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:

• Dame Penelope Keith, 86, English actress (The Good Life, To the Manor Born), cancer.  
• Victor Willis, 74, American singer (Village People) and songwriter (“Y.M.C.A.“, “In the Navy“).
• Kjell Nilsson, 76, Swedish weightlifter and actor (Mad Max 2, The Pirate Movie, Man of Letters), kidney disease. 
• Anna Dawson, 88, British actress (Dixon of Dock Green, The Benny Hill Show, Keeping Up Appearances). 
• Michael Byrne, 86, British actor (Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Gangs of New York, Braveheart). 
• Trevor Fishlock, 85, British journalist (The Times, The Daily Telegraph).

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

• 2014 – Rosemary Murphy, American actress (born 1925).
• 2021 – Richard Donner, American film director (born 1930).
• 2024 – Jon Landau, American film producer (born 1960).

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).