2025 Year in Review: What We Loved, What We Lost

As December draws to a close, I’m looking back (and frankly, with some side eye) at 2025. It’s been another intense 12 months, mostly dominated by Donnie Darko and his minions. From DJT’s daily nonsense to headline events like: the Air India crash, Hurricane Melissa devastating Jamaica, Gen Z overthrowing the Nepalese government, the Louvre museum heist, the Charlie Kirk shooting, the Brown university shooting, the Bondi Beach shooting, the steady march of fascism in the US, UK and Europe, Russia’s war with Ukraine, Israel’s ceasefire genocide in Gaza, ongoing massacres in Sudan and Congo, the US dropping missiles on Iran, Venezuela and Nigeria… it’s been relentless. 

We lost some great names in 2025 too: writers Jilly Cooper, Sareeta Domingo, Sophie Kinsella, Joanna Trollope, Tom Stoppard. Musicians D’Angelo, Angie Stone, Roberta Flack, Danielle Moore (Crazy P). Hollywood stars Robert Redford, Diane Keaton, Rob Reiner and his wife Michelle, Anas al-Sharif (one of more than 240 Palestinian journalists killed since October 2023) and so many more. So much loss.

2025 Year in Review: Arts, Culture & Entertainment

On a lighter note, my 2025 Year in Review is a (highly subjective) appraisal of the best arts and entertainment I consumed this year. I’ve narrowed each category down to my top 5 picks for movies, TV, documentaries, music, podcasts, books, restaurants, arts and culture, losers and heroes. Take a look and feel free to agree or fight me in the comments.

MOVIES

• Sinners
• One Battle After Another
• A Complete Unknown
• Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy
• The Long Walk

From the immersive Bob Dylan biopic, A Complete Unknown, to the surprisingly emotional comeback of Bridget Jones, it’s been a strong year for movies. I didn’t exactly bounce out of the cinema after The Long Walk but it did have me gripping my seat chair (and my husband’s arm).

I’m a longtime fan of director Paul Thomas Anderson and One Battle After Another is one of his best: a breathtaking collage of action, spectacle, humour, and standout performances. My film of the year was Ryan Coogler’s vampire epic, Sinners. I saw it 3 times in the cinema and I still can’t get enough! The soundtrack is an experience all on its own.

TV SERIES

• Forever
• Severance (S2)
• The Diplomat (S3)
• Adolescence
• The Celebrity Traitors

I was excited to hear Mara Brock Akil was adapting Judy Blume’s YA classic, Forever. Still, I couldn’t imagine how hard I would fall for this swoon-worthy, gorgeously written and beautifully acted teen drama. My husband and I binged the second season of Severance, a sci-fi puzzler that deserves all the awards.

The Diplomat just keeps getting sharper and funnier, with cracking dialogue and yet another jaw-dropping cliffhanger. Adolescence took the world by storm and stirred up important conversations about boys, masculinity, violence, social media and incel culture. The Celebrity Traitors was reality TV gold — I went from finding Alan Carr annoying to rooting for him all the way. What a ride and what a finale!

DOCUMENTARIES

• Sean Combs: The Reckoning
• Louis Theroux: The Settlers
• Exterminate All The Brutes
• Fire of Love
• Beastie Boys Story

Fire of Love (narrated by author/artist Miranda July), about a couple who dedicated their lives to documenting volcanoes, is incendiary and intimate in equal measure. Louis Theroux’s insider look at Israeli settlers helped shift the national mood towards more support for Palestine under occupation. Raoul Peck’s Exterminate All the Brutes is a heady, often horrifying dissection of colonialism’s heart of darkness and its legacy.

If you’re into hip hop, you should check out the Spike Jonze directed Beastie Boys Story. Part documentary, part live stage show, it’s brimming with nostalgia and myth-making. Follow up with the series on everyone’s lips aka Sean Combs: The Reckoning. Produced by 50 Cent (a Diddy hater since the 90s), it’s an eye-opening tale of power and exploitation and why we need to stop worshipping at the feet of false idols.

MUSIC

• D’Angelo (Live at Jazz Cafe)
• Lily Allen – West End Girl
• Dave – The Boy Who Played the Harp
• De La Soul – Cabin in the Sky
• Outkast – Stankonia 25th Anniversary 

I was listening to a Jill Scott playlist featuring D’Angelo when I heard the news of his death. I listen to his albums a lot anyway and he became my top played artist of the year. Still can’t believe he’s gone. De La Soul’s new album Cabin in the Sky and Outkast’s 25th anniversary release of Stankonia kept me bumping at my desk. UK rapper Dave blessed us with his latest masterpiece, The Boy Who Played the Harp. Also vying for album of the year was Lily Allen’s blistering, deeply personal and widely discussed album/musical memoir, West End Girl. 

PODCASTS

• Fela Kuti: Fear No Man
• What Now? with Trevor Noah (and Ta-Nehisi Coates)
• London Writers Salon
• To Be A Boy
• In Proximity with Jordan Peele & Ryan Coogler

I love listening to podcasts (and audiobooks) whether pottering around the house, out on a walk, or drifting off to sleep. This year, my favourites were London Writers Salon (I especially loved the episode with Salena Godden) and Trevor Noah chatting with Ta-Nehisi Coates about his book The Message and its reception.

I was invited as a guest on some great podcasts including the fantastic, chart-topping To Be A Boy with Joeli Brearley and Elliott Rae. I also really enjoyed hearing filmmakers Jordan Peele (Get Out) and Ryan Coogler (Sinners) in conversation on In Proximity. The podcast I’d recommend any music fan to drop everything and tune in for is Fela Kuti: Fear No Man, an in-depth look at the life and times of the late, great Afrobeat maverick Fela. Sensational.

BOOKS

• Butter by Asako Yuzuki
• Adam by Gboyega Odubanjo
• The Persians by Sanam Mahloudji
• Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor
• The Wedding People by Alison Espach

My 2025 reading roundup will be out soon, but these are 5 books that deserve special mention. Butter, an exquisitely written blend of crime novel and food journal full of intriguing characters, mouthwatering descriptions, and lots of social commentary to chew on. Gboyega Odubanjo’s eerie, ethereal, TS Eliot Prize-nominated poetry collection, Adam (published posthumously). The Persians, a rollicking read about 5 generations of Iranian women at home and abroad. Nnedi Okorafor’s speculative novel Death of the Author boldly takes on identity, disability, AI, and creativity in a post-apocalyptic age. And The Wedding People, Alison Espach’s million copy-selling tale of second chance life and romance was a joy to read.

RESTAURANTS

• Pitanga
• Poon’s at Somerset House
• The Tamil Prince
• Papa L’s Kitchen
• Little Baobab at The Africa Centre

My 2025 restaurant picks lean heavily towards my favourite foods ie African and Asian. My friend Nomita and I had been counting down the days to the launch of my school friend Amy Poon’s restaurant at Somerset House. It was such a treat to visit when it finally opened — the wontons are to die for. The Tamil Prince is always over-booked but I finally made it there and it was worth the wait.

We had a tasty dinner at The Africa Centre’s restaurant Little Baobab. For more West African cuisine (think Gambian fusion), swing by Papa L’s Kitchen and try their BBQ lamb and Ma’s Benachin rice. Yum! Finally, we enjoyed one last meal at my cousin’s restaurant Pitanga. It’s been a West London staple for several years, earning a reputation as Idris Elba’s favourite. It’s such a shame that she’s closed shop but I’m excited to see what Nky does next!

ARTS & CULTURE

• Much Ado About Nothing
• Unity Cup
• Retrograde 
• Hip Hop – Living A Dream at Saatchi Gallery
• Looks Delicious at Japan House

2025 was another big year for London arts and culture (you can find my reviews and listings across the blog). One of my top theatre picks was Retrograde, by Ryan Calais-Cameron (For Black Boys), an imaginary take on a real life scenario involving Hollywood icon Sidney Poitier. I also adored the sexy and delightful Much Ado About Nothing starring Tom Hiddleston and Hayley Atwell. Exhibition wise, the Saatchi Gallery’s Hip Hop – Living a Dream was a proper throwback to the birth of hip hop culture.

My niece and I couldn’t get over the food replica art in Looks Delicious at Japan House. So lifelike. And while I didn’t make it to AFCON in Marrakech, I did get to see Nigeria win the Unity Cup. It’s a friendly London football tournament between Nigeria, Ghana, Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago. Good times, great vibes.

LOSERS

• DJT vs the Epstein files
• Unite the Kingdom
• Andrew 
• Anthropic
• Coldplay kiss cam couple (former tech company Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and former Head of HR Kristin Cabot)

Could there be a bigger loser than DJT and his handling of what he likes to call the ‘Epstein hoax’? No, there couldn’t. Also lining up for this year’s most epic fail: the Coldplay kiss cam couple (oops) and the Andrew no longer known as Prince. As an author, I was happy to see Anthropic hit with a $1.5 billion payout to writers whose books have been pilfered by AI. Hopefully it’s the start of more compensation and protection for our creative work.

Speaking of losers, the “Unite the Kingdom” march gathered “patriots” from around the country in the UK’s largest ever far-right, anti-immigrant, pro-racism rally. It was another shocking reminder of how agenda-pushers continue to weaponise vulnerable communities and why racism must be challenged at all levels of society, starting with our kids.

HEROES

• Zohran Mamdani
• Francesca Albanese
• Ms Rachel
• The Lionesses
• Munya Chawawa and Black Boys Theatre Club

Once again, the Lionesses showed the men how it’s done. After watching Arsenal win the Women’s Champions League (COYG), the Women’s Euros had me leaping off the sofa and punching the air. Another winner that had me grinning from ear to ear was New York Mayor (and super smiler) Zohran Mamdani who ran on a campaign for the people, built on hope. Something we desperately need in these times.

I’m continually inspired by the bravery of kids’ entertainer Ms Rachel and UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese who have been constant voices for Gaza despite political backlash. Special mention goes to comedian Munya Chawawa who’s used his platform to champion inclusivity by launching the Black Boys Theatre Club.

My Year in Review: Life, Love, Legacy and Literature

Yes, it’s been a full year and especially busy in my personal life. In 2025, I celebrated my 20 year wedding anniversary, my mother-in-law’s 80th birthday, my eldest turning 19 and my youngest hitting 16. It was also a GCSE year, which he prepared for while making a dozen hospital visits in recovery from his emergency leg surgery last November. 2025 marked 10 years since we buried our mum and 21 years since we buried our dad. I can’t believe how much time has passed and I’m so grateful for everything they gave us in terms of culture, memories, storytelling and legacy.

In 2025, I delivered over a dozen talks including festival appearances at Forthwrite Festival, Wilderness, GladFest at Gladstone’s Library and Folkestone Book Festival. Usually, I’m booked out through Black History Month. This year was much quieter in a ‘post-DEI’ era and yet we need diversity, equity and inclusion now more than ever.

2026 has been declared a National Year of Reading and I was thrilled to judge 3 literary competitions in 2025: the Story in Nature Prize for kids’ writing (in association with The Week Junior Science & Nature magazine), the Children’s Wainwright Prize for Fiction (as Judging Chair), and The Week Junior Book Awards.

This year also marked 5 years since the publication of my first book Bringing Up Race. It was amazing to look back on my author journey so far, while making progress on my next book. I was also excited to launch my creative writing consultancy Write with UJU — sign up for announcements on my upcoming writing workshops.

As always, I have big plans for 2026 but I’m pacing myself as we enter the Year of the Horse. More trot, less gallop. Wishing you and your loved ones a very Happy New Year.