Countdown to Christmas 2015: Best meltdowns of the year
Big, important news events often engenders spectacular meltdowns in response and 2015 certainly saw its fair share of strops.
From politicians' car-crash interviews, political parties descending into civil war, the collapse of champions or assaults over a steak, there were plenty of run-for-the-hills type moments. And more than a few where we enjoyed the show.
Here are some of our favourite blow-ups and meltdowns of 2015.
Donald Trump
What would appear to be a career-ruining meltdown for any another politician, Donald Trump has turned into a catalyst for popularity in his controversial run to be the Republican candidate for president of the United States.
Trump's various outbursts started ugly (referring to Mexicans as "rapists") and have only got uglier, most recently in his call for a "total and complete shutdown" of Muslim immigration into the country.
Despite repeatedly losing his cool – Trump has had pesky journalists kicked out of press conferences and even appeared to make fun of the disability of another, and yesterday toys were thrown out of the pram over his battle with the Scottish government – he comfortably leads the polls in the G.O.P primary despite near universal condemnation from those outside the party.
Natalie Bennett
Like any other general election year, there were plenty of mishaps and mistakes from politicians to pick over, but the most excruciating interview of many arguable came from leader of the Greens Natalie Bennett on LBC.
Stutters, lengthy pauses, constant coughing and, of course, utter inability to provide a straight answer to a relatively simple question – this interview had it all. Bennett put it down to a “mental brain fade”, simply saying: “it happens”.
Read more: The losers of 2015
Jeremy Clarkson
All for a steak, Jeremy? Really? Rumour has it the lack of nice slab of meat for dinner was the cause of Jeremy Clarkson's meltdown on the Top Gear set that led to his eventual dismissal from the popular show and the BBC.
Clarkson was found guilty of "a physical altercation accompanied by sustained and prolonged verbal abuse of an extreme nature" of producer Oisin Tymon by the BBC who stripped him from the role of Top Gear presenter.
It all turned out ok in the end though, as the trio were quickly snapped up by Amazon to make a "very, very, very expensive" show according to boss Jeff Bezos and Tymon was given a perhaps more accommodating presenter to work with in Chris Evans.
Read more: The winners of 2015
Chelsea
The first five months of 2015 were pretty good going for Chelsea, who cruised to their fifth league title.
But those days seem like a long time ago now following the Champions' staggering collapse this season: The worst ever title defence in Premier League history leaves Jose Mourinho's men only a point above the relegation zone a fortnight into September.
Whether it's Diego Costa, Cesc Fabregas or Nemanja Matic, Chelsea's stars across the board have seen their form plummet while the team's results keep plumbing new depths – a 1-0 home loss to Bournemouth last weekend was arguably their worst result yet.
The tone for this season’s meltdown was set early on, however, when Mourinho seemed to wildly overreact to team doctor Eva Carneiro's decision to enter the pitch to treat an injured player in the first game.
Labour
Like Chelsea, Labour appeared to be on the right path as recently as May. Poll figures suggested Ed Miliband would push the Tories all the way at the general election.
Yet from 10pm on May 7th, when the devastating exit polls for Labour were revealed, things have been a bit more rocky.
Read more: Labour's lost it
The party's far-left wing probably couldn't have hoped for a better few months following the election of Jeremy Corbyn as leader. But the broader picture doesn't look so rosy: a party at war with itself over some pretty fundamental issues, Chairman Mao-inspired gaffes, a shadow City minister who doesn't come to the City and some pretty damning poll numbers.
This tweet from Andy Burnham's leadership campaign team, sent immediately after Corbyn won the Labour leadership, somewhat summed it up:
Students
Students have always reacted strongly to pressing issues of the day, but have historically allied their angst with fundamental struggles such as the civil rights movement or anti-apartheid campaigns.
In 2015, however, a common cause célèbre was the issue of safe spaces and the no-platforming of potentially divisive speakers ranging from feminist writers such as Julie Bindel, Maryam Namazie and Germaine Greer to Macer Gifford, a former UCL student who fought Isis with the Kurdish YPG group was banned from giving a talk because the student union "wanted to avoid taking sides in conflict".
Across, the pond the phenomenon manifested itself most notably at Yale where hundreds of students campaigned – angrily (see the video below) against faculty members Erika and Nicolas Christakis for not sufficiently policing their Halloween costumes for potential offence.