?

46. Why were Corpus Christi College, Oxford, disqualified as champions of the 2009 series of University Challenge, with runners-up, the University of Manchester, declared champions in their place?

47. Who quit as host of Never Mind The Buzzcocks after holding that position since 2006?

48. Who replaced Arlene Phillips as one of the judges on Strictly Come Dancing?

49. Who bowed out as presenter on This Morning after 10 years, leaving Holly Willoughby to team up with Phillip Schofield?

50. Which TV presenter confirmed that she will run for Parliament in the Luton South constituency at the next General Election?.

Answers 1 Best Supporting Actor in The Dark Knight; 2 Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders; 3 Duffy; 4 Sebastian Barry; 5 Exeter; 6 John Updike; 7 Leo Sayer; 8 Carol Thatcher; 9 Jade Ewen; 10 Harry Potter author JK Rowling; 11 Lee Hurst; 12 Wanted; 13 Mel Gibson’s; 14 Phil Spector; 15 Procol Harum’s A Whiter Shade of Pale; 16 David Letterman; 17 Lee Mead; 18 Harry Hill; 19 Daniel Day-Lewis; 20 Barbara Windsor; 21 Chris Evans; 22 Bear Grylls; 23 Woody Allen; 24 Nicholas Maw; 25 Sir Jimmy Savile; 26 Duffy; 27 He was shocked by news of the death of Stephen Gately; 28 David Bowie; 29 Smile; 30 Christie’s, New York; 31 Richard Briers (although he later pulled out of the production); 32 Kerry Katona; 33 Arctic Monkeys; 34 Bolshoi Ballet Academy in Russia; 35 Dame Vera Lynn; 36 Simon Dee; 37 Eleven; 38 Karren Brady; 39 Pixar; 40 Speech Debelle; 41 Mad Men; 42 Keisha Buchanan; 43 Fearne Cotton; 44 Matt Smith; 45 Jeff Stelling and Rachel Riley; 46 One of their contestants was found to no longer be a student; 47 Simon Amstell; 48 Alesha Dixon; 49 Fern Britton; 50 Esther Rantzen.