Woohoo! Points! Lets congratulate Mark W. For correctly guessing  that Ted Turner would pass away this year. 63 points awarded. I think we can award Jake Hall the stupidest death of the year as well. Head-butting hard things whilst off his head on drugs seems such a waste. 

Look Who You Could Have Had:

• Doris F. Fisher, 94, American businesswoman (Gap Inc.).   
• Claire Maurier, 97, French actress (La Cage aux Folles, Amélie, A Bad Son). 
• Jonathan Tiersten, 60, American actor (Sleepaway Camp, Return to Sleepaway Camp).  
• Jake Hall, 35, British model, reality television star (The Only Way Is Essex), head injury.  
• Ted Turner, 87, American media proprietor (CNN) and sports team owner (Atlanta Braves), founder of Turner Broadcasting System, complications from Lewy body dementia. 
• Betty Broderick, 78, American convicted murderer. 

In Other News

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani has been released from intensive care and continues recovering in the hospital after being admitted last Sunday with pneumonia. Giuliani, 81, was hospitalised after becoming ill while returning from a trip to Paris, according to his doctor, Maria Ryan. His condition reportedly worsened rapidly, leading doctors to place him on a ventilator. A priest also administered last rites, according to those close to the former mayor. By Tuesday Giuliani was breathing and speaking on his own and was transferred from the intensive care unit to a standard hospital room. Spokesman Ted Goodman said complications may have been linked to restrictive airway disease Giuliani developed years after his response to the September 11th terrorist attacks while serving as mayor of New York City. According to the CDC, restrictive lung disease limits the lungs’ ability to fully expand, reducing oxygen intake and causing shortness of breath. “This condition adds complications to any respiratory illness, and the virus quickly overwhelmed his body, requiring mechanical ventilation to maintain adequate oxygen and stabilise his condition,” Goodman said. “The mayor and his family appreciate the outpouring of love and prayers sent his way,” Goodman said in a social media update Wednesday. Sadly Giuliani is expected to make a full recovery. 

Bonnie Tyler is in a medically induced coma after being rushed to a hospital in Portugal. “Bonnie has been put into an induced coma by her Doctors to aid her recovery. We know that you all wish her well and ask for privacy at this difficult time please,” a statement from Tyler’s manager reads. “We will issue a further statement when we are able to.” On Wednesday, the singers official website and social media pages revealed her hospitalisation. “We are very sorry to announce that Bonnie has been admitted to hospital in Faro, Portugal, where she has a home, for emergency intestinal surgery,” the statement read. “The surgery went well, and she is now recuperating. We know that all of her family, friends, and fans will be concerned about this news and will be wishing her well for a full and swift recovery.” Tyler, whose real name is Gaynor Hopkins, achieved international fame in the 1980s with the release of her single Total Eclipse Of The Heart, which shot to the top of the charts in the UK and US. Recognisable for her husky voice, Tyler has released many hit songs over the years including Holding Out For A Hero, It’s A Heartache and If You Were A Woman (And I Was A Man). The Grammy-nominated star is due to tour Europe later this year to mark 50 years since the release of her 1976 breakthrough hit Lost In France, which entered the charts across Europe.  

The British wife of a death row inmate screamed “I love you” before her husband was executed for a fatal shooting he claimed he didn’t commit. James Broadnax, 37, was pronounced dead on Thursday after a dose of lethal injection in Huntsville, around 70 miles north of Houston, Texas. Broadnax had said prosecutors misused rap lyrics he wrote to secure his death sentence. His emotional British wife, named in various reports as Tiana Krasniqi, screamed “I love you” before Broadnax stopped breathing. During the execution, she leaned up to the death chamber window with arms spread and had to be helped out of the prison. Earlier in the day, the US Supreme Court had denied a request by Broadnax’s attorneys to stop his execution. He was convicted for the fatal 2008 shootings of two men outside a Dallas music studio. Prosecutors said he and his cousin, Demarius Cummings, had shot and robbed Stephen Swan and Matthew Butler in the parking lot of Butler’s recording studio in Garland. Cummings was sentenced to life without parole. In his final statement, Broadnax protested his innocence but asked for forgiveness from the victims’ relatives, some of whom, including the parents of each of the victims, were present. He said: “I prayed to God for your forgiveness. Despite what you think about me, I hope to God that prayer was answered. But no matter what you think about me, Texas got it wrong. I’m innocent. The facts of my case should speak for itself. Period.” As the lethal dose of the sedative, pentobarbital, began, Broadnax urged his supporters to keep fighting, saying “don’t give up”. He was stopped in the middle of another sentence by a gasp. He also shook his head briefly and all movement stopped, before he was pronounced dead 21 minutes later. Prosecutors said he had confessed to the shooting and told reporters during jailhouse interviews that “I pulled the trigger” and that he had no remorse. Broadnax was the tenth person put to death in the US this year, and the third in Texas, which has historically held more executions than any other state. Since Texas abolished the traditional last meal in 2011, Broadnax did not receive a special last meal.

On This Day

• 1849 – Astor Place Riot: A riot breaks out at the Astor Opera House in Manhattan, New York City over a dispute between actors Edwin Forrest and William Charles Macready, killing at least 22 and injuring over 120. 
• 1872 – Victoria Woodhull becomes the first woman nominated for President of the United States. 
• 1940 – Winston Churchill is appointed Prime Minister of the United Kingdom following the resignation of Neville Chamberlain. On the same day, Germany invades France, The Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg. 
• 1962 – Marvel Comics publishes the first issue of The Incredible Hulk. 
• 1975 – Sony introduces the Betamax videocassette recorder.

Deaths

• 1977 – Joan Crawford, American actress (year of birth disputed).
• 1994 – John Wayne Gacy, American serial killer (born 1942).  
• 2010 – Frank Frazetta, American illustrator and painter (born 1928).

Last Week’s Birthdays

Meg Foster (78), Sally Phillips (56), Bono (66), Grace Gummer (40), Rosario Dawson (47), Stephen Amell (45), David Attenborough (100), Vicky McClure (43), Alexander Ludwig (34), MrBeast (28), Richard O’Sullivan (82), George Clooney (65), Adrianne Palicki (43), Gabourey Sidibe (43), Henry Cavill (43), John Rhys-Davies (82), Richard E. Grant (69), Lance Henriksen (86), Zach McGowan (46), Michael Palin (83), and Will Arnett (56),

Alas, no points to award this week, but plenty to read on this damp, sunny, rainy, hot and cold bank holiday weekend.  

Look Who You Could Have Had:

• Dion Anderson, 87, American actor (The Shawshank Redemption, Days of Our Lives, Townies). 
• Tony Wilson, 89, Trinidadian musician (Hot Chocolate) and songwriter (“Brother Louie“, “You Sexy Thing“).
• Gerry Conway, 73, American comic book writer (The Amazing Spider-Man, Punisher, Justice League), pancreatic cancer. 
• Nedra Talley, 80, American singer (The Ronettes). 
• Roger Sweet, 91, American toy designer (Mattel), creator of He-Man, complications from dementia. 
• J. Craig Venter, 79, American genomics researcher, founder of Celera Corporation and JCVI, complications from cancer 
• Gwen Farrell, 94, American actress (M*A*S*H) and boxing referee. 
• James Ernest Hitchcock, 70, American convicted murderer, execution by lethal injection. 
• Alex Zanardi, 59, Italian racing driver (CART, Formula One) and para-cyclist, four-time Paralympic champion.
• Gary Lydon, 61, Irish actor (The Banshees of Inisherin, The Clinic, Pure Mule).

In Other News

A notorious fraudster wanted by the Met has died after falling from a window in the capital. Swindler Karl Cronin was found fatally injured on the pavement along the King’s Road in Chelsea, west London. It is believed he fell out of a second-storey window, although police do not suspect third-party involvement. The Flying Monkeys have been told the victim was Cronin, who was wanted by police over his role in a large-scale multi-million-pound property scam. He was even the subject of a police appeal on BBC series Crimewatch in 2008, as detectives sought to question the elusive criminal. It is not known how the fraudster was able to return to London under the noses of the Met. One friend said: ‘He did a lot of bad things in his life and destroyed many, many lives. He lived through lies and deceit and he had a ruthless streak. All he cared about was money, dating young women, and having a good time. It did not matter who got hurt along the way. There have been a lot of people laughing that his life has ended this way. There’s the feeling that he got what he deserved.’ Another friend told us: ‘He was a loveable rogue, almost like an Arthur Daley figure. He was always good company, the life and soul of a party and someone who was living life to the full. But he caused a lot of damage, there is no doubt about that.’ Sources said Cronin had been living in the rented apartment since November last year, having flown into London Heathrow. He became wanted for defrauding landlords and property owners in the Chelsea and Fulham areas in the early 2000s. It is believed he made in excess of £5 million out of the scam. He was also implicated in a high-profile 2017 fraud trial which led to a model and her mother being jailed. Laylah de Cruz and her mother Dianne Moorcroft conned a 91 year-old heiress – who has since died – to raise cash against her home. Investigations are continuing into how Cronin met his death. One person who knew Cronin well said: ‘There is no way Karl killed himself. None of the people who knew him believe that is what happened. One thing is for sure – he had a lot of enemies.’  

All Elite Wrestling aired a tribute to wrestler Tanea “Rebel” Brooks following her announcement that she has been diagnosed with “terminal” amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). “You probably know by social media that one of our fine athletes has some very serious health problems,” announcer Tony Schiavone told viewers on the Saturday episode of AEW Collision. “We want Tanea to know you are big part of AEW and we are thinking about you right now and we are praying for you, that you will pull through.” Brooks shared with her social media followers on Friday that she was recently diagnosed with “terminal ALS,” a nervous system disease that impacts the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. ALS — which is alternatively known as Lou Gehrig’s disease or Motor Neurone Disease — causes a gradual loss of ability to control speech, breathing and eating. There is no known cure. The wrestler has been on a longterm health journey, having battled primary pulmonary lymphoma, a rare type of lung cancer, since 2024. In Friday’s vlog, Brooks explained that recent developments in her cancer fight led doctors to discover that she has ALS. “The thing is, sometimes we don’t want to hear that answer to our prayers. And so, while I was waiting to have lung surgery for the masses on my lung, the doctors at Mayo Clinic finally found what’s going on,” she told viewers. Brooks admitted that her medical team “does not know how long” she has to live since “there is not a lot of research behind ALS.” “It explains why I have trouble walking and talking and all my functions will soon decline. But now, we can prepare for the future and what is to come,” she acknowledged. The 12-year pro wrestling veteran personally thanked All Elite Wrestling owner Tony Khan for supporting her through her health problems. “I want to say thank you to Tony Khan and AEW for supporting me on this medical journey,” a tearful Brooks said. “It has been a blessing that is unheard of and, from the bottom of my heart, thank you and thank you to all of you for your prayers.” She asked fans to keep her in their thoughts, saying, “Please continue to pray for a peaceful journey and a peaceful passing. I love you.” B

Bryan Murray, best known for his role in Brookside, has been placed into “full-time care” following his Alzheimer’s diagnosis. Bryan’s wife, Una Crawford O’Brien, disclosed the  news at the Alzheimer’s Tea Day 2026 last month regarding her husband’s deteriorating condition. She said: “Over the past year, Bryan’s needs became far greater, and he has now moved into full time care. Up until now, I didn’t have time to think. My day was completely focused on Bryan and his needs. Now I have time to miss him. The 76-year-old former actor portrayed Trevor Jordache in 1993.  He was equally well recognised for his portrayal of Bob Charles in the soap opera, Fair City. Bryan continued to feature in the Irish soap until last year, when he stepped down after two decades of portraying Bob Charles. The Dublin-born actor was initially diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2019, though he kept his diagnosis private for several years. Bryan featured in just 24 episodes of Brookside, yet his character became one of the show’s most notorious, as a violent and abusive murderer. Throughout his career, he also made appearances in a host of popular British television programmes, including Casualty, Holby City, The Bill, Silent Witness, and The Tudors. 

On This Day

• 1978 – The first unsolicited bulk commercial email (which would later become known as “spam”) is sent by a Digital Equipment Corporation marketing representative to every ARPANET address on the west coast of the United States.
• 1979 – Margaret Thatcher wins the United Kingdom general election.
• 2007 – The three-year-old British girl Madeleine McCann disappears in Praia da Luz, Portugal, starting “the most heavily reported missing-person case in modern history”.

Deaths

• 1935 – Jessie Willcox Smith, American illustrator (born 1863).
• 1972 – Bruce Cabot, American actor (born 1904).
• 1986 – Robert Alda, American actor (born 1914).

Last Meals

James Ernest Hitchcock was an American convicted child murderer. On July 31st 1976, Hitchcock raped and murdered his 13-year-old step-niece, Cynthia Driggers, at her home in Winter Garden, Florida. Hitchcock was found guilty of Driggers’s murder and sentenced to death in 1977, although his death sentence was overturned thrice before it was reinstated after each re-sentencing trial. Hitchcock’s death sentence was ultimately upheld and finalised, and he was executed at the Florida State Prison on April 30th 2026, nearly 50 years after he had killed Driggers. 

James Ernest Hitchcock was born in Arkansas on April 5th 1956, and he grew up together with six siblings in Manila, Arkansas. During Hitchcock’s childhood, his family stayed in a shack and lived in poverty, and his parents made a living by picking cotton. When Hitchcock was six years old, his father contracted skin cancer and died. Hitchcock’s mother later remarried, but his stepfather was often abusive towards his mother. At the age of 13, Hitchcock ran away from home after he could no longer tolerate his stepfather’s abuse of his mother. Despite his difficult upbringing, Hitchcock was the first in his family to complete and receive a high school diploma. At one point in his life, Hitchcock was convicted of a burglary offence in Arkansas, but was released on parole by 1976. 

On August 5th 1976, James Hitchcock was charged with the rape and murder of his 13-year-old step-niece, which occurred five days earlier on July 31st 1976.

About two to three weeks before the murder, Hitchcock, who was then jobless and out on parole for his burglary conviction, moved to Orlando, Florida, where he stayed with his brother and his family, with one of the members being his brother’s 13-year-old stepdaughter, Cynthia Ann Driggers. On the eve of Driggers’s murder, Hitchcock watched television with his brother’s family until 11pm, before he went out drinking and smoking marijuana with his friends in Winter Garden. Hitchcock only returned home at about 2:30am, and he entered the house through the dining room window before he went back to his bedroom.

Afterwards, Hitchcock entered the room of Driggers, where he raped her. After the rape, Driggers reportedly stated that she was hurt and she wanted to tell her mother about it. Hitchcock proceeded to grab her by the neck, brought her outside and tried to convince her to not tell anyone about the rape. However, Driggers resisted and yelled, and hence, Hitchcock choked and hit his step-niece before he strangled her. After the murder, Hitchcock left the body inside the bushes before he went back to the house to shower and go to bed. The body was later found, and Hitchcock was arrested as a suspect the day after the murder. 

Less than a year after he was arrested, James Hitchcock was put on trial and convicted of the first-degree murder of Cynthia Driggers. During the trial itself, Hitchcock recanted his confession and claimed that Driggers voluntarily had sex with him, and that this was discovered by his brother, who killed Driggers in a fit of rage, and Hitchcock claimed he only confessed in order to cover up for his brother. This defence was rejected by the jury that convicted him. Hitchcock was later sentenced to death by the electric chair after the jury recommended the death penalty based on a majority vote. 

On March 31st 2026, Governor Ron DeSantis signed a death warrant for Hitchcock, scheduling his execution date as April 30th 2026. 

Upon receiving the news of Hitchcock’s death warrant, Cynthia Driggers’s family reportedly felt a mixed sense of relief and recalling of the tragedy. Driggers’s younger sister stated that the decades of legal processes dragged on in her sister’s murder were an “inescapable loop”, and a female cousin of Driggers stated that the family had waited 50 years for justice to be served, and implied that two of their surviving family members hoped to live longer than Hitchcock. St. Lucie County Judge Robert Meadows, who was Driggers’s cousin, revealed that his background in the judiciary made him often hear questions about why there was a lengthy delay in Driggers’s case and he found it hard to give a reply. Driggers’s mother stated her wish for Hitchcock to be executed for murdering her daughter. 

Come April 30th, 70-year-old James Ernest Hitchcock was put to death by lethal injection at the Florida State Prison. He was pronounced dead at 6:12pm. Hitchcock was one of two offenders executed on the same date in the United States; the other was James Broadnax, who was convicted in 2008 of killing two music producers in Texas. Prior to his execution, Hitchcock received a final visit from a family member, and he also requested for a last meal of salad, chicken, ice cream, pie and soda.

Last Week’s Birthdays

Bobby Cannavale (56), Christina Hendricks (51), Rachel Zegler (25), Pom Klementieff (40), Rob Brydon (61), Frankie Valli (92), Sandi Toksvig (68), Dwayne Johnson (54), Mae Martin (39), Kumail Nanjiani (48), Ellie Kemper (46), Christine Baranski (74), Matt Berry (52), Lily Allen (41), David Beckham (51), Jamie Dornan (44), Julie Benz (54), Joanna Lumley (80), Ana de Armas (38), Kirsten Dunst (44), Gal Gadot (41), Sam Heughan (46), Michelle Pfeiffer (68), Daniel Day-Lewis (69), Uma Thurman (56), Kate Mulgrew (71), Willie Nelson (93), Mary McDonnell (74), Jessica Alba (45), Penélope Cruz (52), and Jenna Coleman (40).

Sorry, this one ran away with me, loads to read, but no points this week.  

Look Who You Could Have Had:

• Dave Mason, 79, English musician (Traffic) and songwriter (“Hole in My Shoe“, “Feelin’ Alright?“).  
• Lize van der Walt, 60, South African television personality (Gladiators – Gold), cancer. 
• Alan Osmond, 76, American musician (The Osmonds) and songwriter (“Down by the Lazy River“, “Crazy Horses“). 
• Elsie Kelly, 89, English actress (Benidorm, The Famous Five, Crossroads).  
• Darrell Sheets, 67, American reality television personality (Storage Wars), suicide by gunshot. 
• Rif Hutton, 73, American actor (Doogie Howser, M.D., JAG, General Hospital), brain cancer

In Other News

Trump has sadly survived another assassination attempt. Gunshots rang out inside the Washington Hilton shortly after 8:30pm Saturday evening, prompting scenes of panic as Secret Service agents rushed the president and other Cabinet officials out of the ballroom, while others took cover beneath tables. A male assailant shot and injured one law enforcement officer, before being detained near the hotel screening area, officials said. The man in custody has been identified as Cole Tomas Allen, a 31-year-old from Torrance, California. Following the incident, the annual black-tie dinner was canceled. Trump then hosted a press conference at the White House where he applauded law enforcement for their swift response. Still dressed in his tuxedo from the dinner, Trump called the assailant a “thug” and a “lone wolf,” while Justice Department officials said the suspect has been charged with firearms and assault charges. Apparently, those in charge are looking for a motive for the assassination attempt, as the rest of the world shakes their head in disbelief that the guy failed to pop one into the fascist. Trump has now survived THREE assassination attempts, including two high-profile incidents during his 2024 campaign. In July 2024, he was shot and wounded in the ear during a rally in Pennsylvania, an attack that shocked the nation. Just months later, another armed individual was intercepted near Trump’s golf course in Florida in what authorities confirmed as a planned assassination attempt.Security experts say the frequency of such incidents is unprecedented in modern U.S. history. While several American presidents have faced threats, the number of direct attempts targeting Trump places him among the most frequently targeted leaders in the country’s history. 

One of Spain’s top bullfighters has been left seriously injured after being gored in the arsehole. Jose Antonio Morante Camacho suffered the horrific injury after he collided with the raging animal at an event in Seville on Sunday. Dubbed the “king of the bullfighters”, Camacho sustained a “very serious” injury when the bull’s horn perforated his rectum. The 46-year-old was competing with the fourth bull of the afternoon at La Maestranza bullring as part of popular April celebrations. According to reports, Camacho was trying to control the bull which had positioned itself in a notoriously treacherous spot in the arena. Camacho attempted a daring manoeuvre but failed to raise his arms in time, leaving him exposed. The bull charged at him, catching him at hip level and driving its horn into his rusty sheriffs badge. Camacho instantly dropped to the floor as he reached for his arse in agony. Moments later, he was carried out of the ring by fellow giggling bullfighters. Camacho was then rushed to a nearby hospital and placed under general anaesthetic for an emergency two-hour surgery. Doctors confirmed he had suffered a devastating internal injury, with the bull’s horn penetrating his balloon knot. The medical report said: “It’s a bull horn wound on the posterior anal margin with a trajectory of about 10cm, partially damaging the anal sphincter muscles with a perforation of the posterior wall of the rectum of 1.5cm The intervention consisted of washing the wound, repairing the rectal wall and the sphincter apparatus, leaving a suction drain in the post-anal and retro-rectal space.” Camacho now remains under close observation while his condition has been described as “very serious”. This is not the first time tragedy has struck one of Spain‘s leading matadors. Earlier this month, a retired bullfighter was gored to death as he prepared for a sold-out show. Ricardo Ortiz, 51, was attacked as he helped handle several raging beasts inside their enclosures.  

A millionaire big-game hunter was tragically trampled to death by a herd of five enraged elephants deep within the African jungle. Armed with a shotgun and tracking a rare species of antelope, Ernie Dosio, 75, was killed after stumbling across the animals in dense vegetation in Gabon. The carcass collector had been moving through thick undergrowth with a professional hunter when the pair unknowingly walked into the herd. The animals were said to be so well hidden that it was like they appeared “as if from nowhere”. The startled beasts then charged at the pair without warning. Dosio was horrifically trampled under the weight of the herd as his companion was hurled to the side. A retired game hunter who knew Dosio said: “Whilst in the forest Ernie and his PH (professional hunter) surprised five forest elephant cows with young and feeling under threat the elephants immediately attacked them. The professional hunter was attacked first and seriously injured losing his rifle which was knocked from him and lost in the undergrowth leaving Ernie with his shotgun. I would rather not go into details but it is safe to assume it would have been quick.” Safari company Collect Africa confirmed their client died after encountering the herd in central Gabon. Dosio’s body is now being repatriated to his home in California by the US embassy. Hopefully they’ll stuff him and put him on display.   

New Zealand Parkrunner Colin Thorne made international headlines when he became the oldest Parkrunner in history to join the 100 Club at the age of 98. Sadly he has just passed away at 102 years of age. Colin first joined the parkrun family in January 2017, already in his early nineties, quietly showing the world that it is never too late to begin something extraordinary. Over the next nine years, he completed an incredible 265 Parkruns across 21 locations and volunteered 16 times, proof not only of his commitment, but of his belief that Parkrun is about community as much as it is about movement. To see Colin at Parkrun was to be reminded of what really matters. He greeted everyone with that cheeky smile, a dry sense of humour, and a genuine warmth that made first-timers and regulars alike feel instantly welcome. He listened, he encouraged, and he inspired, often without needing to say very much at all. What made Colin truly special wasn’t just his age, remarkable though that was. It was his perseverance. Week after week, year after year, Colin kept showing up, determined to keep Parkrunning for as long as he possibly could. Even at 102, he embodied the very best of parkrun: turning up, doing what you can, and doing it with heart. Running had been part of Colin’s life long before parkrun. He took it up at 64, went on to complete numerous marathons and half marathons, and even ran the New York Marathon at the age of 89, a feat few of us could imagine at any age. Yet despite these astonishing achievements, Colin always wore his success lightly, choosing kindness and connection over accolades. Colin touched the lives of Parkrunners throughout New Zealand and far beyond. His story travelled, but his impact was deeply personal. He showed us that ageing does not have to mean slowing your spirit, that perseverance can be joyful, and that community is built one smile, one step, one Saturday morning at a time. 

Colombian professional cyclist Cristian Camilo Muñoz, a former teammate of Tadej Pogačar at UAE Team Emirates, has died in hospital, just six days after suffering a serious knee injury in a crash at the Tour du Jura. The 30-year-old, racing for the NU Colombia team, was treated in hospital after crashing out of the French one-day race on Saturday. According to the Flying Monkeys, Muñoz required 20 stitches to one of his knees, before leaving the hospital on Sunday night. He then joined up with his teammates in Spain for the Vuelta Asturias, which began in Oviedo on Thursday. However, the 30-year-old – a former winner of a stage at the U23 Giro d’Italia – began to feel unwell on Tuesday and was taken to another hospital in Valladolid, hours after posting a video birthday message to his wife on Instagram. There, his condition deteriorated and he underwent surgery, before being placed in an induced coma. Tragically, he failed to respond to treatment and he passed away on Friday, his team confirmed. According to reports in Spain, doctors at the hospital have indicated that the cause of Muñoz’s death was a hospital-acquired infection. His NU Colombia squad have withdrawn from the Vuelta Asturias as a mark of respect, while a minute’s silence was held before today’s second stage, where black ribbons were placed by officials on race vehicles.

On This Day

• 1865 – Union cavalry troopers corner and shoot dead John Wilkes Booth, assassin of President Abraham Lincoln, in Virginia.
• 1986 – The Chernobyl disaster occurs in the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic.
• 1989 – The deadliest known tornado strikes Central Bangladesh, killing upwards of 1,300, injuring 12,000, and leaving as many as 80,000 homeless.

Deaths

• 1970 – Gypsy Rose Lee, American actress, striptease dancer, and writer (born 1911).
• 1976 – Sid James, South African-English actor (born 1913).
• 1989 – Lucille Ball, American model, actress, comedian, and producer (born 1911).
• 1999 – Jill Dando, English journalist and television personality (born 1961).
• 2017 – Jonathan Demme, American filmmaker, producer and screenwriter (born 1944).

Last Week’s Birthdays

Channing Tatum (46), Tom Welling (49), Pablo Schreiber (48), Stana Katic (48), Giancarlo Esposito (68), Kevin James (61), Jet Li (63), Karim Diane (24), Melania Trump (56), Joan Chen (65), Al Pacino (86), Gina Torres (58), Renée Zellweger (57), Hank Azaria (62), Jack Quaid (34), Aidan Gillen (58), Shirley MacLaine (92), Djimon Hounsou (62), Rory McCann (57), Barbra Streisand (84), John Cena (49), Dev Patel (36), John Hannah (64), Lee Majors (87), Gemma Whelan (45), John Oliver (49), Jack Nicholson (89), Jeffrey Dean Morgan (60), Amber Heard (40), Sheryl Lee (59), Michelle Ryan (42), James McAvoy (47), Andie MacDowell (68), Toby Stephens (57), Rob Riggle (56), Tony Danza (75), Iggy Pop (79), Andy Serkis (62), Veronica Cartwright (77), Jessica Lange (77), Clint Howard (67), Carmen Electra (54), George Takei (89), and Nicholas Lyndhurst (65).

Well, what do we have here?! Points!! With the passing of renowned zoologist Desmond Morris, I can award 52 points to myself, well done me! 

Look Who You Could Have Had:

• Valerie Lee Shepard, 94, American actress (The Wizard of Oz, Our Gang).  
• Moya Brennan, 73, Irish folk singer (Clannad).  
• Ian Watson, 82, British science fiction author (The Jonah Kit, Chekhov’s Journey, Queenmagic, Kingmagic). 
• Joy Harmon, 85, American actress (Cool Hand Luke, Village of the Giants, Angel in My Pocket), complications from pneumonia. 
• Alexander Morton, 81, Scottish actor (Monarch of the Glen, Take the High Road, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt). 
• Andy Kershaw, 66, English broadcaster and radio DJ (BBC Radio 1), cancer. 
• Don Schlitz, 73, American songwriter (“The Gambler“, “Forever and Ever, Amen“, “When You Say Nothing at All“). 
• Nathalie Baye, 77, French actress (Every Man for Himself, Strange Affair, Catch Me If You Can), complications from Lewy body dementia. 
• Finnian Garbutt, 28, British actor (Hope Street), skin cancer. 
• Desmond Morris, 98, English zoologist (The Naked Ape), ethnologist and surrealist painter. 
• Patrick Muldoon, 57, American actor (Starship Troopers, Melrose Place, Days of Our Lives) and film producer), heart attack. 
• Van Hammer, 66, American professional wrestler (WCW). 

In Other News

With the death of Valerie Lee Shepard, see above, we are now left with one surviving Munchkin from The Wizard of Oz. Priscilla Montgomery Clark played a Munchkin child in The Wizard of Oz when she was nine years old. Now 96, she’s one of two surviving stars from the 1939 film. Along with Caren Marsh Doll — the oldest of the two at 107 years old (she just celebrated her birthday on April 6th, 2026). She served as Judy Garland’s stand-in and was notably the model for the iconic ruby slipper heel-clicking scene. Clark says by far she receives the most fan mail these days for her role as a Munchkin. For Oz, which experienced a deficit of female little people to portray Munchkins, Clark was one of a dozen talented young girls of typical height chosen from the Bud Murray Dance Studio in Los Angeles to fill out the cast of 124. The child actors worked on the set part of the day and were whisked away for their schooling the rest of the day. When the cameras rolled, some of the young girls were relegated to the background, however director Victor Fleming seemingly noticed Clark’s talent and infectious smile and placed her in key shots where she was clearly visible. “I never wanted to be an actress, I always loved dancing and that was a big part of my childhood,” says Clark. “I didn’t have an agent, but I was lucky to be cast in several films that miraculously have survived over time.” It’s not difficult to find her in the crowd, either: In the climax of the Munchkinland scene, when Glinda directs Dorothy to “follow the yellow brick road,” Clark can be seen next to the good witch briefly spiking the lens — a no-no in movie-making where the actor looks directly into the camera. “I never realised I did that until someone pointed it out many years later,” she admits. Today, Clark is a widow who struggles with a few health concerns but keeps a positive attitude and busy “surrounded by the love of my family.”  

Zayn Malik’s release day for his new album Konnakol didn’t exactly go as planned. The singer, 33, revealed that he’s on the mend from a mystery illness by sharing a photo from a hospital bed to his Instagram Stories last Friday, the same day as his album release. “To my fans – Thank you to all of you for your love & support now & always – been a long week and am still unexpectedly recovering,” he wrote atop the photo. “Heartbroken that I can’t see you all this week, I wouldn’t be in the place I am today without you guys and am so thankful for your understanding.” The “Die for Me” singer went on to thank his “incredible” hospital staff, including doctors, nurses, cardiologists and more. “You are all legends! Big big love xx z,” he wrote. Malik did not reveal a diagnosis or reason for his hospitalisation, and it remains unclear just how long he’s been hospitalised. A rep for Malik did not immediately return the Flying Monkeys request for comment. Malik is set to embark on his first solo headline arena tour later this year, which he’ll bring to North America starting in June and running through November. In announcing his new record, Malik described the title as “the act of creating percussive sounds with one’s voice but what it means to me lies somewhere much deeper.” Sounds… amazing?   

Social media influencer Clavicular has been rushed to hospital in Miami for a suspected overdose. No, none of the Flying Monkeys have heard of him either… The controversial streamer had been live-streaming on the site Kick on Tuesday when the broadcast suddenly ended. ‘Fans’ became concerned after video footage, appearing to show the influencer being carried into an ambulance by his security team, began circulating online. The ‘influencer’ confirmed on Wednesday that he had been released from hospital, writing on Twitter: “Just got home, that was brutal. All of the substances are just a cope trying to feel neurotypical while being in public, but obviously that isn’t a real solution. The worst part of tonight was my face descending from the life support mask.” He shared the statement alongside a photograph of himself with what appeared to be bloody marks on his face. During the livestream on Tuesday, Clavicular could be seen telling a woman: “Holy shit dude, I’m trying my best, but I’m fucking destroyed right now.” He then sat down in a bar with friends, with one asking him: “When did you last take blue?” as the influencer slumped over. The friend then asked if he wanted an “addy” – referring to the stimulant Adderall. The broadcast cut out shortly after that. Clavicular rose to fame within the manosphere circles as a so-called “looksmaxxer” – a viral trend where boys try to maximise their physical attractiveness. He’s become a popular figure among teenage boys, with Chloe Combi writing in The Independent that he has “a huge and growing Gen A boy following” thanks to his “belief that a young man’s highest priority is to be hot”. Personally I think he’s a cunt, and I will be listing him as a Maverick once James Corden turns 50! 

On This Day

• 1927 – Mae West is sentenced to ten days in jail for obscenity for her play Sex.
• 1943 – Albert Hofmann deliberately doses himself with LSD for the first time, three days after having discovered its effects on April 16th an event commonly known and celebrated as Bicycle Day. 
• 1987 – The Simpsons first appear as a series of shorts on The Tracey Ullman Show, first starting with “Good Night“. 
• 1993 – The 51-day FBI siege of the Branch Davidian building in Waco, Texas, US, ends when a fire breaks out. Seventy-six Davidians, including 18 children under age 10, died in the fire. 
• 2021 – The Ingenuity helicopter becomes the first aircraft to achieve flight on another planet.

Deaths

• 1824 – Lord Byron, English-Scottish poet and playwright (born 1788). 
• 1881 – Benjamin Disraeli, English politician, Prime Minister of the U.K. (born 1804). 
• 1882 – Charles Darwin, English biologist and theorist (born 1809).  
• 1992 – Frankie Howerd, English actor and screenwriter (born 1917).  
• 2004 – Norris McWhirter, English author co-founded the Guinness World Records (born 1925).

Last Week’s Birthdays

James Franco (48), Kate Hudson (47), Ashley Judd (58), Tim Curry (80), Hayden Christensen (45), Simu Liu (37), David Tennant (55), Rick Moranis (73), James Woods (79), Hayley Mills (80), Conan O’Brien (63), Jennifer Garner (54), Sean Bean (67), Rooney Mara (41), David Bradley (84), Anya Taylor-Joy (30), Sadie Sink (24), Ellen Barkin (72), Claire Foy (42), Emma Watson (36), Seth Rogen (44), Emma Thompson (67), Luke Evans (47), Maisie Williams (29), Sarah Michelle Gellar (49), Adrien Brody (53), Robert Carlyle (65), Anthony Michael Hall (58), Peter Capaldi (68), Peter Davison (75), Edward Fox (89), and Ron Perlman (76).

No  disrespect to any of this weeks ‘notable’ deaths, however, I’ve never heard of any of them. Some bit part actors, barely more than extras, a nut job and a couple of outdoorsy types. One of them doesn’t even have a proper Wiki Page, I just added him to bulk out this weeks edition. Unsurprisingly, no points to award… 

Look Who You Could Have Had:

• Nick Pope, 60, British journalist and television personality (Ancient Aliens, UFOs Declassified), oesophageal cancer. 
• Michael Patrick, 35, Irish actor and writer (Game of Thrones, My Left Nut), complications from motor neurone disease
• Jim Whittaker, 97, American mountaineer (First American to climb Mount Everest). 
• Doug Allan, 74, Scottish wildlife photographer and cameraman. 
• Afrika Bambaataa, 68, American DJ and rapper (“Planet Rock“, “Looking for the Perfect Beat“, “Renegades of Funk“), prostate cancer. 
• Angela Pleasence, 84, English actress (Hitler: The Last Ten Days, Coronation Street, Doctor Who). 
• John Nolan, 87, British actor (Person of Interest, Terror, Batman Begins). 
• Asha Bhosle, 92, Indian playback singer (“Chura Liya Hai Tumne Jo Dil Ko“, “Dum Maro Dum“, “Piya Tu Ab To Aja“), multiple organ failure.

In Other News

GB News presenter Eamonn Holmes is “doing okay given the circumstances” after suffering a stroke, his eldest son Declan has confirmed. Declan Holmes added his father’s medical issue “came as a real shock”, and he thanked those who have sent messages of support, saying: “It means a lot to us as a family.” In a statement on Sunday, his son shared: “What happened came as a real shock, but dad is doing okay given the circumstances and we’re taking it one step at a time. I just wanted to share a quick message to say we hugely appreciate all the messages, it means a lot to us as a family. For now, we’re focused on him and keeping things steady around him. We’d really value a bit of privacy as we navigate it, and what lies ahead, but thank-you again for the support as it means so much to dad and the rest of the family.” GB News announced on Saturday that Holmes, 66, had suffered a stroke last week and was recovering in hospital. A spokesperson said Holmes “was taken ill last week and it was later confirmed he had suffered a stroke”. The statement added: “He is currently responding well to treatment. Eamonn has asked for privacy as he focuses on getting better. His colleagues and everyone at GB News wish him a speedy recovery and look forward to welcoming him back to the people’s channel when he is ready to return.” Alex Armstrong will present in his absence this week, the broadcaster added. Holmes, from Northern Ireland, who presents GB News Breakfast with his co-host Ellie Costello, is Britain’s longest-serving breakfast news presenter, with a career spanning more than 40 years. Holmes has long battled health issues after dislodging discs in his back which he said previously impinged on his sciatic nerve and affected the mobility of his right leg. He previously spoke about going through spinal surgery, a double hip replacement, and his struggles walking and using a mobility scooter. Holmes had two falls in May last year which seem to have taken place only weeks apart. The former This Morning host was taken to hospital after a first fall at his home, then fell from his chair live on-air. 

Hacks star Jean Smart has revealed she underwent a triple bypass heart procedure after experiencing chest pressure on set. Smart opened up about the heart procedure, confirming she underwent a triple bypass in 2023, a particularly frightening ordeal for her following the death of her husband, Richard Gilliland, from a heart condition. While filming a Season 3 episode of Hacks, Smart began experiencing pressure in her chest and fatigue, but she attributed it to a lack of exercise, she told the Flying Monkeys. “After several takes, I was like, ‘Did you get it? Was that enough?’ I was feeling a little tired. But I didn’t think anything of it,” Smart, 74, said. “I had gotten used to feeling a little pressure, like if I’d go up a couple of flights of stairs. But it would always just go away. And I would always think, ‘Jean, you’re in such crappy shape.’” Days passed with the Emmy winner still in discomfort. In the interview, she said the fear of leaving her 17-year-old son Forrest and 36-year-old son Connor without either of their parents was motivation to see a doctor. “I thought, ‘You haven’t seen your cardiologist in a long time. Don’t be stupid. Your kids just lost their dad!’” Smart thought she may just need a stress test – which detects how the heart functions during physical stress – but when her doctor returned her phone call, the physician urged her to go to the emergency room. She was in the middle of filming a scene at the time, so she waited until after the shoot to have her driver take her to the hospital. “It was so stressful. Her children had just lost their father, and I think she didn’t want to scare them, so they weren’t there,” Smart consulted three heart surgeons before undergoing the triple bypass. The fear set in after the procedure. “I wasn’t really scared until I woke up the next day, and I’m thinking about what they had to do. You start to feel so fragile,” she said. 

On This Day

• 1606 – The Union Flag is adopted as the flag of English and Scottish ships. 
• 1945 – U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt dies in office; Vice President Harry S. Truman becomes President upon Roosevelt’s death. 
• 1961 – The Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human to travel into outer space and perform the first crewed orbital flight on Vostok 1. 
• 1981 – The first launch of a Space Shuttle (Columbia) takes place: The STS-1 mission.

Deaths

• 1945 – Franklin D. Roosevelt, U.S. lawyer, 32nd President of the U.S. (born 1882).
• 2001 – Harvey Ball, American illustrator, created the smiley (born 1921).
• 2009 – Marilyn Chambers, American actress. 
• 2024 – Eleanor Coppola, American filmmaker (born 1936).

Last Week’s Birthdays

Claire Danes (47), Saoirse Ronan (32), Ed O’Neill (80), Milly Alcock (26), Jeremy Clarkson (66), Matt Ryan (45), David Harbour (51), Charlie Hunnam (46), Daisy Ridley (34), Haley Joel Osment (38), Steven Seagal (74), Peter MacNicol (72), Elle Fanning (28), Dennis Quaid (72), Kristen Stewart (36), Cynthia Nixon (60), Patricia Arquette (58), Robin Wright (60), Katee Sackhoff (46), Dean Norris (63), Russell Crowe (62), Jackie Chan (72), Francis Ford Coppola (87), Paul Rudd (57), Zach Braff (51), Michael Rooker (71), John Ratzenberger (79), Gina Yashere (52), and Billy Dee Williams (89).