The most read People stories of 2015

From the man who hiked up the price of a HIV treating drug by 5,000 per cent to a 14-year old Muslim schoolboy who’s homework was suspected of being a bomb.

Paltrow's unconventional female hygiene advice came in 2015

A variety of people featured in our most-read people stories of 2015.

For some it was a case of continuing to make headlines, for others they only became household names after hitting the headlines (eg. Martin Shkreli or Ahmed Mohamed).

The popularity of some of these stories are often due to how unusual they are, such as Malia Obama's first selfie sparking a security alert.

The reaction to Mia Khalifa, an American adult actress born in Lebanon, becoming the most searched for actress on a leading adult film site became one of our most visited stories when Khalifa began challenging her abusers.

But Gwyneth Paltrow's ‘unique’ holistic practices on Goop and Kanye West storming yet another stage were stories that left a sense of deja vu in the reader’s mind, yet continue to be read.

Here are a selection of our most read stories from 2015.

Mia Khalifa, January 2015

One of our most popular people stories was that of Lebanese-born Mia Khalifa, the most popular adult actress on Pornhub.

Khalifa's place at the top of the chart saw her subject to death threats and heavy scrutiny from people who accused her of bringing shame on Lebanon. But she refused to be shunned by her critics and instead fired back with a few choice responses of her own, shutting the trolls down.

Adult actress Mia Khalifa says received death threats after being ranked number one by Porn Hub.

Malia Obama, January 2015

Obama’s eldest daughter triggered a security alert by doing what Millennials do best: taking selfies.

Her selfie was somehow leaked online by the rapper Joey Bada$$, the lead rapper of the Pro Era collective - who’s logo was emblazoned the t-shirt Malia was wearing.

The selfie that is reported to have triggered a White House security probe (Pro Era/Instagram)

Gwyneth Paltrow, January 2015

After seven years of Goop, the world is becoming accustomed to Paltrow’s very alternative lifestyle advice.

But the website proved its ability to still shock readers with advice in January when it advised women to “steam out their vaginas” for a powerful cleanse.

Gynaecologists were quick to counter the advice, warning: “Steam is probably not good for your vagina. Herbal steam is no better and quite possibly worse.”

Kanye West, February 2015

In February, Kanye West pulled a Kanye West and stormed the stage as Beck collected his grammy.

At first, it all seemed like a terrible play on the infamous Taylor Swift incident - until West declared Beyoncé should have won the gong.

But Beck had no qualms with being overshadowed by West and said he was just so “excited” to have him join the stage.

(Getty)

Zayn Malik, March 2015

In devastating news for many One Direction fans, Malik did a Robbie Williams and quit the world’s most popular boy band.

The decision came after tabloid speculation over a photograph of Malik with a woman in Thailand. The singer said in a statement he wanted to be a “normal 22-year-old” when announcing his departure.

This shock departure was too much to take for a section of the UK workforce, over 220 calls were made by workers asking for compassionate leave following the news.

Malik left the successful group in March 2015 (Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

Patrick Stewart, June 2015

The veteran’s actors support of a Northern Irish bakery who lost a lawsuit after refusing to bake a cake with a message endorsing gay marriage equality came as a surprise to many.

Stewart waded into the heated topic during a Newsnight appearance by defending the right to object to something they personally find offensive on the grounds of personal freedom.

His unexpected stance followed many years of support and campaigning on behalf of the LGBT community. In a Facebook post afterwards, he clarified the position in which he said his remarks were intended to highlight the importance of both equality and freedom of speech as well as fundamental rights.

Ahmed Mohamed, September 2015

The story of an enthusiastic 14-year-old Muslim schoolboy who was arrested after his teacher mistook a homemade digital clock to be a bomb caught the attention of politicians, CEOs and social media.

The hashtag #IStandWithAhmed went viral, President Obama invited him to the White House and complimented his ‘cool clock’ while Facebook, Google and Twitter offered him internships.

Ahmed’s family reportedly later sued the local Texan mayor and police chief for $15million compensation.

Martin Shkreli, September 2015

This young millionaire hedge fund ex-CEO was dubbed ‘the most hated man on the internet’ after it was revealed he’d hiked the price of HIV-treating drugs by 5,000 per cent.

He refused to apologise despite being criticised by virtually everyone, including Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, before eventually succumbing to pressure and agreeing to lower the cost. It was then revealed he’d broken his pledge to reduce the price.

His former company Turing Pharmaceuticals suffered a quarterly loss of $15million in the wake of the scandal.

Justin Bieber. October 2015

With Bieber’s anticipated return to the music industry came the onslaught of media attention, with one incident raising important questions about right to privacy.

After being papped in the nude while holidaying in Bora Bora, Bieber’s lawyers issued a warning to media outlets asking them to stop reproducing the image. The photo agency responsible for the images hit back and claimed there was “no invasion of privacy” despite Bieber claiming he felt “super violated” by the pictures.

The case was the first of its kind since outrage over topless photographs of Kate Middleton surfaced in a French magazine in 2013.

Essena O'Neill, November 2015

In the age of social media - where jealousy reigns and ‘#lifegoals’ are made, one model dispelled the fake image of Instagram.

O’Neill exposed the dark side of blogging in an emotional Youtube video disclaiming ‘social media isn’t real’ and revealed the time, manipulation and advertising involved in creating the perfect Instagram account.

The 19-year-old came across as normal and relatable which could be used to explain why the story struck such a chord.

But, was it all as it seems? Friends of the star claimed the move was a hoax while others questioned whether the act was all a marketing ploy.

Katie Hopkins, November 2015

In a rare occurrence, the columnist was left stumbling for words after students from Brunel University staged a mass walk-out as soon as she started speaking in protest of her inclusion on the panel.

Hopkins inevitably responded by criticising the students for “conforming to one way of thinking” in a column for the Daily Mail, not considering that a group of like-minded students may just have objected to hearing someone speak who compared refugees to cockroaches.

Video footage displaying people standing up to Hopkins ultimately proved popular after a year marked with controversy for the television personality.