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Dead Pool 9th August 2026

Apologies that there wasn’t an issue last week, I was myself fighting the Grim Reaper, well, maybe not that dramatic, but I was indisposed health-wise. So this means a double-bubble this week, aren’t you lucky! 

Look Who You Could Have Had:

In Other News

Singer Carly Simon has revealed she has been diagnosed with  Parkinson’s disease and cancer. The 83-year-old You’re So Vain singer said in a statement that her most recent absence from the spotlight has been due to her ongoing health issues. Ms Simon said: “So many people have written to me, kindly wondering about my relative silence, asking how I am and what I have been doing. The truth is, I’ve been learning how to live with Parkinson’s disease. It has taken me some time to understand the diagnosis, to adjust to it, and to decide how much I wanted to say about it publicly.” She added: “Parkinson’s is different for everyone, and it can be unpredictable. Some days I’m so tired I can’t get the day moving at all. On others, it gives me a little more room to move, think, work, and feel like myself.” Ms Simon, who lives on a 25-acre Martha’s Vineyard estate in Massachusetts, said her health problems started with arthritis in both knees and one hip. She said she eventually had all three joints replaced with “delicate bouquets of metal and plastic”. The Grammy-award-winning musician said after three replacement surgeries, she assumed her struggle walking was “simply an unfortunate and rather ironic part of the recovery process”. She said, however, that her mobility continued to worsen. Ms Simon said: “I had trouble standing up from low chairs and deep couches without someone offering me an arm. Overstuffed furniture became my enemy. Once seated, I could feel as though I had been swallowed by the chair and might remain there permanently, like a guest who had badly overstayed her welcome. Eventually, there were periods when I could not walk without considerable help. My family and I knew that something more was going on. After an extensive evaluation at the Mayo Clinic, I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s.” The star said she started treatment, including taking medication to help with stiffness and other symptoms. Describing how it affects her day-to-day life, Ms Simons said that the “apathy is particularly strange”. She said: “You can find yourself lying there like a starfish drying in the sun, arms pointing in all directions, while nothing inside is telling you to get up, read, watch, write, sing, call someone, or do much of anything at all.” The artist said she had also received treatment for basal cell carcinoma, a common type of cancer that starts in the top layer of skin, on her face. She said it was removed but the surgery affected her appearance and made her more self-conscious about being seen in public. She said: “I have always been more critical of my appearance than anyone else could possibly imagine (check out the irony of having written You’re So Vain, and this gave my inner critic quite a lot of new material.” Ms Simon, who is also a children’s author, said that “between my mobility issues, the Parkinson’s diagnosis, the surgery, and the emotional effects of it all, withdrawing from public view was the most palatable reaction”. Despite health issues relating to the condition, she said she has not stopped working and began recording a new album, Comes in Waves, in the middle of it all.  

A hospital intruder dressed up as the ‘Grim Reaper’ and glared at patients, a court heard. Leon Gillespie, 26, donned an all-black hooded outfit and stood overlooking the entrance to Ysbyty Glan Clwyd hospital in Denbighshire, North Wales.  Luckily for me, I was at a different hospital or I might have had a fright! Four police cars and a fire crew were sent to apprehend Gillespie after he stayed on the roof for nearly an hour on Saturday. Hospital visitors were shocked at the sight of him standing motionless and brandishing what appeared to be a long blade. No explanation was given for the stunt when Gillespie appeared in front of magistrates in Llandudno. His outfit was also described in court as being a ‘crow’. Gillespie was fined £200 after pleading guilty to causing a nuisance at a hospital. A spokesman for Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board said: ‘The health board has previously stated it has a zero-tolerance approach to abuse, aggression or nuisance within its hospital sites.’ Gillespie also admitted separate offences of stealing £30 of cat food and cat litter from Pets at Home on March 26th, and food and drink from Sainsbury’s on May 28th. Both were committed in Llandudno. He was ordered to pay £50 in compensation, £100 in fines, and £100 in costs to the Crown Prosecution Service.  

Celebrity blogger Perez Hilton has been rushed to hospital after his TikTok followers reported a concerning livestream. Worried viewers reportedly saw Hilton, 48, self-harm in a video streamed on the social media app on Tuesday (2nd August), following which emergency services swiftly arrived at his house in Miami. He was “safely recovered” and transported by Miami-Dade Fire Rescue to a local hospital, where he is receiving medical attention. Hilton’s team shared a statement Wednesday on the blogger’s website, saying: “Many of you have reached out with concern for Perez, and we are incredibly grateful for the overwhelming outpouring of love, support, and prayers. “We can confirm that Perez is receiving medical care, and our family’s focus right now is on his well-being,” the statement continued. “We kindly ask that you respect Perez’s privacy, as well as the privacy of his family, during this difficult time. If and when we are able to share any updates, we will do so with everyone as soon as we can. Thank you for your compassion, understanding, and continued support,” the statement concluded, signed by “The Perez Hilton Team and Family.”  

Joe Amabile revealed he underwent successful brain surgery. On Thursday, August 6th, the Bachelor alum, who is widely known to fans as “Grocery Store Joe”, posted photos from his hospital bed on Instagram after having a brain tumour removed, just weeks after revealing he was diagnosed with an early-stage glioma. “They got it all!” he captioned the post. Amabile, 40, had his wife, Serena Pitt, by his side after the procedure and called her his “rock.” She later shared a health update on her Instagram Stories.  “The best update: they were able to remove the entire tumour and Joe is recovering very well,” Pitt, 28, wrote alongside a photo of her holding her husband’s hand. “We’re feeling so grateful🤍.” Ahead of the brain surgery, Amabile said that he was feeling “pretty good” and keeping a positive mindset throughout the ordeal. He also thanked his followers for their love and support. The former reality star first revealed on July 13th that doctors discovered an early-stage glioma, a slow-growing brain tumour, after getting a full-body MRI scan with Prenuvo. The Bachelor in Paradise couple said they were remaining optimistic and hoping that sharing their journey publicly can help others.

On This Day: 2nd August

  • 1934 – Adolf Hitler becomes Führer of Germany, doesn’t end well… 
  • 1973 – A flash fire kills 50 people at the Summerland amusement centre at Douglas, Isle of Man.
  • 1990 – Iraqi invasion of Kuwait: Iraq invades Kuwait and temporarily establishes the Republic of Kuwait puppet state on the orders of Saddam Hussein, eventually leading to the Gulf War.

On This Day: 9th August

  • 1173 – Construction of the campanile of the Cathedral of Pisa (now known as the Leaning Tower of Pisa) begins; it will take two centuries to complete. 
  • 1945 – World War II: Nagasaki is devastated when an atomic bomb, Fat Man, is dropped by the United States B-29 Bockscar. Thirty-five thousand people are killed outright. 
  • 1969 – Followers of Charles Manson murder pregnant actress Sharon Tate. 
  • 1974 – As a direct result of the Watergate scandal, Richard Nixon becomes the first president of the United States to resign from office. 

Deaths: 2nd August

  • 1876 – “Wild Bill” Hickok, American sheriff (born 1837). 
  • 1922 – Alexander Graham Bell, Scottish engineer, invented the telephone (born 1847). 
  • 1976 – Fritz Lang, Austrian-American director, producer, and screenwriter (born 1890).

Deaths: 9th August

  • 1948 – Hugo Boss, German fashion designer, founded Hugo Boss (born 1885). 
  • 1996 – Frank Whittle, English soldier and engineer, invented the jet engine (born 1907). 
  • 2008 – Bernie Mac, American comedian, actor, screenwriter, and producer (born 1957). 
  • 2016 – Gerald Grosvenor, 6th Duke of Westminster (born 1951).

Last Meals

James Aren Duckett was an American convicted child murderer, sex offender and suspected serial killer sentenced to death in Florida. Duckett, a former police officer under the Mascotte Police Department, was charged with the kidnapping, rape, and murder of 11-year-old Teresa Mae McAbee on May 11th 1987. Duckett was said to have abducted the girl, who was raped and later strangled, and her body was found abandoned near a lake. Apart from McAbee’s murder, Duckett was also a suspect in the 1987 unsolved murder of 14-year-old Jeanifer Shyan Weldon and 22-year-old Ronette Lynn Peterson in 1986. Duckett was convicted of McAbee’s murder and sentenced to death. 

On the night of May 11th 1987, 29-year-old James Aren Duckett first encountered 11-year-old Teresa Mae McAbee. He spotted McAbee walking out of a convenience store with a 16-year-old boy. Duckett apparently asked the convenience store clerk about the girl’s age before he approached both McAbee and the boy, questioning them before he instructed McAbee to go home. 

The boy later returned to the convenience store where he was met by an uncle, and the pair witnessed Duckett and McAbee standing near Duckett’s patrol car. According to the boy and his uncle, Duckett and McAbee entered the police car and departed the scene. It was the last time McAbee was seen alive.

A fisherman discovered McAbee’s body the following day near the shore of Knight Lake. Duckett was named as a suspect because he was the last person seen with McAbee and he was also the only police officer on duty the day of the murder. As a result, Duckett was suspended from the police force and he was fired three days later, ending his seven-month employment as a police officer.

Investigators found three key pieces of circumstantial evidence that led to Duckett’s arrest and conviction. The first was a pubic hair left at the scene of the crime that matched Duckett. DNA tests on the police car showed that the palm prints of Duckett and McAbee were on the hood of his police vehicle, and investigators matched tire tracks near the crime scene to that vehicle.

Based on this circumstantial evidence, investigators deduced that Duckett had not sent McAbee home, but instead had kidnapped the child, raped her, and strangled her. 

Five months after Teresa McAbee’s death, a Lake County grand jury formally indicted Duckett for her murder. Duckett stood trial before a Lake County jury for first-degree murder, and the prosecution confirmed they would seek the death penalty.  

On June 30th 1988, Lake County Circuit Judge Jerry Lockett sentenced Duckett to death by the electric chair. 

At 1:19 pm on July 28th 2026, 68-year-old James Aren Duckett was put to death by lethal injection in Florida State Prison. Duckett declined to make a final statement, saying “No sir” when prompted. 

Duckett received a final prison visit from four family members on the night before his scheduled execution, and on the day of his scheduled execution, Duckett woke up at 4:45am in his prison cell, and was served his last meal of eggs, grits, bacon, biscuits and chocolate milk and conversed with a spiritual adviser. 

After the execution of Duckett, the family members of Teresa McAbee, whom Duckett killed back in 1987, stated that they had suffered for decades while waiting for justice to be served, and McAbee’s mother broke down as she told the press that she waited for nearly 40 years to finally see Duckett executed, while one of McAbee’s cousins expressed she was glad to see Duckett executed, and stated that Duckett “took advantage of his badge” when he murdered her cousin. McAbee’s cousin additionally stated that Duckett got off too easy and should be executed with more pain like what McAbee suffered before her death, and it should not have taken about four decades for her aunt to witness justice

Previous Week’s Birthdays

Sam Worthington (50), Kevin Smith (56), Edward Furlong (49), Charli XCX (34), Michael Biehn (70), Wesley Snipes (64), Dean Cain (60), J.K. Rowling (61), Christopher Nolan (56), Arnold Schwarzenegger (79), Terry Crews (58), Hilary Swank (52), Laurence Fishburne (65), Lisa Kudrow (63), Jean Reno (78), Frances de la Tour (82), Carel Struycken (78), Wil Wheaton (54), Hannah Waddingham (56), Anya Chalotra (31), Elizabeth Berkley (54), Harry Kane (33), Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (56), Donnie Yen (63), and Taylor Schilling (42).

Last Week’s Birthdays

Bill Skarsgård (36), Sam Elliott (82), Rhona Mitra (50), Eric Bana (58), Anna Kendrick (41), Gillian Anderson (58), Melanie Griffith (69), Audrey Tautou (50), Dustin Hoffman (90), Charlize Theron (51), Sasha Calle (31), Harold Perrineau (63), Michael Shannon (52), David Duchovny (66), Tobin Bell (84), M. Night Shyamalan (56), Michelle Yeoh (64), Geri Halliwell-Horner (54), Mark Strong (63), Billy Bob Thornton (71), Meghan Markle (45), Barack Obama (65), Lee Mack (58), Stephen Graham (53), Evangeline Lilly (47), Martin Sheen (86), John C. McGinley (67), and Mamie Gummer (43).

Posted by  |  9th August 2026 | Categories: 2026 | Leave A Comment »

Dead Pool 26th July 2026

Not much to talk about this week, the news has been a little thin on the ground.  

Look Who You Could Have Had:

In Other News

William Shatner has revealed that he was dealing with cancer at the same time as his daughter, Melanie Shatner Gretsch. The 95-year-old Canadian actor told the Flying Monkeys  that Gretsch, 61, was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer in 2022 after finding a lump in her breast. Shatner revealed that about a year later, in June 2023, he was diagnosed with stage 4 melanoma, a serious form of skin cancer, that had spread to his lungs and brain. “I remember vividly thinking, ‘I don’t have the strength to take care of myself and lose my father at the same time,’” Gretsch, the youngest daughter of Shatner and first wife Gloria Rand. The father-daughter duo were both declared cancer-free by late 2024. Shatner said: “We got the perfect doctors for her cancer and my cancer.” In the year and a half after her diagnosis, Gretsch said she underwent multiple rounds of chemotherapy, a double mastectomy and 30 radiation therapy treatments. Gretsch said her father offered to help her financially during her treatment, saying: “I do not want you to worry. Just send me the bills.” “Then you made me laugh so hard when I was still going to the doctor a year later,” she said to the Star Trek actor. “You said, ‘You’ve got to get well. We’re going to be in the poorhouse!’” However, when she was nearly done with her treatments, her father found a lump in his cheek that turned out to be a tumour. He had surgery to remove it and underwent two years of immunotherapy to fight the cancer. Shatner opened up about the fear he felt when he was diagnosed. He recalled: “I said, ‘Stage 4?’ And someone in the room said, ‘Sorry.’ I said, ‘What are you sorry about?’ It was like, ‘Better pack your things.’ That person who said ‘sorry,’ that was very sad, like you are going to die. And I was. They said if this treatment they used did not work, I had about 5 months.”  

Singer Nivea offered an important update on her health after being diagnosed with blood cancer. “I was diagnosed with leukaemia earlier this year, ” the “Don’t Mess With My Man” singer, 44, revealed “I am so grateful to God. I am going through treatment.” Nivea confirmed that she started treatment for the blood cancer several months ago. Despite her diagnosis, Nivea assured the Flying Monkeys that she was maintaining a positive outlook due to her deep spirituality. “Everything is going great so far and I expect it to continue,” she said. “Amen. Amen. Amen! I’m very grateful for life. It’s so cliche to say, ‘You don’t know the time nor the hour,’ but it’s true. It just helped me put a lot of things into perspective.” The musician added, “I live in gratitude religiously. I’m just grateful for everything.” Nivea told us that she was keeping busy and even pursuing a music technology degree despite her illness. “I’m doing things I want to do,” she declared. “I’m definitely back into my music. I’m going to school for audio engineering.” The singer went on, “I’ve always wanted to learn how to engineer, how to mix and engineer, in particular. In general, I’m just doing all the things, honey! I’m loving all my children and just being grateful. I’m taking every opportunity that comes my way!” Nivea is perhaps best known for her 2003 breakthrough single “Don’t Mess with My Man,” which featured brothers Brian and Brandon Casey from R&B group Jagged Edge. The track received a Best R&B Performance Award nomination at the 2003 Grammys and ultimately reached number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart. 

On This Day

  • 1945 – The Labour Party wins the United Kingdom general election of July 5 by a landslide, removing Winston Churchill from power.
  • 1971 – Apollo program: Launch of Apollo 15 on the first Apollo “J-Mission, and first use of a Lunar Roving Vehicle.
  • 2005 – Mumbai, India receives 99.5cm of rain within 24 hours, resulting in floods killing over 5,000 people.

Deaths

  • 1952 – Eva Perón,  Argentinian politician, 25th First Lady of Argentina (born 1919). 
  • 1984 – Ed Gein, American serial killer (born 1906). 
  • 2020 – Olivia de Havilland, American actress (born 1916). 
  • 2023 – Sinéad O’Connor, Irish singer and musician (born 1966). 
  • 2025 – Tom Lehrer, American singer, comedian and mathematician (born 1928). 

Last Week’s Birthdays

Jason Statham (59), Sandra Bullock (62), Kate Beckinsale (53), Kevin Spacey (67), Helen Mirren (81), Eve Myles (48), Nana Visitor (69), Mick Jagger (83), Matt LeBlanc (59), Jennifer Lopez (57), Elisabeth Moss (44), Anna Paquin (44), Summer Glau (45), Danny Dyer (49), Lynda Carter (75), Woody Harrelson (65), Daniel Radcliffe (37), Ronny Cox (88), Jo Brand (69), Rhys Ifans (59), Willem Dafoe (71), Selena Gomez (34), Danny Glover (80), Juno Temple (37), Josh Hartnett (48), John Francis Daley (41), and Sandra Oh (55). 

Posted by  |  4th August 2026 | Categories: 2026 | Leave A Comment »

Dead Pool 19th July 2026

Another week passes by, and as death stops for no-one, here we are again with another newsletter. Truly sad to see Sam Neil on this weeks list, he’s starred in many of my favourite films. 

Look Who You Could Have Had:

In Other News

BBC Radio and Desert Island Discs star Lauren Laverne has revealed she as been diagnosed with a disorder that can develop into blood cancer, just years on from her cancer diagnosis. The broadcaster, 48, took to social media on Friday afternoon to reveal the ‘personal news’ to her followers that while she was feeling OK and didn’t need treatment, it was something she wanted to share as it can help other people facing the same thing. “I’m quite a private person by nature but am sharing this as one of the many things I’ve learned after going through health challenges in recent years is that talking about this stuff helps people. I’ve been diagnosed with something called smouldering myeloma (yes that is a weird name and no I’ve never heard of it either). It’s an asymptomatic blood and bone marrow disorder that in some people can develop into blood cancer. She was quite to assure fans as she wrote: “Thankfully for me the risk of this happening in my case is pretty low. At the moment I feel OK and don’t need treatment. Most people my age who have it have no idea – it tends to be cancer survivors like me who are diagnosed early as we’re so carefully monitored. It has nothing to do with my previous illness or my recent surgery, it’s just one of those things.” She added that it was an incurable ‘chronic condition’ and means that her immune system is now compromised so she will need MRI’s and bone biopsies going forward. She said it was ‘a lot’ coming just two years after her last diagnosis but wanted to be ‘upfront’ and share her story. She added that despite having ‘difficult experiences’ in the last eight years, she had learned a lot, and then thanked her doctors and 6 Music team who helped her. She added that she was now taking a couple of weeks off on holiday but would be back soon. She also joked in the caption of the post: “I call it Smouldering Mye. Sounds more like a drag queen.”  

Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger III, the American hero who piloted the “Miracle on the Hudson” flight, has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. “I recently found out I have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease,” the pilot, 75, said. “It is early stage. For now, this means a name may not come easily to me, I forget a story I have recently told, or I don’t sleep as well, but I am in the beginning of this long journey.” Sullenberger received his diagnosis in August 2025, and has since been learning about the condition – a type of dementia that affects a person’s memory, thinking and behaviour. Symptoms can eventually be severe enough to interfere with a person’s daily life and tasks. “My doctor, Dr. Gil Rabinovici with UCSF Medical Center, has opened my eyes to the prevalence of Alzheimer’s,” he shared. “This disease, he has told me, spares no age group and impacts millions of people around the world. It is the unwanted visitor at the door.” Sullenberger previously served in the United States Air Force before becoming a commercial airline pilot. He became a household name in January 2009, after he heroically landed US Airways Flight 1549 on the Hudson River after birds hit the plane, disabling its engines.. All 155 people aboard the aircraft survived. Tom Hanks eventually portrayed Sullenberger in the 2016 biopic Sully, which detailed the incredible water landing.  

Sha Wylie, believed to be England’s oldest stand-up comedian, has sadly died at the age of 81. The Edinburgh Fringe Festival regular, who made the finals of the Leicester Comedy Festival Silver Stand-up contest for acts over 55 twice, was “surrounded by family” when she passed away on July 5 after a “brief illness”. In her incredible career, Sha was also endorsed by comedy great Ronnie Corbett. Stand-Up Marketing spokesperson Kerry Herbert said: “Sha Wylie, passed away peacefully and surrounded by her family in Brighton, following a brief illness that required her to go to the GP in her crocs and the hospital in her WTF earrings. She was 81, a regular at the Brighton Fringe and still gigging to the end, getting to venues using her bus pass and a bright yellow Alinker walking-bike.” The obituary added: “Sha once said that if she were to have a headstone, it would say: ‘Sha was fat and that was that.’ “We’d like it to say, ‘Sha was loved, by her three children, her grandchildren, her many foster children, her nieces and nephews, her friends, her penpals, and her whole comedy family.’” She added: “But that’s too many words, so we’ll just hold her in our hearts and remember her unctuous voice calling us ‘darling’, her bright pink hair, and her spectacular earrings – recent ones being Lego seagulls ready for a chip. She will be terribly missed. Rest in peace, Sha.” Tributes have flooded in for Sha, with one fan writing: “I’m so saddened to hear of the passing of Sha Wylie, the true matriarch of the Brighton comedy scene. “Sha wasn’t just a wonderful comedian; she was someone who genuinely cared about the people around her. She was always invested in her fellow comedians, encouraging, supporting and celebrating others as much as herself. That kindness made her just as special off stage as she was on it. “Thank you, Sha, for your warmth, your laughter and the legacy you’ve left behind. You’ll be deeply missed. Rest peacefully.”

On This Day

  • 1545 – The Tudor warship Mary Rose sinks off Portsmouth. 
  • 1977 – The world’s first Global Positioning System (GPS) signal was transmitted.
  • 2024 – A faulty software update by CrowdStrike, an American cybersecurity company, causes global computer outages.

Deaths

  • 2013 – Mel Smith, English actor, director, and screenwriter (born 1952).
  • 2014 – James Garner, American actor (born 1928). 
  • 2019 – Rutger Hauer, Dutch actor, director, and producer (born 1944). 
  • 2024 – Ray Reardon, Welsh snooker player and police officer (born 1932).

Last Week’s Birthdays

Jared Padalecki (44), Benedict Cumberbatch (50), Kelly Reilly (49), Vin Diesel (59), Kristen Bell (46), Brett Goldstein (46), Eric Winter (50), David Hasselhoff (74), Alex Winter (61), Will Ferrell (59), Corey Feldman (55), Phoebe Cates (63), Diane Kruger (50), Travis Fimmel (47), Forest Whitaker (65), Celia Imrie (74), Brigitte Nielsen (63), Phoebe Waller-Bridge (41), Jackie Earle Haley (65), David Mitchell (52), Conor McGregor (38), Harrison Ford (84),  and Patrick Stewart (86).

Posted by  |  4th August 2026 | Categories: 2026 | Leave A Comment »

Dead Pool 12th July 2026

Quite a deadly week, with some shockingly unexpected deaths. But not all were unexpected, Christine correctly guessed that Patricia Greene would finally succumb to score her 55 points! Well done! 

Look Who You Could Have Had:

In Other News

Millionaire biohacker Bryan Johnson has hit a major obstacle in his years-long quest to “defeat death.” The 48-year-old tech entrepreneur, who rose to fame for chronicling his extreme health routine curated to reduce his biological age, announced on social media last week that he has been diagnosed with an incurable autoimmune disease. “My stomach is eating itself,” Johnson wrote in post on X. He explained that he has autoimmune gastritis, in which his immune system mistakenly attacks the healthy cells in his stomach lining. He wrote that for years, he had been unaware he was dealing with the disease, but said that it was likely caused by his diet of fast food and sugary beverages in the years before he  started biohacking his health routine, which included changes to his diet and sleep habits. “As a kid, I ate sugar cereal, drank sugary soda, and gobbled down fast food,” Johnson said. “I had a few healthy years in my early 20’s but then became a young father of three and began building a business. Juggling that stress and grind, I let my health slip and gained 40 lbs. Within a few years I’d fallen into a deep, chronic depression. Somewhere in that timeline, my body began developing an autoimmune process affecting my thyroid and then my stomach lining. AIG causes irreversible damage: nutritional deficiency, anaemia, and over a long horizon, elevated cancer risk. When AIG is discovered today, standard medical care concedes defeat, stating that nothing can be done except managing the condition, no matter how awful or lethal the effects.” Despite the irreversible effects, Johnson said he plans to “try and solve” the illness by monitoring several diagnostic tests, including ferritin and iron levels. His team is also planning to conduct repeated biopsies and develop treatments depending on the results. “In the age of AI, multiomics, and custom-built DNA, proteins, and cells, no condition should be presumed incurable simply because no one has yet tried to cure it with today’s stack,” he said. After selling his tech company Braintree Venmo to Paypal for $800 million in 2013, Johnson has gone to extreme financial and physical lengths — including using his teenage son’s blood plasma in hopes of resetting his body’s age to 18 — in his pursuit of eternal youth, spending roughly $2 million a year. Johnson has adopted a holistic approach to stopping the aging process and follows a 1,977-calorie vegan diet. He also takes several supplements and medicines in his journey, some of which he sells on his “blueprint” website.  

A student pilot has spoken of how she was forced to land a plane alone after her instructor ‘jumped to his death from the cockpit’ midway through the flight. The unnamed 22-year-old had been training with her instructor, 42-year-old Leandro Bertazzo, over Toledo, Argentina, on July 4th, when he reportedly opened the window of the Cessna C150 plane and jumped. The student’s account of the incident states that she watched Bertazzo plunge to his death. While she previously thought he had deployed a parachute she soon realised that was not the case. Despite witnessing such a harrowing moment — and having only limited experience in flying — the student raised the alarm before landing the plane safely and unaided at Coronel Olmedo Airport, which is based in Cordoba and commonly used by flight schools for training pilots. Reports said Mr Bertazzo’s body was found in a nearby field 20 minutes later. Eduardo Alvarez, director of flight school where Mr Bertazzo worked as an instructor, revealed details of his conversation with the student after the incident. Speaking to the Flying Monkeys he explained that she told him he had ‘jumped’, adding: ‘She said he took his headphones off, arranged his belongings including his mobile phone, took his seatbelt off, opened the door which is very difficult to open and jumped out. She sent a message informing about the situation and proceeded to return to the runway to land,’ he added, saying the student, who had a pilot’s licence but few flying hours under her belt, had been ‘very clear, decisive, mature and professional’. ‘She was very shaken, but with complete professionalism she flew the plane to the airfield and made a perfect landing,’ he added. It’s also been reported that at one point during the flight Mr Bertazzo told her: ‘You know what to do, keep moving forward.’ Mr Alvarez went on to describe him as someone who was ‘always smiling’, saying that his death had come completely out of the blue. An investigation into the instructor’s death is ongoing with officials saying the circumstances surrounding the accident are so unusual they are unable to explain how it might have happened.  

Veteran radio DJ Paul Gambaccini has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. In a statement, the BBC Radio 2 and Greatest Hits Radio presenter said: “As Freddie Mercury once sang, you can’t turn back the clock, you can’t turn back the tide. Ain’t that a shame. There’s no denying it’s a serious condition with an uncertain future, but for now life goes on as normal.” Gambaccini, who was given the diagnosis in 2025, said he would continue to present his programmes on both stations. Radio 2 said it sends “our love and best wishes to Paul”, and added it would continue to support him on his “beautifully crafted weekly music show”. In his statement, Gambaccini, 77, said he would “be as open as I can as things progress”, and that he was grateful for the kindness and support he had already received. For now, I wish to be given the space to keep on broadcasting the music I love to the listeners I love even more. These are the days of our lives,” he said. Greatest Hits Radio content director Andy Ashton praised Gambaccini for “bravely sharing his diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease.” “We know our audience will wholeheartedly share his own desire to keep on broadcasting the music he loves to the listeners he loves even more.”

On This Day

  • 1543 – King Henry VIII of England marries his sixth and last wife, Catherine Parr, at Hampton Court Palace. 
  • 1961 – Indian city Pune floods due to failure of the Khadakwasla and Panshet dams, killing at least two thousand people.
  • 1963 – Pauline Reade, 16, disappears in Gorton, England, the first victim in the Moors murders.  

Deaths

Last Week’s Birthdays

Melissa O’Neil (38), Michelle Rodriguez (48), Tamsin Greig (60), Cheryl Ladd (75), Bill Cosby (89), Stephen Lang (74), Caroline Quentin (66), Craig Charles (62), Chiwetel Ejiofor (49), Fiona Shaw (68), Peter Serafinowicz (54), Wyatt Russell (40), Sofía Vergara (54), John Simm (56), Tom Hanks (70), Pamela Adlon (60), Scott Grimes (55), Courtney Love (62), Richard Wilson (90), Kevin Bacon (68), David Corenswet (33), Maya Hawke (28), Anjelica Huston (75), Pauline Quirke (67), Jack Whitehall (38), Ringo Starr (86), Sylvester Stallone (80), Kevin Hart (47), Eva Green (46), Geoffrey Rush (75), Jennifer Saunders (68), Burt Ward (81), and Phyllida Law (94).

Posted by  |  12th July 2026 | Categories: 2026 | Leave A Comment »

Dead Pool 5th July 2026

We lost a few notable names last week, however nobody managed to score. Maybe the next upcoming heatwave will take its toll.  

Look Who You Could Have Had:

In Other News

Renowned American actor Danny Glover has been living with Alzheimer’s disease for several years, he revealed. The 79-year-old told the Flying Monkeys in an interview that he received the diagnosis “not long” after an honorary Oscar designation in 2022. While his movements, speech and memories have since slowed, Glover said he is still remains active. “I can live with it in a sense,” Glover said. “I’m sure as it advances, things are going to be different and changing.” A four-time Emmy winner, Glover is best known for his role in the Lethal Weapon series and The Color Purple. Glover and members of his family said they want to help change the stigma around the disease by speaking out about his condition. “I think it’s really important for him to have control of his own narrative, of his own life story,” Glover’s daughter, Mandisa, said. “That’s really important. And the time is now. What better time but now for him to speak for himself?” Glover reflected on his acting career, which he began in his early 20s – racking up more than 170 acting credits. He rose to fame in the 1980’s with his role as Detective Roger Murtaugh alongside Mel Gibson as Martin Riggs in the Lethal Weapon films. Glover was also known for his role in films including Places in the Heart in 1984 and The Color Purple in 1985. With a passion for social justice, the actor launched a production company to develop and fund politically relevant films. “We have challenges in the world,” Glover said in the interview. ” I think art becomes a reframe, a way of looking at that, you know?” 

Lionel Richie’s ex-wife, Brenda Harvey Richie, shared an update on his health. Last week, the 77-year-old singer was forced to stop a show midway through after feeling “dizzy.” “Thanking everyone for their concern! Lionel is OK and will be back on the stage,” Brenda wrote on X. She and Richie were married from 1975 to 1993. Richie was taken to the hospital after falling ill on stage during his show in St. Paul, Minnesota last week. The 77-year-old singer sat down mid-performance before attempting to continue his set. He then left the stage after explaining that he felt “dizzy” and “strange.” He was treated by paramedics, before his saxophonist, Dino Soldo, told the audience that Richie would be unable to complete the show. After he was taken to the hospital, The United Center in Chicago announced that Richie would have to postpone several scheduled shows. “He and Earth, Wind & Fire will return to the stage in Pittsburgh,” their statement read. “Lionel is heartbroken to postpone these two shows and cannot wait to be back performing for his fans. We apologise for any inconvenience this causes fans who have tickets for these two shows. Rescheduled dates will be announced soon.” Back in 2017, Richie spoke about why he prioritises his health on tour and even invested in the on-demand health service Heal. “There’s a number of things that happen on the road that isn’t predictable and the problem you don’t want to risk the idea that there’s no convenient way to see a doctor except maybe through the hotel who’ll send you a doctor.

On This Day

  • 1687 – Isaac Newton publishes Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica.
  • 1945 – The United Kingdom holds its first general election in 10 years, which would be won by Clement Attlee’s Labour Party. 
  • 1946 – Micheline Bernardini models the first modern bikini at a swimming pool in Paris.
  • 1948 – National Health Service Acts create the national public health system in the United Kingdom. 
  • 1954 – The BBC broadcasts its first daily television news bulletin. 
  • 1975 – Arthur Ashe becomes the first black man to win the Wimbledon singles title.
  • 1994 – Jeff Bezos founds Amazon.
  • 1996 – Dolly the sheep becomes the first mammal cloned from an adult cell.

Deaths

The most painful ways to die, according to science 

We are all mortal, and there is nothing we can do about it, other than hope to live a long, happy life. Of course, if we pass away in a peaceful, pain-free way, that is very much welcome. But unfortunately, this is not the case for everyone. In fact, there are indeed very painful ways to die. Here we delve into what science has to say about it. 

Electrocution: Many of us have experienced small electric shocks, and they sure can be painful, but dying by electrocution is a whole different ball game. 

When a powerful enough electric charge hits a person, their muscles seize, bones break, the skin swells up, and even eyeballs can pop out of their sockets. The whole process is excruciating. Punishing someone with death by electric chair truly was a barbaric practice.

However, the same fate can be met by anyone who comes in contact with a high-voltage conductor without the proper protective measures.

Radiation: One of the scariest things about radiation is that it is invisible and, in the right doses, fatal. But what actually happens when you suffer acute radiation syndrome (ARS)? To begin with, it damages both tissue and genetic material. 

This then translates into a number of health problems that impact the immune system. These eventually lead to serious complications such as the collapse of the circulatory system and, ultimately, death. This horrific fate is common for those involved in nuclear disasters, such as the Chernobyl accident in 1986. 

Crucifixion: Most of us associate crucifixion with the death of Jesus Christ, but this type of torture goes back to about the 6th century BCE. 

While some artists depict Christ hanging from the cross in a somewhat peaceful manner, this type of death is indeed extremely painful. So much so that the word “excruciating” actually comes from “crucifixion.” 

While most images depict nails through the palms of the hands, these are historically incorrect. The nails would instead go through the wrists, hitting the median nerve, which is incredibly painful. Not to mention all the insects that would irritate the wounds even more.

Burning: If the thought of burning to death makes you cringe, there is a good reason for it: it’s absolutely horrific. Our skin has numerous nerves, so the pain felt when these burn is very intense. 

Not to mention the pain of breathing in smoke and hot air, that will not only make one choke but also burn everything on its way. It is indeed agonising. 

If you’ve ever wondered how lava might kill you, here’s a summary. Your skin would boil and you’d go into instant rigor mortis (stiffening of the body). Not to mention that your brain might also boil, cracking your skull. 

Freezing: Freezing to death is not as still and peaceful as it might sound. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Hypothermia will make a person shiver uncontrollably in the first stages. 

This will then be followed by muscle stiffness and brain malfunction. As your body tries to supply blood to your vital organs, the extremities will become painful.

Frostbite then causes a burning sensation. Overall, freezing is definitely not a pain-free way to die. 

Drowning: While it doesn’t take forever, the process of drowning can be quite painful. To begin with, a person who is drowning is usually panicking, which leads to hyperventilation. But instead of air, the person will breathe in water. 

This will lead to a vocal cord spasm known as laryngospasm. But what causes the most pain is breathing in the water. Even for those who survive, their lungs remain in a state of pain for some time. 

Heart attack: Unlike other causes of death on this list, the excruciating pain some people go through usually occurs before they have a heart attack.

The warning signs just before an attack can be very painful indeed. There is usually pain radiating to the arm, jaw, neck, and back. The worst symptom is the crushing pressure felt on the chest, which is commonly described as if an elephant was sitting on your chest. 

Pancreatic cancer: From nerve pain to bone damage, and treatment side effects, dying of cancer can be very painful, and pancreatic cancer is arguably the worst when it comes to pain. Pancreatic cancer can cause a great deal of pain when it presses against the nerves around the area. This causes agonising abdominal and back pain.

Intestinal blockages can also occur, as well as referred soft-tissue pain in other parts of the body. 

Boomslang: A boomslang is a snake, and a very poisonous one at that. This means, of course, that being bitten by one will cause a very painful death. 

How does the venom kill you? Through haemorrhages. Essentially victims will bleed severely, internally. Then, uncontrollable shaking will set in, as well as nausea and high fever. It is indeed a painful death. 

Lethal injection: This form of execution is supposed to be less painful when compared to other methods, but this isn’t always the case. 

The most common protocol once included three drugs: a barbiturate and anaesthetic, a muscle relaxant, and finally a drug to stop the person’s heart. But this three-drug protocol was abandoned by some justice systems, in favour of single drugs. These, however, can make the pain last for minutes to hours, until the person dies. 

Many of these drugs will make the person relax, but they are not anaesthetics, so the pain is not addressed. For instance, extreme pulmonary oedema has been found in autopsies of executed prisoners. 

Decompression sickness: When divers go to into deep waters, they breathe compressed air that is much richer in oxygen and nitrogen than the one they’d breathe on the surface. 

The problem is that the nitrogen accumulates, and if divers return to the surface too quickly, the nitrogen will expand and form bubbles, which affect the entire body.

Decompression sickness, also known as barotrauma, or the bends, can be very painful and lead to death. 

Chlorine trifluoride (ClF3): Chlorine trifluoride (ClF3) was first discovered in the 1930’s. It’s a very reactive liquid that pretty much burns everything it comes into contact with. If you’re wondering what exposure to ClF3 would look like, scientist Paul Doherty explains: “The chlorine will turn your bones to gelatine — your fingers will turn from rods into little rounded stubs.” Ouch!

Last Week’s Birthdays

Neil Morrissey (64), Post Malone (31), Ronni Ancona (60), Eva Marie Saint (102), Tom Cruise (64), Patrick Wilson (53), Kurtwood Smith (83), Yeardley Smith (62), Bolo Yeung (80), Margot Robbie (36), Lindsay Lohan (40), Jerry Hall (70), Liv Tyler (49), Pamela Anderson (59), Dan Aykroyd (74), Vincent D’Onofrio (67), Mike Tyson (60), Katherine Ryan (43), Cheryl (43), Gary Busey (82), and Amanda Donohoe (64).

Posted by  |  5th July 2026 | Categories: 2026 | Leave A Comment »