2025

Dead Pool 6th July 2025

With the death of Sandy Gall, I can award myself 53 points!! Go me!  

Look Who You Could Have Had:

In Other News

The Dalai Lama, the exiled spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists, turned 90 today after a week of celebrations. Thousands of worshippers from around the world have travelled to Dharamshala, the small Indian town in the foothills of the Himalayas where the Dalai Lama lives, to mark the occasion. This includes long-time follower and Hollywood star Richard Gere, who is set to speak during the celebrations for the Nobel laureate, who is regarded as one of the world’s most influential religious leaders and worshipped by millions of Tibetan Buddhists as the living manifestation of Chenrezig, the Buddhist god of compassion. On Saturday, the Dalai Lama said he hoped to live for decades more, until the age of 130, so listing him for the next 39 years is probably going to be a late of time. Tenzin Gyatso, who became the 14th reincarnation of the Dalai Lama in 1940, fled his native Tibet in 1959 following a failed uprising against Chinese rule and took shelter in India, along with hundreds of thousands of Tibetans. According to Tibetan tradition, Dalai Lamas are “reincarnated” after they die. China annexed Tibet in 1950 and the current Dalai Lama lives in exile in India, making succession a highly contentious issue. Beijing rejected the statement, saying his successor would be from inside China and must be approved by the government.  

Rock star David Roach has been left devastated after being diagnosed with a “very aggressive” form of cancer. The Junkyard rocker, who has fronted American heavy metal band Junkyard since 1987, shared a photo on Instagram from his hospital bed, flashing a peace sign with one hand and a defiant middle finger with the other, as fans rallied around him. David, who has led vocals for the heavy metal band, fell ill with what he thought was just a “fever and cough”, but was rushed to the ER, where doctors gave him the shock diagnosis. He is now battling squamous cell carcinoma affecting his head, neck, and throat, a fast-spreading cancer that has forced his fiancée Jennifer to give up her job to care for him full-time. The band has launched a GoFundMe to help cover medical costs, and Jennifer shared an emotional message with fans on Instagram. “We wish we could respond to each of you, but honestly, there are no words right now. We’re still struggling to process the news we received on Tuesday.” she wrote. At the time of publication, nearly $28,000 had already been raised. Country singer Nicholas Mich even hosted a Benefit Live Stream Concert to help support the fund.  

Former James Bond actor George Lazenby has been diagnosed with early dementia, his ex-wife has revealed. Pam Shriver, has spoken candidly about supporting the former 007 actor as he navigates life with dementia. Lazenby, now 85, made history as the shortest-tenured Bond, appearing only once in the 1969 film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, after taking over the iconic role from Sean Connery. Despite his brief time as 007, the Australian actor remains a beloved figure among Bond fans. Shriver, a former US tennis star, met Lazenby in 2000 at Wimbledon when she was 37. The pair married, had three children – Kait, Sam, and George – and later divorced in 2008. However, Shriver has remained a close presence in Lazenby’s life. In an interview with The Flying Monkeys, Shriver revealed that Lazenby is in the “early stages of dementia,” but stressed that his personality still shines through. “He has dementia, but he is still very much himself,” she shared. “A softer version of himself, perhaps – and this is the key.” Lazenby had been living in a sheltered housing facility in Pacific Palisades until earlier this year, when wildfires ripped through the Los Angeles area and forced an evacuation. Following the incident, Lazenby was relocated to an assisted living facility in Santa Monica, where he continues to receive care. “We go for walks together, chatting about the kids and all the little anxieties which anyone with an older relative will recognise,” Shriver said. “His dementia affects his short-term memory but he tells stories about his younger days.” Shriver also shared that the pair had discussed legal matters years ago and agreed she would hold “power of attorney” should he ever lose mental capacity.

On This Day

  • 1885 – Louis Pasteur successfully tests his vaccine against rabies on Joseph Meister, a boy who was bitten by a rabid dog.
  • 1942 – Anne Frank and her family go into hiding in the “Secret Annexe” above her father’s office in an Amsterdam warehouse.
  • 1944 – The Hartford circus fire, one of America’s worst fire disasters, kills approximately 168 people and injures over 700.
  • 1947 – The AK-47 goes into production in the Soviet Union.
  • 1988 – The Piper Alpha drilling platform in the North Sea is destroyed by explosions and fires. One hundred sixty-seven oil workers are killed, making it the world’s worst offshore oil disaster in terms of direct loss of life.

Deaths

  • 1932 – Kenneth Grahame, Scottish-English author (born 1859).
  • 1960 – Aneurin Bevan, Welsh politician, Secretary of State for Health (born 1897).
  • 1971 – Louis Armstrong, American singer and trumpet player (born 1901).
  • 1998 – Roy Rogers, American cowboy, actor, and singer (born 1911).
  • 2020 – Charlie Daniels, American singer-songwriter, and fiddle-player (born 1936).
  • 2020 – Ennio Morricone, Italian composer, orchestrator, conductor (born 1928).
  • 2022 – James Caan, American actor (born 1940).

Last Week’s Birthdays

Sylvester Stallone (79), Eva Green (45), Kevin Hart (46), Geoffrey Rush (74), Jennifer Saunders (67), Burt Ward (80), Neil Morrissey (63), Post Malone (30), Tom Cruise (63), Patrick Wilson (52), Kurtwood Smith (82), Yeardley Smith (61), Bolo Yeung (79), Margot Robbie (35), Lindsay Lohan (39), Larry David (78), Jerry Hall (69), Liv Tyler (48), Pamela Anderson (58), Dan Aykroyd (73), Debbie Harry (80), Vincent D’Onofrio (66), Katherine Ryan (42), and Mike Tyson (59).

6th July 2025 | Categories: 2025 | Leave A Comment »

Dead Pool 29th June 2025

Some vaguely familiar faces this week but no points to award. Apologies, but this newsletter sort of  ran away with me, some interesting stories just kept cropping up. 

Look Who You Could Have Had:

In Other News

TV presenter Dermot Murnaghan has revealed he has been diagnosed with stage four prostate cancer. The former ITV, BBC and Sky News journalist, 67, said he was “responding positively” to treatment and was “feeling well”. “I’m fortunate to have a simply outstanding medical team looking after me, who I can’t thank enough – they are administering the best possible care with expertise, compassion and sensitivity,” he wrote on Twitter. Murnaghan presented the main news programmes on ITV and the BBC before spending 16 years as one of Sky’s lead anchors, and has also hosted BBC Two quiz show Eggheads. His post started: “Some personal news……I’ve been diagnosed with Stage IV advanced prostate cancer.” He continued: “I’m responding positively to their excellent treatment, and feeling well. I’m blessed to be fortified by the monumental love and support of my wife, family and close friends. Needless to say my message to all men over 50, in high risk groups, or displaying symptoms, is get yourself tested and campaign for routine prostate screening by the NHS. Early detection is crucial. And be aware, this disease can sometimes progress rapidly without obvious symptoms.” He added that he is hoping to take part in a charity bike ride organised by Olympic champion Sir Chris Hoy, who also has prostate cancer, in Glasgow in September.  

Singer-songwriter Jessie J has announced that her cancer has not “all gone” after a previous post about her experience was “misunderstood”. She shared an update on her journey this week following her recent surgery. Jessie, 37, announced three weeks ago that she had been diagnosed with “early” breast cancer. She shared that she was preparing to have surgery and earlier this week she revealed that the procedure had gone ahead. She wrote on Monday: “I am home now, to rest and wait for my results.” Following the surgery, it was reported yesterday that Jessie had said that her “cancer is all gone” in an update on Instagram. She’s however now said it was a “positive affirmation” and highlighted that she used a fingers crossed emoji. Addressing the update having made headlines, she wrote in a post this evening: “You have misunderstood my post. I posted a list of pros and cons of having breast cancer surgery. The first pro I put was … The cancer has all gone [fingers crossed emoji].” She clarified: “This was a positive affirmation NOT a fact. I don’t have my results yet. I added the emoji in thinking people would understand and clearly a lot didn’t.” Jessie added: “A weird situation. My fault for not being clearer.” She went on to share her hope that the statement comes true, writing: “But for now I do not have my results after surgery which was only 6 nights ago. I pray it will be true soon but the journey of cancer isn’t that simple unfortunately.”  

With Glastonbury-goers descending on Somerset’s Worthy Farm this weekend, no doubt some mesmerising chaos at the fabled festival is about to ensue. But underneath the hedonism and glitter lies a darker side to the world-renowned event. Since its inaugural days in the 70’s, the capacity has stretched from a humble 1,500, with 210,000 revellers now setting up camp at Glasto each year. But accommodating the population of a large town for almost a week has seen Glastonbury experience its share of tragedies and mishaps over the years. 

The 1994 Glastonbury line-up saw The Levellers and Rage Against The Machine headline, but away from the stages, a terrifying incident unfolded. On the Saturday night, a gunman started firing indiscriminately into the unsuspecting crowd. Five people with shot, and at around 10pm, police were called as the emergency situation evolved. The man was discovered to be wielding an automatic pistol, and began to shoot fans who had innocently attended the festival to enjoy the music. Two women and three men all sustained gunshot wounds before being rushed to hospital for treatment. Thankfully, the victims, aged between 18 and 44 only suffered minor injuries and recovered fully. 

Over the years, multiple bodies have been recovered at the festival, with the most recent deaths being discovered in 2023. One was a a medical incident in which a man in his 40’s was found fead on the old railway line. The body was that of radio DJ Jason Winder, 48, who died in the early hours of Sunday at the 2023 festival. Avon & Somerset Police said he’d suffered a ‘medical incident’ on the old railway line footpath shortly before 4am and died at the scene. 

Christopher Shale, a senior Conservative, was discovered dead in a toilet at Glastonbury on the Sunday morning of the 2011 event. An aide and friend of David Cameron, Shale, 56, was found hours after describing the Tories as “graceless, voracious, crass, always on the take” in a leaked strategy document. Despite the unfortunate timing, an inquest found that the MP, who had no drink or drugs in his system, died from natural causes. Pathologist Dr Basil Purdue told the inquest at Wells town hall that the asthmatic’s weight had put “an excessive workload” on his heart. 

In 2016, a heartbreaking incident saw a 27-year-old Bristol juggler, who taught young children circus skills, kill himself in a devastating incident. Ashton Launcherley, who was diagnosed with schizo-affective disorder, set fire to himself on the Glastonbury site, the Monday before the festival was due to start. The inquest heard how Launcherley, who had been detained in mental health hospitals and previously sectioned, had been plagued by voices who spoke in strange accents. He was found crouching in the lotus position in a ditch, doused himself in petrol and deliberately set himself on fire. 

A whistleblower has warned more deaths are to come, after the senior manager slammed the festival for their approach to security. Speaking to the Flying Monkeys, the ex-manager said: “Worst-case scenario, people are going to die, I think they’re going to have some massive issues this year.”

On This Day

  • 1864 – At least 99 people, mostly German and Polish immigrants, are killed in Canada’s worst railway disaster after a train fails to stop for an open drawbridge and plunges into the Rivière Richelieu near St-Hilaire, Quebec.
  • 1971 – Prior to re-entry (following a record-setting stay aboard the Soviet Union
  • ‘s Salyut 1 space station), the crew capsule of the Soyuz 11 spacecraft depressurizes, killing the three cosmonauts on board. Georgy Dobrovolsky, Vladislav Volkov and Viktor Patsayev are the first humans to die in space.
  • 1995 – The Sampoong Department Store collapses in the Seocho District of Seoul, South Korea, killing 502 and injuring 937.
  • 2007 – Apple releases its first mobile phone, the iPhone.

Deaths

The Twitter Killer

For the first time in three years, Japan has carried out a capital punishment sentence by hanging a man known as the “Twitter killer.” Takahiro Shiraishi, 34, was hanged to death on Friday, at Tokyo Detention House. He was convicted and sentenced to death for killing and dismembering nine people in his apartment in 2020.

Takahiro Shiraishi’s was found guilty of sexually assaulting and robbing eight of his female victims aged between 15 and 26 in 2017. He lured them to his apartment near Zama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Tokyo using a Twitter handle that roughly translates to “hangman.” The victims were all suicidal and Shiraishi had falsely promised them that he would die with them, posting things like “Won’t you die with me?” The sole male victim was the boyfriend of one of the women.

Shiraishi would dump the mutilated bodies of the women in garbage disposals and other places around Zama. In October 2017, police searched his house to investigate the disappearance of a 23-year-old woman who had expressed suicidal thoughts on social media. The woman’s brother who accessed her social media, led the police to Shiraishi’s apartment where they found cooler boxes and containers in with body parts. Some were stashed in boxes filled with cat litter, which he used to hide evidence.

He had admitted in court that he killed them for sexual gratification. His defence council had filed an appeal with the Tokyo High Court but Shiraishi withdrew it himself which finalised his sentence.

Before he moved to Zama, Shiraishi used to work as a scout that lured women into sex work at clubs.

One of the victim’s father told NHK, a Japanese media agency, that the execution changed nothing and that it would have been better for Shiraishi to have lived so that he could reflect on his crimes.

The execution was ordered by Japan’s Justice Minister Keisuke Suzuki who said that he ordered it after “careful consideration.” In a press conference, the minister said that “the case caused the extremely serious outcomes and dealt a major shock wave and unease to the society.” he also said that “it is not appropriate to abolish the death penalty while these violent crimes are still being committed.”

In a government poll conducted every five years, 80 per cent of Japanese citizens showed support for capital punishment. The last time capital punishment was used in Japan was in 2022, to execute a man who went on a stabbing spree and killed seven people after crashing a truck in a district in Tokyo.

Last Meals

Richard Jordan, Mississippi’s longest-serving death-row inmate, requested chicken tenders, fries, strawberry ice cream and a root beer float for his last meal ahead of his execution on Wednesday.

Marc McClure, regional superintendent for the Mississippi Department of Corrections, announced the meal choice during a 2 p.m. press conference at the Mississippi State Penitentiary’s visitor centre in Parchman. He was joined by MDOC Commissioner Burl Cain.

McClure said Jordan ate his final meal at 4 p.m. 

Jordan was sentenced to death in 1977 for the 1976 kidnapping and murder of Edwina Marter, a Gulfport bank executive’s wife. He’d lived on death row for 48 years, making him the state’s longest-serving death row prisoner. 

When asked what kind of inmate Jordan had been during his decades on death row, McClure said only that he has never been a “problematic inmate.”

Last Week’s Birthdays

Gary Busey (81), Amanda Donohoe (63), Mel Brooks (99), John Cusack (59), Kathy Bates (77), Felicia Day (46), Alice Krige (71), Elon Musk (54), J.J. Abrams (59), Tobey Maguire (50), Emma D’Arcy (33), Meera Syal (64), Aubrey Plaza (41), Nick Offerman (55), Ariana Grande (32), Ricky Gervais (64), Sheridan Smith (44), Erin Moriarty (31), Iain Glen (64), Peter Weller (78), Nancy Allen (75), Rosie Jones (35), Joel Edgerton (51), Frances McDormand (68), Melissa Rauch (45), Selma Blair (53), Joss Whedon (61), and Bryan Brown (78).

29th June 2025 | Categories: 2025 | Leave A Comment »

Dead Pool 22nd June 2025

This week’s big surprise was finding out that Wincey Willis had passed away last December, unsurprisingly, nobody forecasted that one! 

Look Who You Could Have Had:

In Other News

James Whale admitted he has been “spending a lot of time crying” after giving a devastating update on his health after his cancer returned in 2020, spreading to his kidney, spine, brain and lungs. Whale admitted: “I’m in my last couple of weeks.” The star took calls from the public while reflecting on his epic 50-year career in broadcasting, and paid an emotional tribute to his wife Nadine, before admitting: “I’m heading into the sunset.” James was in good spirits as he told his listeners, “I’m actually in my last couple of weeks. Last time I saw my oncologist, he said I’ve probably only got weeks to go. Talk Radio have been absolutely brilliant, but if you hear a thump during the programme it may have been my last breath. I don’t know, I hope it isn’t! But I just thought I’d throw that in so you can feel remarkably sorry for me and not shout at me.” He continued: “Over 50 years I have interviewed and chatted to some of the most amazing people – it may have been you, and maybe we’ll catch up for the last time.” When caller Paula got on the phone, he told her: “I spend a lot of time crying. Really it’s a bit embarrassing, Paula, to be quite honest with you.” Paula responded: “Don’t James. You’ve got something to cry for – your wife, and she adores you!” A clearly emotional James said: “I’ve got my doggies. I’m heading into the sunset, and I talk about it regularly on the show, and it’s interesting because now everybody talks about it. Not mine, but their own. They don’t feel that they’re doing it quite right without having a cancer to talk about.” The star went on to remind fans: “Nadine my wife and I do a podcast every week called Tales of the Whales and if you’re in a similar situation, I’m the one with it, she’s the one who’s got to put up with it. Please have a listen and tell us what you think.” James was first diagnosed with cancer back in 2000, having his left kidney removed to combat the disease. But in 2020 the cancer returned to his remaining kidney – and sadly it was deemed to be terminal.

Actor Eric Idle, 82, has been hospitalised for a second time in just a matter of days. The Monty Python star took to Instagram to update his fans on his health as he explained a bit more about the illness that he has been battling. He praised the medical staff taking care of him, at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles, for their “kindness and help” as he shared that he is suffering from Gastroenteritis. The NHS website says that this is an unpleasant condition causing inflammation of the stomach and intestines, often due to viral or bacterial infection. On Monday, the comedy star wrote: “So I’d like to thank all the doctors nurses and staff in the Cedars GI ward for their kindness and help to me today. The second time in three days. I think I’m suffering from Gastroenteritis. I love you people.” Eric previously opened up on his health, back in 2019, when he shared that he had been battling cancer. He shared that he had undergone surgery for pancreatic cancer after luckily detecting it early. But last year, he admitted that he “shouldn’t be alive” and now cherished “every moment” of life. When asked how his brush with cancer changed him, he responded: “Oh, I shouldn’t be alive. I’m a lucky bastard and I enjoy every moment.” The star shared that he initially thought the diagnosis was a joke after an exchange with his doctor, partly because he was coincidentally working on a project about death. He explained: “I had been working on a project called ‘Death: The Musical’ and I asked my doctor which type of cancer I could use to finish off one of my characters. He said, ‘Pancreatic cancer, it can finish people off in three weeks.’”. But then during routine health checks years later, an alarming blood test was flagged by the same doctor. Eric shared: “He said, ‘Pancreatic cancer’ and I burst out laughing because I thought he must be joking.”  

R Kelly was rushed to hospital after overdosing on medication in prison, according to reports. The disgraced musician was sentenced to 30 years for racketeering and sex trafficking in 2021 and has been in a US federal prison ever since. The singer was given anxiety medication by prison staff after being put into solitary confinement ‘against his will’ on June 10, and then suffered an overdose, his attorney has claimed in a filing. Federal prosecutors have denied this allegation. The filing further claims that Kelly was then left feeling “faint and “dizzy” and saw “black spots in his vision” three days later, after being instructed to take more medication. Onsite prison medical staff could not help the rapper, so he was transported by ambulance to Duke University Hospital, the court documents state. He was treated in hospital, where he is reported to have spent two days recovering. It is alleged that the rapper was heard telling a member of prison staff that “this is going to open a new can of worms”. His legal team also claim that the prison staffers intentionally ‘gave him an amount of medicine that could have killed him’. Kelly’s attorney, Beau Brindley, said: “This was no mistake. It was a dose that jeopardised his life and nearly ended it.” His attorney has filed an emergency motion seeking that his client is released from prison, claiming that the singer is not safe within the prison walls. This is Brindley’s third request, with the motion referencing an alleged attempt on Kelly’s life by a group of prison officials, according to the reports. Brindley claimed the singer was to be “murdered” by a terminally ill inmate, who is reportedly a member of white supremacist group the Aryan Brotherhood. According to the motion, three prison officials – including a warden and an assistant warden – worked together to have Kelly “murdered” at the hands of an inmate, Mikeal Glenn Stine. Stine had reportedly claimed that high-ranking officials in the prison had offered him the opportunity to get out and live his last few months free, before his terminal illness kills him. After months of stalking Kelly in prison, according to the filing, Stine claimed that he changed his mind and told the rapper about the plans. Kelly is requesting to be placed on house arrest for his crimes – which included convictions for child pornography and enticing minors for sex. However, prosecutors have slammed his attempt to be freed as ‘deeply unserious’ and ‘repugnant’. The artist is seeking a presidential pardon from President Donald Trump, following the claims of his attempted assassination. His attorneys have claimed the singer “does not have the luxury to wait for vindication from the courts that will follow the exposure of the corruption at the heart of his prosecutions’. The legal team claim they ‘are engaged in conversations with multiple persons close to the White House and to President Trump’. R Kelly was exposed during the #MeToo movement as a serial sex abuser, and was sentenced to over three decades in a federal prison in the United States.

On This Day

  • 1948 – The ship HMT Empire Windrush brought the first group of 802 West Indian immigrants to Tilbury, marking the start of modern immigration to the United Kingdom.
  • 1979 – Former Liberal Party leader Jeremy Thorpe was acquitted of conspiracy to murder Norman Scott, who had accused Thorpe of having a relationship with him.
  • 1986 – The famous Hand of God goal, scored by Diego Maradona in the quarter-finals of the 1986 FIFA World Cup match between Argentina and England, ignites controversy.

Deaths

  • 1969 – Judy Garland, American actress and singer (born 1922).
  • 1987 – Fred Astaire, American actor and dancer (born 1899). 
  • 2008 – George Carlin, American comedian, actor, and author (born 1937).
  • 2015 – James Horner, American composer and conductor (born 1953).

Ghana’s Unique Coffins  

It’s hard to miss the coffin shaped like an old Nokia brick phone at the entrance of the sunlit workshop on the outskirts of Accra. Here, on a busy road next to Ghana’s Atlantic coastline, Eric Kpakpo Adotey and his small team of craftsmen spend each day working in the thick humidity to bring people’s creative final wishes to life.

“Most of the time, people don’t cry when they see these ones,” Eric explained as he zigzagged between a coffin shaped like a Nike trainer and another in the form of an intricately detailed, pink fish. “They forget there’s a body in this coffin,” he added, the sounds of carpentry tools hammering away around him. “They all talk about the design, the art, the shape of it… it changes the atmosphere.”

Visiting a coffin maker is hardly at the top of many travellers’ bucket lists, but it should be if you visit Ghana. In this vibrant West African nation, death isn’t mourned in the sober ways you may expect. For many, it’s also a time of celebration, carried out in prolonged, colourful ceremonies full of music and dancing that can span multiple days. One of the more unique traditions adopted into Ghanaian funerary culture is the use of fantasy coffins that carry the dead into the afterlife, just like the ones Eric has crafted for the last 25 years. 

Locally referred to as abebu adekai (proverbial coffins), these figurative designs have been primarily used by the Ga people, one of Ghana’s ethnic groups, since around the 1950s. They’re typically crafted to resemble a person’s trade and symbolise the work they’ll continue in the afterlife, like a cocoa bean for a cocoa farmer or a fish for a fisherman.

Painted in striking colours and finished with minuscule details, they could easily pass for impressive sculptures rather than their more solemn use. Yet, after spending weeks on the design and creation, these coffins encase the deceased just like a regular coffin before burial in the ground. In more recent years, coffin requests have also become bolder — one viral video from a funeral in Ghana in 2020 saw a person buried in a penis-shaped coffin, prompting speculation about whether the deceased was a sex worker, or a ‘wanzam’ who performed circumcisions. 

For Eric’s part, the coffin craftsman has made everything from a coffin shaped like a camera to a human-sized beer bottle. “The one that is most famous to me is the octopus,” Eric recalled about his most unique request, adding that the intricate design came with eight tentacles. “That one was… a challenge.” 

Coffin making can also be big business. Some of Eric’s coffins have become collectables, selling for over $4,000 to international buyers and displayed in galleries worldwide. Those destined for local burials tend to have a more modest price tag, but regardless of its destination, the team puts care and commitment into each and every coffin they work on. 

Behind this bold creativity is also something deeper — the coffins are just one part of an elaborate funeral culture you find in Ghana, where send-offs are particularly grand affairs. News of a funeral here is usually announced through giant posters plastered on the sides of houses and walls, sharing information about the upcoming event. These posters usually include dramatic messages: “A painful exit”, read one, while another announced “What a shock!”

The theatrics also continue through the ceremonies themselves, from “professional mourners” who are paid to wail at the side of a coffin, to the viral dancing pallbearers who skilfully carry the coffin on their shoulders while performing an  impressively synchronised dance routine. 

From the public obituaries to the clothes people wear, Ghana’s lively funeral events carry a deeply spiritual and symbolic significance, as well as a party-like atmosphere that comes with a hefty price tag.

“People would go in for loans to organise beautiful funerals,” says lecturer and researcher Nii Ayo Solomon, whose own family recently commissioned a fantasy coffin. “My sister was buried recently,” he adds. “She was the national captain for the female national rugby team and we had to do a casket like this that looks like a rugby ball for her to be buried in.” On the last day of the festivities, “all the family comes together to settle the bills,” explained Isaac Aziawo, a guide for Intrepid Travel, which includes a visit to the fantasy coffin makers on one of its Ghana tours. “They have to get a contribution from each person to pay for the food, the drink, the coffin, and all other expenses during the funeral.” 

Last Week’s Birthdays

Meryl Streep (76), Bruce Campbell (67), Tim Russ (69), Lindsay Wagner (76), Cyndi Lauper (72), Prunella Scales (93), Chris Pratt (46), Carrie Preston (58), Juliette Lewis (52), David Morrissey (61), Nicole Kidman (58), John Goodman (73), Christopher Mintz-Plasse (36), Zoe Saldaña (47), Aidan Turner (42), Kathleen Turner (71), Will Forte (55), Jodie Whittaker (43), John Cho (53), Arnold Vosloo (63), and James Bolam (90).

22nd June 2025 | Categories: 2025 | Leave A Comment »

Dead Pool 15th June 2025

I thought we might have scored some points this week, those Flying Monkeys did a relatively  good job. Alas, no-one listed any of the below, so we’re still where we were. 

Look Who You Could Have Had:

In Other News

Prince William’s polo friend has died after reportedly swallowing a bee during a match – triggering a fatal heart attack, it is claimed. Indian-born billionaire Sunjay Kapur, 53, collapsed during the match at Guards Polo Club in Windsor yesterday. Sources told the Flying Monkeys the bee stung Kapur in his mouth before he suffered anaphylactic shock that caused his heart to stop. He is understood to have requested the match be halted and then fell to the ground. Reportedly, a witness claimed that Kapur said, “I’ve swallowed something,” which seems to be his final words before his fatal heart attack. Medical experts say internal stings can prove deadly, particularly if a person has an undiagnosed allergy. Kapur’s exact cause of death is still being investigated. A well-known figure on the polo circuit in the UK and India, the late industrialist rubbed shoulders with the royals, including the Prince of Wales. Kapur was the chairman of global car parts giant Sona Comstar. He was previously married to Bollywood star Karisma Kapoor, the couple had two children together. Talking about Sunjay Kapur’s health, a source close told the UK portal: “Sunjay was in excellent health. No one could believe what had happened. It’s a shocking reminder of how fragile life can be.” 

A ‘seriously ill’ rock legend has been rushed to hospital with the band making a heartbreaking show announcement on Wednesday. James Prime, 64, co-founder and keyboardist of Deacon Blue, is currently undergoing care.  The band, made up of vocalists Ricky Ross and Lorraine McIntosh, James, drummer Dougie Vipond, guitarist Gregor Philp and bassist Lewis Gordon, confirmed that their shows would still go ahead.  It is unclear why James is in hospital, although he is currently in intensive care. In a statement shared to Instagram, they explained: ‘Dear friends, we wanted to share some news with you about our brother, Jim. Unfortunately, he is seriously ill and undergoing care in hospital. We would like you to join us in wishing him well and to share our love with him. We spoke to Jim yesterday about Deacon Blue’s plans for the rest of the year, and he encouraged us to continue with love in our hearts and with his full blessing that the shows go ahead, even if it means replacing the irreplaceable James Miller Prime for the time being. Together with Jim’s family, we want to thank all the nurses, doctors and ICU staff for their ongoing care, professionalism and compassion. With love, Ricky, Lorraine, Dougie, Gregor, Lewis and Tom.’

On This Day

  • 1215 – King John of England puts his seal to Magna Carta.
  • 1648 – Margaret Jones is hanged in Boston for witchcraft in the first such execution for the area.
  • 1667 – The first human blood transfusion is administered by Dr. Jean-Baptiste Denys.
  • 1752 – Benjamin Franklin proves that lightning is electricity.
  • 1878 – Eadweard Muybridge takes a series of photographs to prove that all four feet of a horse leave the ground when it runs; the study becomes the basis of motion pictures.
  • 1896 – One of the deadliest tsunamis in Japan’s history kills more than 22,000 people.
  • 1921 – Bessie Coleman earns her pilot’s license, becoming the first female pilot of African-American descent.
  • 1970 – Charles Manson goes on trial for the Sharon Tate murders.
  • 1996 – The Troubles: The Provisional Irish Republican Army detonates a powerful truck bomb in the middle of Manchester, England, devastating the city centre and injuring 200 people.
  • 2022 – Microsoft retires its ubiquitous Internet Explorer after 26 years in favour of its new browser, Microsoft Edge, it’s shit too.

Deaths

  • 1993 – James Hunt, English racing driver and sportscaster (born 1947).
  • 1996 – Ella Fitzgerald, American singer and actress (born 1917).
  • 2014 – Casey Kasem, American radio host, producer, and voice actor (born 1932).
  • 2023 – Glenda Jackson, English actress and politician (born 1936).

Last Meals

Stephen Stanko was an American prisoner who was convicted of the 2005 murders of two people in South Carolina, as well as the kidnapping and rape of the teenage daughter of one of his murder victims. 

Prior to his murder conviction, Stanko had been incarcerated for assault and kidnapping in 1996. Stanko was released from prison in 2004 after serving 81⁄2 years of a 10-year sentence. While in prison, he co-authored Living in Prison: A History of the Correctional System With an Insider’s View.

Stanko has been described as “a highly intelligent, polished ex-convict who didn’t mind talking about his life in prison or the book he’d written about it.” 

After his release in 2004, Stanko moved to Myrtle Beach, renting a room for almost a year. His parole officer visited the home to ensure his landlady was aware of his background, which he had disclosed when applying for the rental. His relationship with his landlady was uneventful other than his occasionally being late with the rent. He often complained about his difficulty getting a job because of his background, although he had one or two brief employments. He abruptly moved out after almost a year, moving to a friend’s home in exchange for keeping an eye on her elderly mother.  

About one year after being released from prison, Stanko began doing library research, supposedly for a second book. While doing this research, he befriended librarian Laura Ling and eventually moved in with her and her boyfriend. He also had developed a seemingly friendly relationship with a library patron, Henry Turner. 

In April 2005, Stanko strangled Laura Ling , shot Henry Lee Turner dead, and sexually assaulted and slit the throat of Ling’s teenage daughter, who survived and made the 911 call for help. He was convicted of these charges after trials in which an insanity defence was used. 

Articles on Jeffrey Dahmer, Green River killer Gary Ridgway, and other serial killers were found in Stanko’s home. According to a police spokesperson: “He either was just interested in serial killers, or he was becoming a serial killer.”

After a nationwide manhunt, based on tips received after the posting of a $10,000 reward for information leading to his capture, Stanko was arrested without incident by the U.S. Marshals Service in Augusta, Georgia on April 12th 2005, as he was able to hide discreetly around the Augusta area during the 2005 Masters Tournament.

On August 18, 2006, a Georgetown County jury convicted Stanko and sentenced him to death for the murder of Ling, and 110 years in prison for criminal sexual conduct, kidnapping and armed robbery in the related assault of Ling’s daughter. In November 2009, Stanko was convicted of murder in the Turner trial. That led to his second death sentence, this time by a Horry County jury. 

After receiving his execution date, Stanko requested that the state reveal more information about its protocols for lethal injection and firing squad. Stanko stated that he had been  leaning towards choosing the firing squad until details of the execution of Mikal Mahdi were published. 

Stanko was executed on June 13th 2025, by lethal injection at the Broad River Correctional Institution. He was pronounced dead at 6:34 pm. Prior to his execution, Stanko ate a last meal of fried fish, fried shrimp, crab cakes, a baked potato, carrots, fried okra, cherry pie, banana pudding and sweet tea.

Last Week’s Birthdays

Helen Hunt (62), Neil Patrick Harris (52), Courteney Cox (61), Jim Belushi (71), Will Patton (71), Donald Trump (79), Chris Evans (44), Stellan Skarsgård (74), Tim Allen (72), Kat Dennings (39), Malcolm McDowell (82), Ally Sheedy (63), Simon Callow (76), Richard Thomas (74), Kathy Burke (61), Shia LaBeouf (39), Joshua Jackson (47), Hugh Laurie (66), Peter Dinklage (56), Adrienne Barbeau (80), Jane Goldman (55), DJ Qualls (47), Elizabeth Hurley (60), Bill Burr (57), Jürgen Prochnow (84), Eddie Marsan (57), Michael J. Fox (64), Johnny Depp (62), and Natalie Portman (44).

15th June 2025 | Categories: 2025 | Leave A Comment »

Dead Pool 8th June 2025

Scraping the  bottom of the barrel for celebrity deaths this week. I’ll get those cages open… 

Look Who You Could Have Had:

 In Other News

Morten Harket, the frontman of A-ha, has Parkinson’s disease, the singer has announced. On Wednesday, the Norwegian “Take On Me” band released a statement reading: “This isn’t the sort of news anyone wants to deliver to the world, but here it is: Morten has Parkinson’s disease.” In his own statement on the band’s official website, Harket, 65, said he originally kept the degenerative condition “strictly private”, but has now decided to tell fans. He said: “I’ve got no problem accepting the diagnosis. With time I’ve taken to heart my 94-year-old father’s attitude to the way the organism gradually surrenders: ‘I use whatever works. Part of me wanted to reveal it. Like I said, acknowledging the diagnosis wasn’t a problem for me; it’s my need for peace and quiet to work that has been stopping me.” Harket said he is”trying the best I can to prevent my entire system from going into decline”, writing: “It’s a difficult balancing act between taking the medication and managing its side effects. There’s so much to weigh up when you’re emulating the masterful way the body handles every complex movement, or social matters and invitations, or day-to-day life in general.” Harket’s symptoms have been “softened” thanks to development in treatment from the Mayo Clinic in the US. 

Jessie J has revealed that she was diagnosed with early stage  breast cancer two months ago and after a period spent “in and out of tests”. The singer, whose real name is Jessica Cornish, shared a video on her Instagram with the news, saying she had been “going back and forth” over the decision to talk about it publicly. “I want to share it with my fans and the people that care about me, and also I’m a sharer. I’ve always shared everything that I go through in my life,” she begins her video by saying. “Before ‘No Secrets’ came out I was diagnosed with early breast cancer. I’m highlighting the word early. Cancer sucks in any form but I’m holding on to the word early. I have been in and out of tests throughout this whole period.” The singer went on to explain her reasons for wanting to be open about her diagnosis, saying it was part of her process to accept it. “Because selfishly I do not talk about it enough. I’m not processing it because I’m working so hard. I also know how much sharing in the past has helped me with other people giving me their love and support and also their own stories.” She said she would be undergoing surgery after she performs at the Summertime Ball 2025, scheduled to take place in London on 15th June. “It’s a very dramatic way to get a boob job. I am going to disappear for a bit after Summertime Ball to have my surgery and I will come back with massive tits and more music,” she said.  

Sir Rod Stewart has been forced to cancel more US concerts as the singer continues to recover from flu ahead of his set at Glastonbury later this month. The 80-year-old is still set to play the coveted Sunday tea-time legends slot at the prestigious UK festival later this month. Earlier this week Stewart announced that he was having to cancel two planned concerts in Las Vegas following doctor’s orders. The singer has now taken to Instagram to say that he is “devastated” as six more of his shows in Nevada and California, which were all due to take place in the next eight days, have either been cancelled or rescheduled. “I have to cancel and reschedule my next six concerts in June as I continue to recover from the flu,” he wrote in a post shared on Saturday. “So sorry my friends. I’m devastated and sincerely apologise for any inconvenience to my fans. I’ll be back on stage and will see you soon.” He signed off “Sir Rod” along with the heartbreak emoji. The singer previously emphasised that, while he had no immediate plans to retire, he would be scaling back his world tours after completing his current one. “This will be the end of large scale world tours for me, but I have no desire to retire. I love what I do, and I do what I love,” he said in a statement. “I’m fit, have a full head of hair, and can run 100 metres in 18 seconds at the jolly age of 79,” Stewart added.

On This Day

  • 1929 – Margaret Bondfield is appointed Minister of Labour. She is the first woman appointed to the Cabinet of the United Kingdom.
  • 1968 – James Earl Ray, the man who assassinated Martin Luther King Jr. is arrested at London Heathrow Airport.
  • 1972 – Vietnam War: Nine-year-old Phan Thị Kim Phúc is burned by napalm, an event captured by Associated Press photographer Nick Ut moments later while the young girl is seen running naked down a road, in what would become an iconic, Pulitzer Prize-winning photo.

Deaths

  • 632 – Muhammad, the central figure of Islam. (born 570).
  • 1913 – Emily Davison, English suffragette (born 1872).
  • 2018 – Anthony Bourdain, American chef and travel documentarian (born 1956).

 Last Meals

While many American prisoners awaiting the death penalty are able to choose their final meal before execution, inmates in Texas no longer have this privilege thanks to the actions of one man.

White supremacist Lawrence Brewer was executed in 2011 after he was convicted of helping to kill a black man by dragging him behind a truck in what some call the most notorious race crime of the post-Civil Rights era.

Brewer, 44 – who was convicted of capital murder along with two other men also found guilty of taking part in the kidnapping and slaying of James Byrd Jr. in 1998 –  was given a lethal injection of drugs on September 21st and was pronounced dead shortly after.

He had no final words, but he did put in a request for his last meal – two chicken steaks, a triple bacon cheeseburger, fried okra, three fajitas, a pizza, a pint of ice cream, and a slab of peanut butter fudge.

Guards did their best to bring Brewer his favourite foods before his death.

But as his dinner was plated up and presented to him on a table, Brewer refused to eat a single bite.

His refusal to eat the multi-course meal angered Texas senator John Whitmire, prompting him to put an end to the tradition, saying ‘it’s long overdue.’

‘Enough is enough’, the senator declared, stating that the last meal request is an ‘extremely inappropriate’ privilege, ‘one which the perpetrators did not provide to their victim.’ 

‘Mr Byrd didn’t get to choose his last meal. The whole deal is so illogical’, he added.

Executive director  of the Texas criminal justice department, Brad Livingston, agreed with Sen. Whitmire.

He said: ‘I believe Senator Whitmire’s concerns regarding the practice of allowing death row offenders to choose their last meal are valid.

‘Effective immediately, no such accommodations will be made. They will receive the same meal served to other offenders on the unit.’

Brewer had been on death row for 12 years before his 2011 execution.

Speaking to local media before receiving his lethal injection, he said death would be a ‘good out’ and that he was ‘glad it’s about to come to an end.’

Asked if he had any last words, he replied: ‘No. I have no final statement’, as a single tear rolled down his cheek.

Brewer was executed for his part in the 1998 killing of Byrd in Jasper, East Texas, after Brewer and two friends offered him a lift along a remote country road. 

The subject of last meals before execution has thrown up  some interesting results over the last few decades, with infamous killer James Smith being refused a request of dirt in 1990 and instead eating yoghurt.

While not a mandatory requirement for prisoners on death row in countries where the death penalty still exists, the request is often granted in the US, with the final meals written into public records of executions.

Despite Texas’ decision to no longer allow prisoners to choose their last meals, other states continue to give inmates the option to.

Some states, however, have a final meal price limit, while others require the meal to be served within a specific time.

It is not uncommon for prisoners to order nostalgic meals that offer them a last flavour of happiness before they face the most extreme punishment possible for their heinous crimes.

While extensive, Brewer’s request was far from the largest or most bizarre death row meal orders.

Back in 2011, prisoner Cleve Foster’s requested two fried chickens, French fries and a 19-litre bucket of peaches.

In 2000, Odell Barnes Jr. from Texas, who was sentenced to death for the 1989 murder of Helen Bass,  requested ‘justice, equality and world peace.’

In 2002, Robert Anthony Buell, from Ohio, was executed by lethal injection for the 1982 murder of 11-year-old Krista Lea Harrison. For his final meal, he requested a single, black, un-pitted olive.

Last Week’s Birthdays

Griffin Dunne (70), Ye (48), Colin Baker (82), Nancy Sinatra (85), Liam Neeson (73), Anna Torv (46), Michael Cera (37), Karl Urban (53), Bill Hader (47), Bear Grylls (51), Tom Jones (85), Jason Isaacs (62), Paul Giamatti (58), Robert Englund (78), Sandra Bernhard (70), Mark Wahlberg (54), Mel Giedroyc (57), Noah Wyle (54), Angelina Jolie (50), Bruce Dern (89), Sean Pertwee (61), Russell Brand (50), Imogen Poots (36), James Purefoy (61), Suzi Quatro (75), Morena Baccarin (46), Awkwafina (37), Justin Long (47), Jewel Staite (43), Liam Cunningham (64), Dominic Cooper (47), Zachary Quinto (48), And Dana Carvey (70).

8th June 2025 | Categories: 2025 | Leave A Comment »

Dead Pool 1st June 2025

Unfortunately we have no points to dispense today, although I mistakenly thought a couple of you had Loretta Swit. Better luck next week.  

Look Who You Could Have Had:

 In Other News

Eamonn Holmes has issued an emotional health update to his followers. The former This Morning presenter, 65, has been battling health issues since an operation in 2022, and last week, he fell off his chair while presenting on GB News. Posting a throwback snap on social media, Eamonn said a picture of him broadcasting made him upset as he now can’t walk. “Great picture popped up from 3 years but it’s made me sad – I could walk,” he wrote. “Got to redouble my efforts.” The presenter suffered the fall on GB News while the camera was focused on commentator Charlie Rowley. A loud crash could be heard off-screen, prompting Holmes’ co-host Ellie Costello to exclaim: “Oh my gosh!” A visibly stunned Rowley immediately moved to help Holmes, but the veteran host quickly reassured viewers, saying: “I’m fine, I’m fine. Carry on, carry on.” Rowley attempted to continue the segment, but producers swiftly cut to an extended six-minute advert break. In March, Holmes told his followers he is in constant pain. “Even when the sun shines there’s pain,” he said, sharing a selfie to his 782,000 followers. “Sometimes I feel I’ll never beat this disc immobility but I’m determined to have a life. So pray for me, help me or get out of the way social media haters.” Holmes has frequently been pictured either in a wheelchair or relying on walking aids and turned to various therapies to aid his rehabilitation. The presenter falling off his chair on GB News comes just weeks after he fell in his bathroom, suffering the “sorest and most powerful” knock to his head. He had already revealed on Instagram that he had been hospitalised following the fall, but recalled the accident later in more details on GB News. Holmes said he was fortunate to have his phone within reach and was able to call for an ambulance.  

Australian comedian Magda Szubanksi has announced her devastating diagnosis of a rare cancer that’s “very aggressive” and “very serious”. The Kath & Kim star revealed on Instagram on Thursday that she was about to undergo treatment for stage four mantle cell lymphoma. She described it as a “rare and fast-moving blood cancer”. Appearing on camera with a bald head, Szubanski said she had shaved off her hair “in anticipation of it all falling out in a couple of weeks”. “It is one of the nasty ones unfortunately,” she shared with followers. “But the good thing is I’m surrounded by beautiful friends and family and an incredible medical support team.” At one point in the video, an emotional Szubanski burst into laughter. “You know, I’ve just got to…” she said through a chuckle. “What do you do, what are you gonna do?” In her attached blurb, Szubanksi explained that she would be undergoing “one of the best treatments available” known as the Nordic protocol. “I’m lucky to be getting absolutely world-class care here in Melbourne,” she wrote. “I won’t sugar-coat it: it’s rough. But I’m hopeful. I’m being lovingly cared for by friends and family, my medical team is brilliant. Szubanski is best known for playing Sharon Strzelecki, the red-headed bowl cutt-wearing friend of Kim in the classic Australian series. 

BBC and ITV sports broadcaster Steve Rider has shared that he plans to step away from TV this summer. The 74-year-old is best known for hosting BBC sports show Grandstand, seeing him cover the lives of rugby, golf, motorsports and rowing. Rider also presented Sportsnight and the Sports Personality of the Year award, along with hosting the BBC’s coverage of every Olympic Games from 1988 until 2004. In 2005, Rider left the BBC and moved to ITV, where he has since remained and has hosted coverage for Formula One and the World Cups for football and rugby. The sports legend plans to conclude his 48-year-long broadcasting career this summer and plans for a low-key exit when he has his final job in front of the camera in June. Speaking to the Flying Monkeys, Rider said: “I’ll just slide away.” Adding: “The biggest emotion as you get into the last two minutes of something like that is, ‘For God’s sake, don’t cock it up,’ because you’d be thinking about that for the next 20 years! I’ve probably outstayed my welcome. I’ve been hugely lucky with the places that the career has taken me. But it’s close to 50 years now, so the cracks are showing!” The sports broadcaster’s exit follows his previously announced prostate cancer diagnosis, which he shared while appearing on BBC Breakfast. Rider shared that he was “incredibly lucky” that the disease was found early, and he immediately had surgery to stop the cancer from spreading. He got tested after a close friend was diagnosed with prostate cancer and after his own check-up results were a “little high.” Speaking on BBC Breakfast, Rider said: “They took one look and said, ‘We’re going to operate in two weeks’. No messing around. We did Brands Hatch for ITV on the Sunday and I had the operation on the Thursday, so it slotted into the schedule quite nicely!’” Let’s see how retirements treats him. 

On This Day

  • 1974 – The Heimlich manoeuvre for rescuing choking victims is published in the journal Emergency Medicine. 
  • 2001 – Nepalese royal massacre: Crown Prince Dipendra of Nepal shoots and kills several members of his family including his father and mother. 
  • 2008 – A fire on the back lot of Universal Studios breaks out, destroying the attraction King Kong Encounter and a large archive of master tapes for music and film, the full extent of which was not revealed until 2019.

Deaths

Last Week’s Birthdays

Tom Holland (29), Jennifer Coolidge (64), Morgan Freeman (88), Brian Cox (79), Jonathan Pryce (78), Amy Schumer (44), Heidi Klum (52), Alanis Morissette (51), Robert Powell (81), Clint Eastwood (95), Colin Farrell (49), Lea Thompson (64), Brooke Shields (60), Tom Berenger (76), Sharon Gless (82), Colm Meaney (72), Stephen Tobolowsky (74), Harry Enfield (64), Ted Levine (68), Danny Elfman (72), Laverne Cox (53), Kylie Minogue (57), Michelle Collins (63), Lily-Rose Depp (26), Paul Bettany (54), Jack McBrayer (52), Helena Bonham Carter (59), Pam Grier (76), and Bobcat Goldthwait (63).

1st June 2025 | Categories: 2025 | Leave A Comment »

Dead Pool 25th May 2025

With two death row killers and a supercentenarian in this week’s list, it’s rather surprising that nobody scored! Death row inmates have been listing fairly well of late, might be a good shout for next year.  

Look Who You Could Have Had:

In Other News

Billy Joel has canceled all upcoming concerts after he was diagnosed with the brain disorder normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH), the singer announced on Friday. The condition “has been exacerbated by recent concert performances, leading to problems with hearing, vision and balance”, according to a statement posted to the 76-year-old singer’s official Instagram. “Under his doctor’s instructions, Billy is undergoing specific physical therapy and has been advised to refrain from performing during this recovery period. Billy is thankful for the excellent care he is receiving and is fully committed to prioritising his health.” The Piano Man singer added: “I’m sincerely sorry to disappoint our audience and thank you for understanding.” Normal pressure hydrocephalus is a condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain’s ventricles, leading to difficulty walking, problems with thinking and reasoning and loss of bladder control. It primarily affects people in their 60’s and 70’s and is often misdiagnosed as Alzheimer’s disease or Parkinson’s disease, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. Joel’s team added that the 23-time Grammy winner is grateful for the support from fans during this time and looks forward to the day when he can once again take the stage.”  

Former US President Joe Biden, 82, has been diagnosed with prostate cancer that has spread to his bones, a statement from his office said on Sunday. The discovery was made on Friday after he reported urinary symptoms which led doctors to find a small nodule on his prostate. The cancer is a more aggressive form of the disease and Biden and his family are reviewing treatment options, the statement said. He left office in January as the oldest serving US president in history and questions about his health dogged his first term, leading him to end his run for re-election late in his campaign. In Sunday’s statement, Biden’s office said: “Last week, President Joe Biden was seen for a new finding of a prostate nodule after experiencing increasing urinary symptoms. On Friday, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, characterised by a Gleason score of 9 (Grade Group 5) with metastasis to the bone. While this represents a more aggressive form of the disease, the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive which allows for effective management.” A Gleason score of nine means his illness is classified as “high-grade” and the cancer cells could spread quickly, according to Cancer Research UK. After news broke of his diagnosis, the former president received support from both sides of the aisle. President Donald Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social that he and First Lady Melania Trump were “saddened to hear about Joe Biden’s recent medical diagnosis”. Barack Obama – who served as president with Joe Biden as his deputy – said that he and his wife Michelle were “thinking of the entire Biden family”. 

Feargal Sharkey, the singer and environmental advocate, has confirmed that he received a cancer diagnosis last year. Sharkey said he initially sought medical attention for a sore throat, which led to the diagnosis. He the Flying Monkeys issue was “resolved” a year ago. The water campaigner is now encouraging other men to undergo testing and seek medical advice when needed. “My doctor, being the beautiful, wonderful, awkward, cantankerous old man that he is, went, ‘Oh Feargal, by the way, you’re 65 now, I’m going to run the full battery of tests, ‘” he said. “Two days later, it turns out, I began a journey which led to the diagnosis of prostate cancer.” In 2022, some 50,751 men were diagnosed with prostate cancer in England. In a direct appeal to the public, Sharkey urged men to stay informed about their health options. “Now, for one in eight of you, you will be put in the same journey I’ve had, and it’s quite astonishing to think that in this country right now, one in eight men have prostate cancer,” he said. “Most of them don’t even know it. So go and have the blood test and if you’re lucky, you’ll walk away.” Doctors have a range of tests for diagnosing prostate cancer.

On This Day

  • 1895 – Playwright, poet and novelist Oscar Wilde is convicted of “committing acts of gross indecency with other male persons” and sentenced to serve two years in prison.
  • 1961 – U.S. President John F. Kennedy announces, before a special joint session of the U.S. Congress, his goal to initiate a project to put a “man on the Moon” before the end of the decade.
  • 1977 – Star Wars is released in US theatres.
  • 1985 – Bangladesh is hit by a tropical cyclone and storm surge, which kills approximately 10,000 people.

Deaths

Last Meals

The oldest inmate on death row had some fiery words for Tennessee’s governor as he was executed for murdering his estranged wife and her teenage sons.

Oscar Franklin Smith, 75, was killed by lethal injection on Thursday morning for the 1989 murders of Judith Smith and her sons, Jason and Chad Burnett.

Smith has always maintained his innocence in the grisly murders, and as he lay strapped to a gurney at the Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville he claimed the justice system was broken.

He noted that Gov. Bill Lee – who made a last minute decision to stop Smith’s execution in 2022 – ‘has the last word’ on allowing executions to continue.

‘He’s a damned fool if he doesn’t realise we’ve got innocent men at Riverbend waiting to die,’ the 75-year-old said in his three-minute final statement.

‘I’m not the first, and I won’t be the last,’ he said.

Smith could later be heard insisting, ‘I didn’t kill her’ in the moments before visible signs of respiration stopped and he was pronounced dead at 10.47am.

Witnesses to the execution said they saw no obvious sign that the injection had begun after his final statement, but noted that Smith’s speech became laboured as he spoke with his spiritual adviser – who was allowed into the execution chamber under an agreement with state officials.

She was seen performing a  final liturgy, reading from scripture and at one point singing I’ll Fly Away. 

Smith was convicted of fatally stabbing and shooting Judith Smith, her 13-year-old son Jason Burnett and 16-year-old son Chad Burnett at their Nashville home shorty before midnight on October 1st, 1989.

Prosecutors argued that the couple were going through a contentious divorce and were fighting over custody of their three-year-old twins.

When the murders occurred, Smith was also facing domestic violence charges for allegedly assaulting his wife.

At his trial, two of Smith’s co-workers testified that he had solicited them to kill Judith, noting that he had a history of threats and violence against her and her boys.

He even told one of  his co-workers that he threatened to kill the boys because he said Judith treated them better than the twin children they shared.

Smith had also taken out insurance policies on all three victims, prosecutors noted.

They also played the audio of the 911 call, in which they said Chad could be heard screaming, ‘Frank, no.’ Franklin is Smith’s middle name, and one that prosecutors said he used regularly. 

But Smith has long denied the murders and allegations of domestic violence and death threats, claiming he, his wife and the boys had spent the day together and later that night, he said he left Judy’s house with their twins, whom he dropped off at his mother’s house while he left for a job in Kentucky.

His claims, however, were refuted by the fact that his car was seen at the victim’s home the night of the crime.

A handprint found at the scene also matched Smith’s left hand – including his two missing fingers.

Smith was ultimately sentenced to death by a Davidson County jury in July 1990. 

However, all we want to know is that for his last meal Smith ordered hot dogs, tater tots, and apple pie with vanilla ice cream.

As you may have seen in this issues listings, Smith wan’t the only inmate put to death last week, Benjamin Ritchie was also executed in the same manner. 

For his last meal, the cop killer requested the “Tour of Italy” meal from Olive Garden, which includes fettuccine alfredo, lasagna, and chicken parmigiana. His last words were: “I love my family, my friends, and all the support I’ve gotten. I hope they all find peace.

Last Week’s Birthdays

Ian McKellen (86), Mike Myers (62), Octavia Spencer (55), Frank Oz (81), Cillian Murphy (49), Daisy Edgar-Jones (27), Jim Broadbent (76), Alfred Molina (72), John C. Reilly (60), Doug Jones (65), James Cosmo (77), Priscilla Presley (80), Bob Dylan (84), Éric Cantona (59), Richard Ayoade (48),  Joan Collins (92), Melissa McBride (60), Bob Mortimer (66), Maggie Q (46), Ginnifer Goodwin (47), Sean Gunn (51), Fairuza Balk (51), Mr. T (73), Judge Reinhold (68), Noel Fielding (52), Jack Gleeson (33), Cher (79), Louis Theroux (55), Grace Jones (77), and James Fox (86).

25th May 2025 | Categories: 2025 | Leave A Comment »

Dead Pool 18th May 2025

I’ll forgive you if you have no idea who any of our celebs are this week, but apparently these people are famous!  

Look Who You Could Have Had:

In Other News

Veteran broadcaster James Whale has given a frank health update on his 74th birthday following treatment for stage four kidney cancer. The broadcaster and talk show host has been a popular voice on radio and TV for five decades and currently presents a weekly nighttime talk show on talkRADIO. He was awarded an MBE for his services to broadcasting and to charity in the 2024 New Year Honours List. Whale revealed in February 2020 that his kidney cancer had since spread to his spine, brain and lungs. In 2024 he expressed doubt as to whether he would still be alive by the end of the year. Speaking recently to the Flying Monkeys, Whale offered a candid update on his health. Asked how he was doing, he replied: “I’m feeling ok. As people know I’m not about to die, but well, you never know do you. I have had all my treatment so I’m giving you the lowdown on it. If I make it to Christmas I will be exceptionally lucky. Sometimes I think it will be easier just to have a heart attack and go.” Speaking earlier this month on 2nd May, Whale, along with his Talk co-host Ash Gould, updated listeners on his situation, indicating that he hoped to continue working for a few months more. He said: “I’m at the end of my cancer journey. There is no treatment I can have anymore. I’m hoping to go on for another few months, but as soon as I can’t do the show anymore, I won’t.” Whale added: “I can’t tell you how grateful I am to Talk to actually let me on the air and sit next to Ash, which is a real pain in the butt, but I’ve been doing it for 25 years!” Whale was first diagnosed with cancer in 2000, and had to have one of his kidneys removed. In 2018, his first wife, Melinda Maxted, died after being diagnosed with lung cancer; in August 2020, Whale revealed cancer had returned in his kidney, spine, brain and lungs. The radio DJ’s past experience with cancer led him to form the James Whale Kidney Fund in 2006, which merged with Kidney Cancer UK in 2015.  

Sir Chris Hoy is appreciating life “more than ever” after being diagnosed with terminal cancer last year and says he has entered “a bit of a stability period” in his treatment. The 49-year-old, a six-time Olympic cycling gold medallist, said in February 2024 that he was undergoing treatment for prostate cancer. In October, he announced his diagnosis was terminal after the primary cancer spread to his bones, with doctors giving him between two and four years to live. Speaking to the Flying Monkeys, Hoy issued a positive update on his health: “I’m doing well. It feels like I’ve entered a bit of a stability stage at the moment and I’m feeling good. Most importantly, cancer’s not the first thing I think about when I go to bed at night. I think we’ve got into a rhythm now where it’s part of our life and we manage that and crack on. I feel good. I’m on constant medication, constant treatment, but it’s not interfering too much with my life, and the most important thing is it’s working, so I’m stable at the moment, everything’s good. Making hay while the sun shines.” The Scot won his six Olympic golds – and one silver medal – between 2000 and 2012, making him Britain’s second-most decorated Olympic athlete behind Sir Jason Kenny (seven golds). He also claimed 11 World Championship golds and 34 World Cup titles before retiring in 2013. “I can’t believe the position I’m in now compared to 18 months ago. I never imagined I’d be able to get to this point where I’m actually living life,” he continued. “And not just living life, but actually appreciating it more than ever. It’s not just about doing bucket-list stuff and doing massive things, it’s about appreciating the daily, mundane fun of life.”

On This Day

  • 1695 – The Linfen earthquake in Shannxi, Qing dynasty causes extreme damage and kills at least 52,000 people!
  • 1812 – John Bellingham is found guilty and sentenced to death by hanging for the assassination of British Prime Minister Spencer Perceval.
  • 1953 – Jacqueline Cochran becomes the first woman to break the sound barrier.
  • 1980 – Mount St. Helens erupts in Washington, United States, killing 57 people and causing $3 billion in damage.

Deaths

Last Meals 

Florida has executed a man known as the “Casanova Killer” for his good looks and ability to charm women just before murdering them.

Glen Edward Rogers, 62, was executed on Thursday by lethal injection for the murder of Tina Marie Cribbs, one of four single mothers in their 30’s with reddish hair who fell victim to the Casanova Killer. Rogers was also known as the “Cross Country Killer” because the victims all lived in different states: California, Mississippi, Louisiana and Florida.

“He’s an animal,” one of his victim’s sisters said in court before Rogers was sentenced to death, according to an archived report from the Associated Press. “He’s about the evilest thing I think I’ve ever imagined.”

Rogers used his last words to shout-out President Donald Trump and address the families of his victims, according to execution witnesses.

“I know there’s a lot of questions that you need answers to. I promise you in the near future the questions will be answered and I hope in someway will bring you closure,” he said. “President Trump, keep making America great. I’m ready to go.”

Randy Roberson, whose mother Andy Lou Jiles Sutton was a victim of the Casanova Killer, witnessed the execution and said that seeing Rogers die will help give him some closure but that his death was far too easy.

“It helps a lot, just knowing that he’s not here anymore,” Roberson said. “I wish it wouldn’t have been so easy for him. It looked like he just went to sleep, like he didn’t really get what he deserved.”

Rogers − a native of Hamilton, Ohio − was pronounced dead at 6:16 p.m., becoming the 16th inmate executed in the U.S. this year and the fifth in Florida. His last meal consisted of pizza, chocolate cake, and soda. Another three men are set to be executed in the U.S. next week, in Texas, Indiana and Tennessee.

Here’s what to know about Rogers’ execution, including who his victims were. 

Authorities connected five victims to the Casanova Killer. Four of them were mothers with reddish hair in their 30’s. Three of the murders happened within a six-day period.

  • Mark Peters, a 72-year-old retired electrician in Hamilton, Ohio, with whom Rogers lived with briefly, was found dead in a shack owned by Rogers’ family in January 1994 in Beattyville, Kentucky. (Rogers is a native of Hamilton, Ohio just outside Cincinnati.)
  • Sandra Gallagher, a 33-year-old mother of three, of Santa Monica, California, killed on September 28th, 1995 in Van Nuys. Her body was found in her burning vehicle. She had met Rogers in a bar the night of her murder.
  • Linda Price, a 34-year-old mother of two, found stabbed to death in the bathtub of her home in Jackson, Mississippi, on November 3rd, 1995. Price briefly lived with Rogers, telling her mother: “He is my dream man,” according to an archived story in the Dayton Daily News.
  • Tina Marie Cribbs, a 34-year-old mother of two, found stabbed to death in a Tampa, Florida hotel bathtub on November 7th, 1995. Like Gallagher, she had met Rogers at a bar on the night of her murder.
  • Andy Lou Jiles Sutton, a 37-year-old mother of four: three sons and a daughter who were 19, 17, 8, and 6 when she was found stabbed to death in her bed on November 9th, 1995 in of Bossier City, Louisiana. Sutton and Rogers met  before her murder and are believed to have slept together.

Soon after his arrest, Rogers claimed to have killed Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman in Los Angeles in June 1994, and about 70 people overall. There was no evidence to back that up. 

Growing up, Rogers’ childhood was deprived of love, moral guidance or family values, and he frequently witnessed his alcoholic father beat his mother, according to court records.

Rogers started using controlled substances at a young age and began committing burglaries, eventually becoming a chronic alcohol abuser, court records said.

As an adult, he held a slew of jobs, from a school bus driver in his native Hamilton, Ohio, to a carnival worker in Mississippi.

Since his arrest at the age of 33, he spent most of the past three decades on death row. He was 62 at the time of his execution.

Last Week’s Birthdays

Tina Fey (55), Miriam Margolyes (84), Chow Yun-Fat (70), Toyah Willcox (67), Paul Whitehouse (67), Pierce Brosnan (72), Megan Fox (39), Thomas Brodie-Sangster (35), David Boreanaz (56), Danny Trejo (81), Stephen Mangan (57), Cate Blanchett (56), George Lucas (81), Tim Roth (64), Greg Davies (57), Siân Phillips (92), Francesca Annis (80), Robert Pattinson (39), Samantha Morton (48), Iwan Rheon (40), Harvey Keitel (86), Zoë Wanamaker (76), Mark Heap (68), Stephen Colbert (61), Varada Sethu (33), Rami Malek (44), Malin Akerman (47), Ving Rhames (66), Emilio Estevez (63), Gabriel Byrne (75), and Jason Biggs (47).

18th May 2025 | Categories: 2025 | Leave A Comment »

Dead Pool 11th May 2025

Another week of relative unknowns passing away. I’ll have to release the Flying Monkeys!  

Look Who You Could Have Had:

In Other News

Former Coronation Street legend Charlie Lawson has gave a health update after he was rushed to hospital earlier this week. The 65-year-old actor revealed he was sent to A&E after suffering two falls. Giving an update from his hospital bed, the former ITV soap star, who is best known for having played Jim McDonald, took to social media to give fans a debrief. Charlie explained he was undergoing examinations after falling twice. The actor had an MRI scan and was waiting on more results. Now, after being initially sent home, Charlie is back in the hospital and shared an update with his followers. On Twitter, he said: “Well hello folks, from a rather, erm, well I’m not sure what it’s doing outside. It was rather nice when I came in, but here I am again in special day care in Macclesfield hospital waiting to see an osteopath and hopefully getting a transfer to Salford Royal to the spinal unit. That’s the plan, but I was talking to you last time from the same cubicle and I ended up back at home at half ten at night so we shall wait and see.” He then told followers he is “fine” before saying he “simply can’t walk properly”. “I’m in great pain,” he added. “I can’t stand on my tip toes now so, yeah, this is very comfortable but if I stand up I just fall over so there’s something seriously gone wrong, so i’ll keep you posted. Cheerio now!” He captioned the upload: “Encore une fois!!!,” which translates to one more time. Earlier in the week, Charlie told followers: “Hi folks, went to physio this morning and she sent me straight to A&E, which I did. They examined me. I have an MRI scan and I’m sitting waiting for the results. They’ve whisked me back in for more examinations so it’s not going awfully well at the moment. Anyway, I’ll keep you updated. They put a wristband on me and all sorts of craic. I’ve fallen over twice, so something going wrong down there.” Charlie first made his debut on the Street back in 1989 in his role as Jim, the patriarch of the McDonald family. He remained in the role for over a decade before making his exit in 2000, 11 years on.  

Queen Margrethe of Denmark has been hospitalised after contracting a cold, the royal household has revealed. The 85-year-old, who abdicated in January in favour of her son, King Frederick X, was admitted to Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen. The royal, a third cousin of Queen Elizabeth, is in hospital for observation as a precautionary measure.  She has also cleared her schedule of upcoming engagements, including yesterday’s visit to the Sankt Lukas Foundation’s 125th anniversary celebration. ‘HM Queen Margrethe admitted to Rigshospitalet,’ the palace wrote, adding, ‘As a result of the cold that H.M. Queen Margrethe has contracted, it has been decided that the Queen will be admitted to Rigshospitalet for observation as a precaution. Her Majesty, known for her chain-smoking and love of dachshunds, was last seen on Sunday during a church service in connection with the 80th anniversary of Denmark’s liberation. Despite resigning in 2023, the monarch remains active and performs royal duties alongside her son. Margrethe shocked the nation with the announcement of her abdication during her New Year’s Eve live television segment. She said one of the reasons why she chose to give up the throne was because of her health issues, adding that she underwent surgery for her back in February 2023. Margrethe said: ‘It went well, thanks to the skilled healthcare staff who took care of me. Of course, the operation also gave rise to thinking about the future – whether the time had come to leave the responsibility to the next generation.’ She is still known as Her Majesty Queen Margrethe and can fill in as regent if King Frederik, Queen Mary and Crown Prince Christian are abroad, ill or on holiday.  

Japan’s Emperor Emeritus Akihito will undergo heart tests at a hospital after an unspecified problem was detected during a routine checkup. The Imperial Household Agency did not answer calls to its office to confirm reports by the Flying Monkeys and several other Japanese media. Akihito, 91, who is retired, is the father of Emperor Naruhito. He abdicated from the Chrysanthemum Throne in 2019. Akihito will be hospitalised, starting Tuesday, at the University of Tokyo Hospital. Other details were not immediately available. Akihito had heart bypass surgery in 2012. Akihito ascended to the throne after his father, Hirohito, died in 1989. No other emperor has abdicated in modern Japanese history. But Akihito has broken with other imperial traditions. He was the first emperor to marry a commoner, Empress Michiko. 

On This Day

  • 868 – A copy of the Diamond Sūtra is published, making it the earliest dated and printed book known.
  • 1812 – Prime Minister Spencer Perceval is assassinated by John Bellingham in the lobby of the House of Commons.
  • 1985 – Fifty-six spectators die and more than 200 are injured in the Bradford City stadium fire.
  • 1997 – Deep Blue, a chess-playing supercomputer, defeats Garry Kasparov, becoming the first computer to beat a world-champion chess player in a classic match format.

Deaths

  • 1889 – John Cadbury, English businessman, founded the Cadbury Company (b. 1801).
  • 1981 – Bob Marley, Jamaican singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1945).
  • 1985 – Chester Gould, American cartoonist, created Dick Tracy (b. 1900).
  • 2001 – Douglas Adams, English novelist and screenwriter (b. 1952).
  • 2024 – Susan Backlinie, American actress and stuntwoman (b. 1946).

The ‘Worst Death in History’

History is, sadly, replete with examples of man’s cruelty towards his fellow man.

From modern-day terrorist attacks to medieval torture methods, we are constantly reminded of humankind’s propensity towards inflicting pain on others.

And yet, when it comes to the worst, or “cruellest”, death in history, one man is widely regarded as the unfortunate chart-topper, based on the sheer horror of the range of abuses he endured.

György Dózsa was a Hungarian revolutionary, born in 1470, who came to lead a peasants revolt against the country’s nobility.

He and his fellow rebels successfully killed thousands of members of the ruling classes – burning their manor houses to the ground and seizing the fortresses of Arad, Lippa, and Világos – before they were finally defeated by Hungary’s governing forces.

Dózsa was taken prisoner in July, 1514, and, according to historian Paul Freedman, of Yale University, subsequently executed in a manner “so stunningly barbarous that across Europe contemporaries, inured though they were to gruesome public spectacles, took notice.” 

Freedman notes that Dózsa was forced to sit on an iron throne, which was then heated up, while a red-hot iron crown was placed on his head in a “mock coronation ceremony”.

“Still alive, the partially roasted Dózsa was then removed from the throne and his followers, who had been starved for this purpose, were forced to eat his flesh.”

What remained of the 44-year-old was then quartered and “sent around Hungary for display”.

Other accounts offer further gruesome details, with The Legends of Hungary Youtube channel claiming that “while he was still alive, Dózsa’s soldiers were forced to tear his naked body apart with their own teeth”.

Then, before he succumbed to this hellish end, he was forced to witness as his younger brother Gergely was cut into three parts and hung on the gallows.

Suffice it to say, it’s no wonder Dózsa’s death has been branded the “cruellest of all time,” however arbitrary such a title may be.

Last Week’s Birthdays

Tim Blake Nelson (61), Holly Valance (42), Jadyn Wong (40), Meg Foster (77), Bono (65), Rosario Dawson (46), Grace Gummer (39), Billy Joel (76), Stephen Amell (44), David Attenborough (99), Vicky McClure (42), Alexander Ludwig (33), MrBeast (27), Richard O’Sullivan (81), George Clooney (64), Adrianne Palicki (42), Henry Cavill (42), Lance Henriksen (85), John Rhys-Davies (81), Richard E. Grant (68), Zach McGowan (45), Michael Palin (82), and Marc Alaimo (83).

11th May 2025 | Categories: 2025 | Leave A Comment »

Dead Pool 4th May 2025

Another successful week, let’s dole out the points! Neil correctly predicted that Steve McMichael would die this year, he also listed him as his Cert, so a whopping 183 points which boost him to the top of the league table. 

We can also award 134 points to Abi, Dave, and Lee who listed Inah Canabarro Lucas as either a Cert or a Woman, well done all of you! 

Look Who You Could Have Had:

  • Steve McMichael, 67, American football player (Chicago Bears) and professional wrestler, Super Bowl champion, complications from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
  • Jane Gardam, 96, English writer (The Queen of the Tambourine, Old Filth, God on the Rocks). 
  • Mike Peters, 66, Welsh rock singer (The Alarm, Big Country) and songwriter (“Sixty Eight Guns”), chronic lymphocytic leukaemia. 
  • Priscilla Pointer, 100, American actress (Carrie, Dallas, Blue Velvet). 
  • Inah Canabarro Lucas, 116, Brazilian supercentenarian, world’s oldest living person. 
  • Ruth Buzzi, 88, American comedienne and actress (Sesame Street, The Berenstain Bears), complications from a stroke and Alzheimer’s disease. 
  • Jeffrey Hutchinson, 62, American convicted murderer, execution by lethal injection. 
  • Jill Sobule, 66, American singer-songwriter (“I Kissed a Girl“, “Supermodel“), house fire. 

In Other News

The comedian Milton Jones has announced that he is cancelling a planned tour of the UK after being diagnosed with prostate cancer, which will require surgery. The 60-year-old shared the news in a statement on social media where he said that the cancer is “treatable” and he is due for an operation in the coming weeks. However, his recovery period has forced him to cancel a handful of shows across the country. “I’m so sorry about this, but I need to announce the cancellation of several dates from my ongoing Ha!Milton Tour.” He continued: “This difficult decision comes following a recent diagnosis of treatable prostate cancer. I’ll be undergoing surgery soon and will need time afterwards to fully recover.” Jones added: “In addition, the summer dates in Colchester, Bridlington, Stroud, and London will be rescheduled to the Autumn. All dates currently scheduled for the Autumn leg of the tour remain unaffected. Ticket holders for the cancelled shows will be contacted directly by the venue box office. Thanks for your support and respecting my privacy during this time. This decision has not been taken lightly. Trust me, abnormal service will resume as soon as possible and I’m looking forward to being back out on the road again soon – though probably not on a bike!” Jones, best known for his deadpan and often surreal one-liners, began his career in 1996 performing regularly at The Comedy Store in London and Manchester.   

Joanna Lumley has reflected on her mortality, predicting that her “time must be coming quite soon”. The Bafta-winning star of the hit sitcom Absolutely Fabulous, who is 78, opened up on the subject of death in a new interview, revealing that several of her “beloved friends are beginning to leave”. “As you near the top of the hill you suddenly think: ‘Gosh, there’s not all that amount of time left. My time must be coming quite soon and I don’t want to have wasted a minute of being on this beautiful planet.” Lumley also urged young people to worry less, telling the Flying Monkeys: “I used to panic when I was young, but as I’ve got older I’ve started literally to live day to day. With age, you work out what matters. I always knew that good stuff would come along when I was older. When I was 18, I longed to be 30. When I was 30, longed to be 50. We mustn’t be led into thinking getting old is bad. Growing old is good.” While sharing “a big message” to younger generations, the actor hinted that social media might be affecting their people skills. “You need time in your head. I’m so afraid we’re going to breed a generation who don’t know the world and don’t know how to talk.” Lumley previously expressed concern over young people’s work ethic, stating her belief that the youth of today want a fast track to success without putting the work in.  

Sir David Attenborough has reflected on approaching “the end of his life” while sharing what he believes will save the planet from destruction. The veteran naturalist addressed his mortality in a new documentary, which is set to be released in cinemas on 8th May – his 99th birthday. In the forthcoming film, titled Ocean: With David Attenborough, the former BBC Two controller expressed his sadness with the current state of the world’s ecosystems, but said that he has worked out what Earth’s “most important place” is “after living for nearly a hundred years on this planet”. He said that the key to saving the planet “is not on land, but at sea”, stating: “When I first saw the sea as a young boy, it was thought of as a vast wilderness to be tamed and mastered for the benefit of humanity. Now, as I approach the end of my life, we know the opposite is true.” Attenborough added that the planet “is in such poor health” that he “would find it hard not to lose hope” were it not for the ocean, which he called “the most remarkable discovery of all”. He concluded: “If we save the sea, we save our world. After a lifetime of filming our planet, I’m sure nothing is more important.”

On This Day

  • 1949 – The entire Torino football team (except for two players who did not take the trip) are killed in a plane crash.
  • 1979 – Margaret Thatcher becomes the first female Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
  • 1998 – A federal judge gives “Unabomber” Theodore Kaczynski four life sentences plus 30 years after Kaczynski accepts a plea agreement sparing him from the death penalty.
  • 2000 – Ken Livingstone becomes the first Mayor of London.

Deaths

  • 1984 – Diana Dors, English actress (b. 1931).
  • 2008 – Fred Baur, American chemist and founder of Pringles (b. 1918)
  • 2009 – Dom DeLuise, American actor, director, and producer (b. 1933)

Last Meals

Florida has executed Gulf War veteran Jeffrey Hutchinson for the shooting deaths of his girlfriend and her three children despite a letter from 129 veterans arguing that Hutchinson’s mind was a casualty of war.

The 62-year-old former U.S. Army Ranger was convicted for the 1998 murder of 32-year-old Renee Flaherty, and her three children: 9-year-old Geoffrey, 7-year-old Amanda, and 4-year-old Logan.

On the night of September 11th 1998, Hutchinson fought with Flaherty, after which he packed some of his clothes and guns into his truck, and went to a bar, according to court records.

The bartender testified that Hutchinson told him that Flaherty was angry with him, while other witnesses testified that he drove recklessly when he left, according to court documents.

Hutchinson then returned to the Crestview home, “busted down” the front door and shot Flaherty, Amanda and Logan in the head in the master bedroom, a forensic pathologist testified − according to court documents. 

The pathologist testified that Hutchinson shot Geoffrey last in both the chest and the head while the child “was able to see the bodies of his mother, sister, and brother,” according to court records.

“The terror suffered in that moment is incomprehensible to this court,” Hutchinson’s trial judge said, according to the Flying Monkeys.

Hutchinson called the police and told a dispatcher: “I just shot my family.” Police arrived to  find him spattered with blood and lying in a daze on the garage floor, still holding the phone, according to court documents. 

His last meal consisted of salmon, mahi-mahi, asparagus, baked potato and iced tea. He had no last words

The execution took place shortly after 8 p.m. ET on Thursday at the Florida State Prison in Railford using the state’s three-drug protocol involving etomidate, rocuronium bro­mide and potassium acetate. He was declared dead at 8:14 p.m. ET, according to the Florida Department of Corrections.

It marked the fourth execution in Florida this year and the 15th in the nation.

While Hutchinson himself maintained that the murders were committed by home invaders, his defence team pointed to brain damage and trauma suffered by the former U.S. Army Ranger during his service in the Gulf War as reason to stop the execution.

Maria DeLiberato, executive director of Floridians for Alternatives for the Death Penalty and liaison for Hutchinson’s legal team, previously told the Flying Monkeys that experts called Hutchinson’s statements “a delusional belief based on his significant and severe mental illness.”

“Executing a man who was physically and psychologically shattered by war − a man who never got the treatment or understanding he needed and deserved − is not justice,” the group said in a statement following the execution.

Meanwhile 129 veterans representing every branch of the military wrote to Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, calling Hutchinson “one of us” and urging the governor to stop the execution.

Last Week’s Birthdays

Will Arnett (55), Rob Brydon (60), Frankie Valli (91), Sandi Toksvig (67), Rachel Zegler (24), Christina Hendricks (50), Pom Klementieff (39), Dwayne Johnson (53), Matt Berry (51), Christine Baranski (73), Ellie Kemper (45), David Suchet (79), Joe Wilkinson (50), Lily Allen (40), David Beckham (50), Julie Benz (53), Jamie Dornan (43), Joanna Lumley (79), Ana de Armas (37), Gal Gadot (40), Kirsten Dunst (43), Sam Heughan (45), Daniel Day-Lewis (68), Michelle Pfeiffer (67), Uma Thurman (55), Kate Mulgrew (70), Anita Dobson (76), Jerry Seinfeld (71), Willie Nelson (92), Jessica Alba (44), Penélope Cruz (51), Mary McDonnell (73), Ann-Margret (84), and Jay Leno (75). 

4th May 2025 | Categories: 2025 | Leave A Comment »

Dead Pool 27th April 2025

Let’s dole out the points! With the death of Pope Francis I can award 62 points to Debbie, Rachel, and Mark W, plus I can award a whopping 162 points to Emma as she had him down as her Cert. Well done everyone! 

Look Who You Could Have Had:

In Other News

Carlos Santana was forced to postpone a concert after suffering a medical scare during rehearsals this week. The legendary guitarist’s manager, Michael Vrionis, shared a statement with his fans ahead of Tuesday’s show at the Majestic Theatre in San Antonio. It was revealed that Santana was taken from the venue to a local hospital in an ambulance, where he was diagnosed with dehydration. He is currently being kept under observation. “It is with profound disappointment that I have to inform you all that tonight’s show in San Antonio has been postponed,” Vrionis told the Flying Monkeys “Mr Santana was at the venue preparing for tonight’s show when he experienced an event that was determined to be dehydration. Out of an abundance of caution and the health of Mr Santana, the decision to postpone the show was the most prudent course of action.” Vrionis continued: “He is doing well and is looking forward to coming back to San Antonio soon as well as continuing his US Tour. Thank you all very much for your understanding. The show will be rescheduled soon.” The “Black Magic Woman” guitarist has suffered similar episodes in the past, including in 2022 when he postponed six shows after collapsing onstage in Clarkson, Michigan. Earlier this year, he took what he described as a “hard fall” while walking around the Hawaiian island of Kauai, the location of his $20m home, and broke a finger on his left hand, leading to the postponement of several dates for his residency in Las Vegas. At the time he stated, “My finger is recuperating really well, I lost my equilibrium and fell. I put my hand out to block the shock and broke my baby finger, but they operated and put it back in place. One or two more weeks and I’ll be good as new.”

On This Day

  • 1978 – In the deadliest construction accident in United States history, 51 construction workers are killed when a cooling tower under construction collapses at the Pleasants Power Station in Willow Island, West Virginia.
  • 1986 – The city of Pripyat and surrounding areas are evacuated due to the Chernobyl disaster.
  • 1992 – Betty Boothroyd becomes the first woman to be elected Speaker of the British House of Commons in its 700-year history.
  • 1993 – Most of the Zambia national football team lose their lives in a plane crash off Libreville, Gabon.

Deaths

  • 1521 – Ferdinand Magellan, Portuguese sailor and explorer (b. 1480).
  • 2002  – Ruth Handler, American businesswoman, created the Barbie doll  (b. 1916).
  • 2023 – Jerry Springer, American politician and actor (b. 1944).

Last Meals

A death row murderer in the US finally apologised to his victim and her family shortly before dying by lethal injection.

James Osgood, 55, and his girlfriend forced Tracy Lynn Wilemon to perform sex acts at gunpoint before Osgood killed the 44-year-old by cutting her throat.

He was convicted for the 2010 rape and murder four years later and sentenced to death.

Osgood was pronounced dead at 6.35pm on Thursday following a three-drug injection at a prison in Atmore, Alabama, authorities said.

He used his last moments to speak about Ms Wilemon. ‘I haven’t said her name since that day,’ Osgood said. ‘Today will be the first time I said it. Tracy, I apologise.’ He then looked towards friends and family in the witness room and cried as he slowly lost consciousness.

Ms Wilemon was found dead in her home after her employer became concerned when she didn’t show up for work. 

Prosecutors said Osgood admitted to police that he and his girlfriend, Tonya Vandyke, sexually assaulted Brown after discussing how they had shared fantasies about kidnapping and torturing someone. 

His girlfriend, who was Ms Wilemon’s cousin, was sentenced to life in prison. The jury in 2014 took 40 minutes to convict him and unanimously recommended a death sentence.

His initial death sentence was thrown out by an appeals court. But at resentencing in 2018, Osgood asked for another death sentence, saying he didn’t want the families to endure a further hearing.

Alabama Corrections Commissioner John Hamm said the victim’s family members witnessed the execution in a separate viewing room. They chose not to make a statement to the media, he said. Governor Kay Ivey issued a statement, calling the killing ‘premeditated, gruesome and disturbing’. ‘I pray that her loved ones can feel some sense of closure today,’ the governor said. 

Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said ‘my heart and prayers are with Tracy’s family. No one should have to endure the pain they’ve carried or relive the horror of her tragic and senseless death’. 

Before the execution, Wilemon’s step-sister, Trish Jackson, told the Flying Monkeys that her family planned to attend. She said she’d be travelling to Alabama from Southern California with her mum, ‘Just to know that he will be no more.’ ‘She didn’t deserve this. No one does. She was very loved … She deserved to have the greatest life and flourish,’ Ms Jackson said. Ms Jackson said Wilemon had just gone through a divorce and was restarting her life when she was killed. She said her step-sister, whose surname was legally Brown when she died, had been saving up money to visit her daughter in Arizona when the attack happened.

Last week Osgood said he had dropped his appeals because he was guilty and thought his execution should go forward. ‘I’m a firm believer in — like I said in court — an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. I took a life, so mine was forfeited. I don’t believe in sitting here and wasting everybody’s time and everybody’s money,’ he said. 

Osgood declined his lunch tray, but did have a final meal of pizza. He chose to die by lethal injection. Hamm said it took a total of five attempts to get the two required IV lines connected to him. The execution was the second in Alabama this year and the 14th in the nation overall.

Last Week’s Birthdays

Jenna Coleman (39), Russell T. Davies (62), Lizzo (37), Giancarlo Esposito (67), Channing Tatum (45), Pablo Schreiber (47), Kevin James (60), Jet Li (62), Joan Chen (64), Melania Trump (55), Al Pacino (85), Renée Zellweger (56), Hank Azaria (61), Talia Shire (79), Jack Quaid (33), Rory McCann (56), Aidan Gillen (57), Djimon Hounsou (61), Shirley MacLaine (91), Barbra Streisand (83), John Cena (48), John Hannah (63), Dev Patel (35), Gemma Whelan (44), Lee Majors (86), John Oliver (48), Jeffrey Dean Morgan (59), Jack Nicholson (88), Amber Heard (39), Sheryl Lee (58), James McAvoy (46), Andie MacDowell (67), Toby Stephens (56), Robbie Amell (37), Tony Danza (74), Rob Riggle (55), Iggy Pop (78), and Liz Carr (53).

27th April 2025 | Categories: 2025 | Leave A Comment »

Dead Pool 20th April 2025

Not much to report this week, no points to award either. But we do think that we should ring-fence Warwick Davis after two of his cast-mates from Willow have passed away so very close to each other, after all, these things come in threes…  

Look Who You Could Have Had:

In Other News

Pope Francis made a brief appearance on Easter Sunday to bless the thousands of people in St. Peter’s Square as he continues his recovery from a near-fatal bout of double pneumonia. “Brothers and sisters, Happy Easter!” Francis said, his voice sounding stronger than it has since his hospitalisation. “Viva il Papa!” (Long live the pope), the crowd responded. Francis looped through the square in his open-topped popemobile and then up and down the main avenue leading to it. He stopped occasionally to bless babies brought up to him, a scene that was common in the past but unthinkable just a few weeks ago as the 88-year-old Francis fought for his life. Since his release from the hospital nearly a month ago, Francis has been slowly returning to work and has made several Sunday appearances at St. Peter’s Square, much to the relief and adoration of the crowd that gathers every weekend. He skipped the solemn services of Good Friday and Holy Saturday leading up to Easter, but he had been expected to appear on Sunday. Unlike in years past, the 88-year-old pontiff did not celebrate the Easter Mass in the piazza, delegating it to Cardinal Angelo Comastri, the retired archpriest of St. Peter’s Basilica. But after the Mass ended, Francis appeared on the loggia balcony over the basilica entrance for more than 20 minutes. The thousands of people below erupted in cheers as a military band kicked off rounds of the Holy See and Italian anthems. Francis waved from the balcony and then asked a Vatican archbishop to read his speech, a global appeal for peace in the world’s hotspots that is the hallmark of the Vatican’s Easter celebrations. Afterward, he imparted the apostolic blessing in Latin.  

Michelle Trachtenberg died as a result of complications from diabetes, New York City’s medical examiner has said. The 39-year-old, who was also known for Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Harriet the Spy, was found dead at her home in New York City after officers responded to a 911 call on 26th February. According to the Flying Monkeys, she had recently received a liver transplant. At the time of her death, officials said no foul play was suspected, and the medical examiner’s office had listed her death as “undetermined”. Trachtenberg’s family had objected to a post-mortem, which the medical examiner’s office honoured because there was no evidence of criminality. But the medical examiner’s office said in a statement on Thursday it amended the cause and manner of death for the actress following a review of laboratory test results. Trachtenberg was best known for her role as Dawn Summers in Buffy, the younger sister of the title character played by Sarah Michelle Gellar between 2000 and 2003.  

Officials have revealed the worrying internet searches Betsy Arakawa made in the days before her death. The pianist, 65, and her husband, Gene Hackman, were both found dead in their home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on 26th February. Investigations later found that she had died from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome around 12th February, roughly a week before the actor. Suffering from Alzheimer’s disease – a contributing factor in his death – it is said Hackman, 95, possibly did not know his wife had died before he passed as a result of cardiovascular disease. Authorities released a lengthy investigation, detailing some of the final internet searches, emails and phone calls made by Arakawa. rakawa appeared to be looking into information on flu-like symptoms and breathing techniques, the Associated Press reports. A review of her computer found she was actively searching up medical conditions related to Covid-19 and flu-like symptoms between 8 February and the morning of 12th February. This including asking questions about if Covid could cause dizziness or nosebleeds. On 11th February, Arakawa emailed her masseuse to say Hackman had woken up with flu or cold-like symptoms but had tested negative for Covid. ‘Out of an abundance of caution’, she asked if she could reschedule her appointment for the following day. Then the next morning, she had searched for a local concierge medical service which she had a call with that lasted less than two minutes. There was then a missed return call later that afternoon. Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, which a post-mortem determined as Arakawa’s cause of death, is a rare disease typically spread to humans through infected urine, droppings or saliva of certain species of mice and rats. Dr Heather Jarrell, chief medical examiner for New Mexico, previously told press that the mortality of the hantavirus strain in the south west of the United States is about 38 percent to 50 percent. The rodent-borne disease can lead to a range of symptoms including flu-like illness, headaches, dizziness and severe respiratory distress. Therefore, it could often be mistaken at first for a flu or Covid due to the similarities in signs. It was also reported by the New Mexico medical investigator’s office that there were signs of a rodent infestation at Hackman and Arakawa’s estate. A live rodent, a dead rodent and a nest were found in the three detached garages on the property with droppings and live traps also discovered.

On This Day

  • 1918 – Manfred von Richthofen, a.k.a. The Red Baron, shoots down his 79th and 80th victims, his final victories before his death the following day.
  • 1968 – English politician Enoch Powell makes his controversial “Rivers of Blood” speech.
  • 1999 – Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold kill 14 people and injure 23 others before committing suicide at Columbine High School. 
  • 2010 – The Deepwater Horizon drilling rig explodes in the Gulf of Mexico, killing eleven workers and beginning an oil spill that would last six months.
  • 2023 – SpaceX’s Starship rocket, the largest and most powerful rocket ever built, launches for the first time. It explodes 4 minutes into flight.

Deaths

  • 1912 – Bram Stoker, Anglo-Irish novelist and critic, created Count Dracula (b. 1847).
  • 1992 – Benny Hill, English comedian, actor, and screenwriter (b. 1924). 
  • 2016 – Victoria Wood, British comedian, actress and writer (b. 1953).
  • 2018 – Avicii, Swedish DJ and musician (b. 1989).

Last Week’s Birthdays

Andy Serkis (61), Clint Howard (66), Veronica Cartwright (76), Jessica Lange (76), Carmen Electra (53), George Takei (88), Nicholas Lyndhurst (64), Kate Hudson (46), Ashley Judd (57), James Franco (47), Hayden Christensen (44), Tim Curry (79), Simu Liu (36), Rick Moranis (72), James Woods (78), Conan O’Brien (62), David Tennant (54), Hayley Mills (79), Sean Bean (66), Jennifer Garner (53), David Bradley (83), Anya Taylor-Joy (29), Sadie Sink (53), Ellen Barkin (71), Claire Foy (41), Gina Carano (43), Martin Lawrence (60), Seth Rogen (43), Emma Watson (35), Emma Thompson (66), Maisie Williams (28), Luke Evans (46), Anthony Michael Hall (57), Adrien Brody (52), Sarah Michelle Gellar (48), Rob McElhenney (48), Robert Carlyle (64), and Peter Capaldi (67).

20th April 2025 | Categories: 2025 | Leave A Comment »

Dead Pool 13th April 2025

No points this week, although there are a few interesting tidbits to read about.  

Look Who You Could Have Had:

In Other News

Harry Potter actor Nick Moran has been rushed to hospital with a “life-threatening” condition. The actor’s friend Terry Stone revealed the news on Friday, asking fans of the franchise to send prayers after Moran, who played Scabior in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, underwent “life-saving” spinal surgery. Stone said that Moran’s health concerns began when he started feeling a pain in his neck, which his girlfriend urged him to get checked out. “But, as a bloke, he said, ‘No I’ll put some deep heat on it’ – then he went to the doctors and got sent to A&E and told, ‘We need to take you in for an emergency operation because this is life threatening’,” he told the Flying Monkeys. Stone originally said Moran “may never talk or walk again” but, in a new update, he said his friend was “giving the thumbs up” while “recovering in the ICU” – and revealed “he’s speaking now” and is “shuffling around like a 100-year-old”. He added: “He still needs your support, prayers & love. Let’s pray he fully recovers and is back to normal soon.” Stone said he will provide Moran’s fans with an update on Sunday  – but is now believed to be recovering at home. Moran’s Harry Potter character was a member of the gang led by Fenrir Greyback and appears in the final two Harry Potter films. 

Eric Dane has revealed that he has been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). ALS, also known as motor neurone disease, is an incurable condition that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord and causes increasing muscle paralysis over time. Dane, 52, who’s known for the role of Dr Mark Sloan in Grey’s Anatomy, said he will continue filming for season three of HBO series Euphoria, in which he plays Cal Jacobs, regardless of the diagnosis. Speaking to the Flying Monkeys, Dane said: “I have been diagnosed with ALS. I am grateful to have my loving family by my side as we navigate this next chapter. I feel fortunate that I am able to continue working and am looking forward to returning to the set of Euphoria next week,” he added. “I kindly ask that you give my family and I privacy during this time.” Early symptoms of the disease, according to the US National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Strokes, include: muscle twitches in the arm, leg, shoulder or tongue; cramps; tight or stiff muscles; muscle weakness; slurred or nasal speech; and difficulty chewing and swallowing. There is currently no cure for ALS.  

Legendary sports broadcaster Steve Rider has revealed his plans to “sidle away” from TV this summer, marking the end of an illustrious career that spanned nearly 50 years on screen. The 74 year-old is perhaps most recognised for hosting the iconic BBC sports show Grandstand, where he covered a wide range of sports including rugby, golf, rowing and motorsports. He also presented Sportsnight and Sports Personality of the Year, and was the anchor for the corporation’s coverage of every Olympic Games between 1988 and 2004. Rider’s exit from our screens comes a year and a half after he disclosed his diagnosis of prostate cancer. The host shared the news on BBC Breakfast, stating that he had been “incredibly lucky” as the disease was detected early and he immediately underwent “significant” surgery to stop it from spreading. He decided to get tested after one of his mates was diagnosed with the same cancer following a medical examination, and his wife encouraged him to have further tests when his initial check-up results came back “a little high”. “I was cutting it a bit fine,” Rider admitted. “They took one look and said, ‘We’re going to operate in two weeks’. No messing around. We did Brands Hatch for ITV on the Sunday and I had the operation on the Thursday, so it slotted into the schedule quite nicely! It was one operation, whip it all out, off you go and enjoy the rest of your life, second chance. But I was one of the lucky ones,” he added, urging people to get checked for the disease. “Get yourself tested because once this wretched thing develops, as we’ve been seeing from Chris Hoy and Eddie Jordan, it just gallops away and there’s no control. The chance you have is early testing.”

On This Day

  • 1964 – At the Academy Awards, Sidney Poitier becomes the first African-American man to win the Best Actor award for the 1963 film Lilies of the Field.
  • 1970 – An oxygen tank aboard the Apollo 13 Service Module explodes, putting the crew in great danger and causing major damage to the Apollo command and service module (codenamed “Odyssey”) while en route to the Moon.
  • 1997 – Tiger Woods becomes the youngest golfer to win the Masters Tournament.

Deaths

Last Meals

A convicted cop killer who became the second death row inmate in South Carolina to die by firing squad chomped on a ribeye steak, mushroom risotto, broccoli, collard greens and cheesecake before he was executed on Friday night.

Mikal Mahdi, 42, had three slugs fired into his heart by trained correctional volunteers at Broad River Correctional Institution in Columbia and was pronounced dead at 6:05 p.m. for the ambush killing of Orangeburg Public Safety Captain James Myers in 2004.

Mahdi, who washed down his hearty last meal with a sweet tea, did not make a final statement before his execution, according to the South Carolina Department of Corrections.

Mahdi was then hooded and strapped to a metal chair that sat on top of a catch basin inside the prison’s death chamber with a white target and red bullseye placed over his chest.

Three members from the state’s corrections department stood behind a wall 15 feet away and simultaneously opened fire through openings in the partition at 6:01 p.m. Each shooter fired one round, with Mahdi flexing his arms and crying out as the bullets struck him.

Mahdi continued to groan and take deep breaths for about two minutes before taking one final gasp – with a doctor affirming his death four minutes after the shots rang out.

Nine witnesses were seated in a room separated from the chamber by bulletproof glass.

One member of the victim’s family, Mahdi’s attorney, a representative from the First Circuit Solicitor’s Office and the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office and three reporters were among those who witnessed Mahdi’s final moments.

Mahdi, who personally chose the violent punishment over the electric chair or lethal injection, became the second death row inmate executed by the Palmetto State’s new firing squad after double murderer Brad Sigmon became the first person in 15 years be shot to death last month. 

“Faced with barbaric and inhumane choices, Mikal Mahdi had chosen the lesser of the three evils,” his attorney, David Weiss said in a statement after the execution, which he described as a “horrifying act” that doesn’t belong in a “civilised society.”

“Mikal chose the firing squad instead of being burned and mutilated in the electric chair, or suffering the lingering death on the lethal injection gurney.”

Mahdi was sentenced to death after he confessed to shooting Myers at least eight times and then burning his body in a shed that had been the backdrop of the officer’s wedding just 15 months earlier.

The heinous act unfolded three days after he killed Christopher Boggs, a convenience store clerk in North Carolina. Mahdi shot the clerk twice in the head.

He was later arrested in Florida while driving the cop’s unmarked police pickup truck. 

Last-minute appeals to spare Mahdi’s life were rejected this week by both the US and South Carolina Supreme Courts. His defence team argued that his original attorneys made little effort to save his life and failed to call on those who knew him to testify after the prosecution called 28 witnesses.

Republican Gov. Henry McMaster also denied clemency. 

Five inmates have been put to death in the state since September – when executions resumed following a 13-year pause.

Twenty-six inmates remain on death row.

Last Week’s Birthdays

Ron Perlman (75), William Sadler (75), Edward Fox (88), Peter Davison (74), Saoirse Ronan (31), Claire Danes (46), Andy Garcia (69), Ed O’Neill (79), Nicholas Brendon (54), David Letterman (68), Milly Alcock (25), Jeremy Clarkson (65), Matt Ryan (44), Charlie Hunnam (45), Daisy Ridley (33), David Harbour (50), Haley Joel Osment (37), Steven Seagal (73), Peter MacNicol (71), Elle Fanning (27), Dennis Quaid (71), Kristen Stewart (35), Cynthia Nixon (59), Patricia Arquette (57), Katee Sackhoff (45), Robin Wright (59), Dean Norris (62), Jackie Chan (71), Russell Crowe (61), and Francis Ford Coppola (86).

13th April 2025 | Categories: 2025 | Leave A Comment »

Dead Pool 6th April 2025

With the world falling into pieces, I bet those listed below are glad to be away from the  shit-show that is life. However, we must look at the bright side of things, like points! With the sad passing of Val Kilmer, I can award 85 points to Nicki H, Sarai K, and Ian K, well done all of you! 

Look Who You Could Have Had:

 In Other News

The Taliban is investigating an Afghan man’s claim that he is 140 years old – which would make him the oldest person ever to have lived. Aqel Nazir, who lives in the country’s eastern Khost province, says he was born in the 1880s. He claims to remember celebrating the end of the Third Anglo-Afghan War in 1919 alongside King Amanullah Khan, the Afghan leader who launched a campaign against the British, while in his thirties. Nazir, who lives in the picturesque hills in Khost, said: ‘I was in the palace with King Amanullah Khan. I was over 30 at the time and I remember saying that the British had fled and knelt down. Everyone was happy and thanked King Amanullah Khan for chasing the British away. Many leaders accompanied us to the Arg [presidential palace], but now all of them have passed away.’ The great-great grandfather does not have any documents to support his claim, but his family are also on board with gaining official recognition of his status. Khyal Wazir, his 50-year-old grandson, said: ‘He is my grandfather, and I have my grandchildren as well.’ Another grandson, Abdul Hakim Sabari, said: ‘We request the government confirm our grandfather’s age using an ID or any other scientific method or documents, to prove he is 140 years old.’  In an attempt to solve the mystery, the ruling Taliban administration has dispatched a special civil registration team to assess his true age. Mustaghfar Gurbaz, a Taliban spokesman for the province, said: ‘If confirmed by documents or assessments, we will work to register him as the oldest person in the world. If verified, he would comfortably take the title of the oldest person to have ever lived.’ That record is held by Jeanne Calment, who was born in 1875 and passed away in 1997, 122 years later. The world’s current verified oldest living person is Inah Canabarro Lucas, a Brazilian nun who turned 116 last June.  

A familiar TV personality is said to be gearing up to enter the Celebrity Big Brother house on ITV, with the show set to premiere April 7th, just over a year after she faced a cancer diagnosis. TV host Trisha Goddard bravely announced this February that her breast cancer had made a comeback after previously battling and overcoming the disease in 2008. Sources, including The Flying Monkeys, suggest she’s thrilled about the chance to join the reality TV fray. Trisha was diagnosed with secondary breast cancer – also referred to as metastatic or stage 4 breast cancer – a condition treatable but incurable. She kept her diagnosis under wraps for 19 months until going public with it in February 2024. Renowned for her eponymous talk show on ITV which aired from 1998 to 2005 before transitioning to Channel 5, Trisha has been a familiar face on British television. Trisha has been vocal about her previous encounters with cancer and has cited the burden of carrying the secret of its return as the reason for disclosing it now. The TV star has candidly spoken out about not wanting to be seen as “frail” following her health issues. She told the Flying Monkeys that maintaining secrecy over her health became exhausting, saying: “I can’t lie, I can’t keep making up stories. It gets to a stage, after a year and a half, when keeping a secret becomes more of a burden than anything else.” Revealing her nervousness around public perception after her diagnosis, the icon shared: “My worry is that people will start seeing me as a frail little thing, and that if the news got out, I’d be judged, or people would change the way they are with me, or that I wouldn’t work.”  

Virginia Giuffre has spoken publicly for the first time since sparking alarm with a social media post claiming she had just “four days to live.” Giuffre — who has accused Prince Andrew of abusing her when she was a teenager, a claim the royal denies — shared the disturbing update last Sunday, writing: “I’ve gone into kidney renal failure, they’ve given me four days to live, transferring me to a specialist hospital in urology.” Now, the 40-year-old has broken her silence about her health battle, telling the Flying Monkeys the issues began following a serious episode earlier this year. “I was able to fight back against Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein who abused and trafficked me… I can no longer stay silent,” she said in a statement. “Again, I thank everyone for their support.” Giuffre’s condition is said to have worsened after a bus crash in rural Western Australia on March 24th. However, police, the bus driver, and several witnesses have since said the collision was not as severe as she had suggested online. Her brother, Sky Roberts, later clarified the viral post, saying doctors had warned Giuffre she could have died within four days without treatment. “Let’s be clear, she never stated in the bus accident the cause of all her other injuries,” he told us. “Nobody ever said her liver issues and kidney failure were ever from that. We still don’t know if it is, I’m not a medical professional. That’s up to her doctor to determine.” He added that while he didn’t know the exact cause of her internal injuries, they were “consistent” with a car crash. Giuffre remains in a Perth hospital, where a spokeswoman said she is “marginally better but still in serious condition” after undergoing treatment. The update comes amid growing scrutiny of Giuffre’s private life, following reports that she has become increasingly isolated since splitting from her husband earlier this year. She now lives alone on a secluded 40-acre farm north of Perth — a property she bought following her settlement with Prince Andrew in 2022, reportedly worth millions. The Duke of York made the payment with no admission of liability. While the farm is equipped with stables, a brook, and a dirt bike track, neighbours say it has become a “gilded cage,” with high-security fences and surveillance cameras. “You don’t know the half of it,” one neighbour told us. “I can’t really say anymore, but none of this surprises me.” Giuffre is also facing a court appearance on April 9th, accused of breaching a family violence restraining order. It is unclear whether she will be discharged in time, with hospital sources saying, “It looks like she may be here for a few more days still.”

On This Day

  • 1965 – Launch of Early Bird, the first commercial communications satellite to be placed in geosynchronous orbit.
  • 1974 – In Brighton, United Kingdom, ABBA wins the 1974 edition of the Eurovision Song Contest with “Waterloo“, the first of a joint-record seven Swedish wins.
  • 2018 – A bus carrying the Humboldt Broncos junior ice hockey team collides with a semi-truck in Saskatchewan, Canada, killing 16 people and injuring 13 others. 

Deaths

  • 1199 – Richard I, king of England (b. 1157).
  • 1528 – Albrecht Dürer, German painter, engraver, and mathematician (b. 1471).
  • 1992 – Isaac Asimov, American science fiction writer (b. 1920).
  • 1998 – Tammy Wynette, American singer-songwriter (b. 1942).
  • 2014 – Mickey Rooney, American soldier, actor, and dancer (b. 1920).
  • 2015 – Ray Charles, American singer-songwriter and conductor (b. 1918).

Death Row’s Youngest

The youngest woman ever to be sentenced to death in the US is still on death row almost 30 years later.

On 12th January 1995, then-18-year-old Tennessee woman Christa Pike lured a 19-year-old classmate named Colleen Slemmer to a secluded location and murdered her.

Pike thought that Colleen was trying to ‘steal’ her boyfriend Tadaryl Shipp, and the three of them, along with 18-year-old Shadolla Peterson, signed out of their dormitory and went into the woods. 

The 18-year-old told her victim that she wanted to make  peace with her by offering her some cannabis, but she and Shipp attacked Colleen while Peterson acted as a lookout.

A court heard that Colleen was beaten, slashed, and had a pentagram carved into her chest for around 30 minutes before Pike killed her by smashing her skull with a chunk of asphalt.

Pike kept a piece of her victim’s skull, and started showing it to other people in her class.

It wasn’t long before she, Shipp and Peterson were arrested. 

Though she confessed to torturing and killing Colleen, Pike insisted that she had only intended to scare the 19-year-old.

Charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder, Pike was found guilty on 22nd March 1996, and shortly afterwards was sentenced to death by electrocution.

Shipp received a life sentence with the possibility of parole after 25 years, while Peterson had become a state witness and was given a six-year probationary sentence.

Pike became the youngest woman to be sentenced to death in the US, but almost 30 years on, she is still on death row.

The reason for that is that there are very long processes involved with carrying out an execution. Many death row inmates will spend years appealing and challenging their death penalty. According to the Death Penalty Information Center, prisoners in the US who have been sentenced to death will normally spend more than 10 years before they get executed or are found to be not guilty. 

They said that since 2013, more than half of death row inmates who are exonerated had to spend over 25 years awaiting execution before their names were cleared.

The group added that over half of US inmates sentenced to death have spent at least 18 years on death row.

Over time, Pike has appealed her verdict, cancelled her appeal, and then re-issued it, as well as had legal representatives attempt to commute her sentence.

At one point, she did have an execution date set for 19th August 2002, but a month before that, she said she changed her mind and her appeal continued.

While behind bars in 2001, she attempted to murder fellow inmate Patricia Jones by strangling her with string, and was convicted of attempted murder in 2004.

In 2012, a plan to break her out of prison was discovered, with a man named Donald Kohut, who had been writing letters to her in prison, and corrections officer Justin Heflin coming up with a plan.

The two men were arrested, with Kohut sentenced to seven years in prison and Heflin being fired from his job. Pike wasn’t charged as it was not clear how much involvement she had with the plan.

Last Week’s Birthdays

Paul Rudd (56), Michael Rooker (70), Zach Braff (50), John Ratzenberger (78), Billy Dee Williams (88), Lily James (36), Hayley Atwell (43), Mitch Pileggi (73), Pharrell Williams (52), Robert Downey Jr. (60), Natasha Lyonne (46), Hugo Weaving (65), David Blaine (52), Graham Norton (62), Adam Scott (51), Alec Baldwin (67), Sofia Boutella (43), Eddie Murphy (64), Amanda Bynes (39), Paris Jackson (27), Pedro Pascal (50), Michael Fassbender (48), Emma Myers (23), Penelope Keith (85), Mackenzie Davis (38), Asa Butterfield (28), Ali MacGraw (86), Michael Praed (65), Christopher Walken (82), Ewan McGregor (54), Rhea Perlman (77), and William Daniels (98).

6th April 2025 | Categories: 2025 | Leave A Comment »

Dead Pool 30th March 2025

Yesterday I was all worried that there were no notable deaths, the good old Flying Monkeys  were released and now we have a few names at least! 

Look Who You Could Have Had:

In Other News

Legendary crooner Johnny Mathis has announced his retirement from touring and live performing due to “age and memory issues.” The 89-year-old romantic singer, behind hits like “Wonderful, Wonderful” and “It’s Not For Me To Say,” was scheduled to continue touring throughout the summer. However, he has now canceled all concerts from June 2025 onwards. “As many of you may already be aware, Johnny Mathis is approaching his 90th birthday this year,” a statement shared from his Facebook account read. “So, it’s with sincere regret that due to Mr. Mathis’ age and memory issues which have accelerated, we are announcing his retirement from touring & live concerts. At this time, the 2025 Voice of Romance Tour dates will continue, with the final concert currently scheduled on May 18th 2025 in Englewood, New Jersey at the Bergen PAC,” the statement continued. “Johnny Mathis & his entire staff send their heartfelt gratitude to all Mathis Fans worldwide for your continued love & support of his music. It’s truly been ‘Wonderful, Wonderful,’” it concluded. Mathis’ final concert brings an end to an incredible singing career that has spanned over six decades. In that time, he’s recorded 73 studio albums, 10 of which are certified Gold for having sold 500,000 units each. In total, he’s gone on to sell more than 360 million records worldwide. His most popular album, Johnny’s Greatest Hits, was once the record holder for the longest-running album to chart on the Billboard 200. It remained on the chart for 490 weeks from its 1958 release until 1968. It was later dethroned by Pink Floyd’s 1973 album, The Dark Side of the Moon. In 2003, Mathis was awarded a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. He’s also nabbed five nominations, with his first one being in 1960 for Best Vocal Performance Single Record Or Track, Male for his song “Misty.” Mathis is also known for his Christmas albums. In fact, his latest album, released in 2023, is titled Christmas Time Is Here and features covers of several holiday classics, including “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.”  

The daughter of Dame Esther Rantzen has revealed that the cancer drugs that her mother was placed on last year are no longer working. The 84-year-old revealed in 2024 that her cancer was being kept at bay thanks to a new drug, which had left her feeling “much better” than she thought she would be. The broadcaster, who is best known for founding Childline, a telephone helpline for young people aged up to 18, has previously revealed that she has registered with the Swiss assisted dying clinic, Dignitas. Rantzen’s daughter, Rebecca Wilcox, said that the medication her mother was put “was an improvement”, but then admitted: “I really wish that was true but I don’t think that’s the case anymore.” Wilcox also revealed that Rantzen’s health is so poor that travelling to Dignitas is now out of the question. Both Rantzen and Wilcox are advocates of making assisted dying legal in the UK. The topic is the subject of a much-debated parliamentary bill which has this week been delayed by two years. Speaking of the delay, Wilcox explained: “I just wish that people understood that all the assisted dying bill is, is choice for people that want it. All it is, is giving you peace of mind and that peace of mind, I cannot tell you how powerful that would be right now for my mum. I’m a witness to the trauma of uncertainty, to the trauma of stress around what is going to happen. The fact that she doesn’t know how her death is going to happen, how the pain is going to progress, the exhaustion, the fatigue, what symptoms are going to come in. She is a person who has fought her whole life for other people, and she has no control now. Why can’t we give people like my mum with a terminal diagnosis, with no other choice, some choice as to when and how and where they die? Frankly, Dignitas is out of the window for us as well. You have to be relatively healthy to do that, if she had gone, she would have gone months before she would have died here.”  

King Charles has been forced to cancel a string of engagements after being admitted to hospital. In a statement released on Thursday evening, Buckingham Palace said that following “scheduled and ongoing medical treatment for cancer”, he had “experienced temporary side effects that required a short period of observation in hospital”. The monarch, 76, later returned to Clarence House, where he lives with Queen Camilla. “As a precautionary measure, acting on medical advice, tomorrow’s diary program will also be rescheduled”, the Palace added. While the Palace did not comment on the specific nature of the side effects, it’s understood not to be uncommon with cancer patients. Sources described the medical incident as a “most minor bump in a road that’s very much heading in the right direction”, but added that in order to “protect and prioritise his continued very positive recovery” he has “regretfully” cancelled engagements planned for Birmingham on Friday. The King was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer in February last year and has been undergoing treatment as an outpatient ever since. He was forced to cancel all public-facing duties for several weeks, but returned in April and has since travelled internationally – including to Australia last October – and hosted incoming state visits for international dignitaries, all while continuing his recovery. Just last week, the King visited the Pharmacy and Pharmacology department at Ulster University in Northern Ireland to learn about their groundbreaking cancer research. During his time there, he told fellow cancer patients: “What’s that Winston Churchill saying? Keep b****ring on.” The King added that, in regards to side effects, “you just have to push on, don’t you?” While it’s not clear what type of cancer the King has, it’s previously been reported that it was caught at a very early stage.

On This Day

  • 1842 – Ether anesthesia is used for the first time, in an operation by the American surgeon Dr. Crawford Long. 
  • 1981 – U.S. President Ronald Reagan is shot in the chest outside a Washington, D.C., hotel by John Hinckley Jr.; three others are wounded in the same incident. 
  • 2023 – Donald Trump becomes the first former United States president to be indicted by a grand jury.  

Deaths

Last Week’s Birthdays

Warren Beatty (88), John Astin (95), Eric Clapton (80), Donna D’Errico (57), Lucy Lawless (57), Ed Skrein (42), Brendan Gleeson (70), Marina Sirtis (70), Christopher Lambert (68), Eric Idle (82), Thaddea Graham (28), Elle Macpherson (61), Julia Stiles (44), Vince Vaughn (55), Lady Gaga (39), Nick Frost (53), Dianne Wiest (79), Chris Barrie (65), Quentin Tarantino (62), Nathan Fillion (54), Julian Glover (90), Mariah Carey (56), Keira Knightley (40), Jennifer Grey (65), Martin Short (75), Diana Ross (81), Steven Tyler (77), Lee Pace (46), Sarah Jessica Parker (60), Paul Michael Glaser (82), Richard O’Brien (83), Elton John (78), Jessica Chastain (48), Jim Parsons (52), Lara Flynn Boyle (55), Alyson Hannigan (51), Kelly LeBrock (65), and Tig Notaro (54). 

30th March 2025 | Categories: 2025 | Leave A Comment »

Dead Pool 23rd March 2025

A surprisingly pointless week, I thought some of you had George Foreman listed, but alas  nobody did. 

Look Who You Could Have Had:

In Other News

Frank Bruno is recovering after falling ill while on a plane and being rushed to hospital. The 63-year-old former world heavyweight champion spent nearly two weeks in a hospital in Doha, Qatar after becoming unwell on a flight that took off from Heathrow on March 3rd, according to the Flying Monkeys, he’s contracted a viral infection. A post from Bruno on  Twitter included a picture showing him smiling, while sat on a plane. That was accompanied by the message: “Morning so the Frank Bruno World tour continues up early for a plane I don’t sleep well on planes but trying to catch up on some zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz’s.” Bruno’s manager Dave Davies explained: “Frank was flying out to work in Thailand when he was taken ill on the plane at Doha. Medical crew attended Frank on the plane and at hospital. He’s now recovering and hopes to be back at work as soon as possible.” Bruno, who was accompanied by his PA Paul Hunter, is said to have fallen ill shortly after the flight took off and after initially suspecting food poisoning, they realised it was something more serious. A source said to the Flying Monkeys: “Frank was fine when he boarded the plane – but quickly went downhill during the flight. He was in a really bad way and they were unsure what the problem was. Frank was in a bad way and was sweating profusely and had fever-like symptoms. Paul was worried but was doing his best to keep him calm. He was treated on the flight at Doha, in the airport and then at the hospital. Doctors were really worried and carried out all sorts of tests, including for meningitis. They then diagnosed him with a viral infection, which at least meant they could start treating him.” An ‘Evening with Frank Bruno’ event that was scheduled for this Sunday in Manchester has been postponed.  

Bulgarian club Arda Kardzhali have apologised for holding a minute’s silence for a former player who is still alive. Petko Ganchev was mourned ahead of Sunday’s 1-1 league draw with Levski Sofia, with both teams lining up on the centre circle and bowing their heads. However, the club then announced it had been misinformed in a Facebook post shared before the top-flight match finished. “The management of PFC Arda would like to express a huge apology to the former Arda player Petko Ganchev and his relatives after the club received wrong information about his death,” read the statement. “We wish Petko Ganchev many more years of good health and to enjoy the success of Arda.”  

The last surviving Battle of Britain pilot John ‘Paddy’ Hemingway has died, aged 105. The Royal Air Force said he passed away peacefully on Monday. Paddy Hemingway – one of “The Few” and a revered figure in British aviation history – played a key role in defending the skies over the United Kingdom against the Nazis in the summer of 1940, when he was just 19. “The Few” refers to a speech by Sir Winston Churchill in the House of Commons in August that year as the Battle of Britain reached its peak. Praising the efforts of RAF fighter pilots, the wartime prime minister said that “never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few”. In an online tribute, the RAF said Mr Hemingway’s squadron shot down 90 enemy aircraft during an 11-day period in May 1940. In August, he was twice forced to bail out of his Hurricane fighter plane – and the following year, he broke his hand in another bailing out, this time at 600ft after his plane’s instruments failed in bad weather. His parachute failed to open properly – but luckily it caught on the branches of a tree, sparing him further injury. Near the end of World War Two, while serving in the Mediterranean, he was forced to bail out a fourth time near Ravenna in Italy after his Spitfire was hit multiple times by anti-aircraft fire. Dropping into enemy territory, he contacted Italian partisans, who helped him return to his squadron. Mr Hemingway never saw his role in the Battle of Britain as anything other than doing the job he was trained to do, the RAF said. The force described him as always having a “twinkle in his eyes as he recalled the fun times with colleagues in France and London – his courage in the face of overwhelming odds demonstrated his sense of duty and the importance of British resilience”. Mr Hemingway, the RAF said, was a “quiet, composed, thoughtful and mischievous individual” who “embodied the spirit of all those who flew sorties over this green and pleasant land”. In July 1941, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) and in September of that year, he was Mentioned in Dispatches.

On This Day

  • 1801 – Tsar Paul I of Russia is struck with a sword, then strangled, and finally trampled to death inside his bedroom at St. Michael’s Castle.
  • 2014 – The World Health Organisation reports cases of Ebola in the forested rural region of southeastern Guinea, marking the beginning of the largest Ebola outbreak in history.
  • 2020 – Prime Minister Boris Johnson put the United Kingdom into its first national lockdown in response to COVID-19.

Deaths

Last Week’s Birthdays

Michelle Monaghan (49), Amanda Plummer (68), Joanna Page (48), Reese Witherspoon (49), Matthew Modine (66),  William Shatner (94), Lena Olin (70), Carter Wong (78), Gary Oldman (67), Rosie O’Donnell (63), Timothy Dalton (79)), Matthew Broderick (63), Sonequa Martin-Green (40), Holly Hunter (67), Ruby Rose (39), David Thewlis (62), Freema Agyeman (46), John de Lancie (77), Theresa Russell (68), Bruce Willis (70), Glenn Close (78), Ursula Andress (89), Harvey Weinstein (73), Brad Dourif (75), Queen Latifah (55), Kurt Russell (74), Rob Lowe (61), Morfydd Clark (36), Gary Sinise (70), John Boyega (33), and Patrick Duffy (76).

23rd March 2025 | Categories: 2025 | Leave A Comment »

Dead Pool 16th March 2025

A couple of unexpected deaths last week, sadly, no points to be awarded either. 

Look Who You Could Have Had:

In Other News

Britain’s oldest drag queen and a beloved Brighton entertainer has died. David Raven, better known by the stage name Maisie Trollette, has died aged 91 in the early hours of the morning (Wednesday, March 12th) in Brighton.  David had been performing for more than five decades and had been a fixture of Brighton Pride since 1973 when the event was first held in the city.  David was revered within the LGBTQI+ community as drag royalty. He was known for his generosity, razor sharp wit, dynamic singing voice and lovable, cantankerous personality. Tributes to David and Maisie have been flooding in, with people from near and far sharing their fond memories of David’s performances over the last fifty years. Drag queens, both locally and internationally, have paid tribute to Maisie. David’s alter ego Maisie started out as one half of the legendary “Trollettes” drag duo with fellow performer Jimmy Court. The Trollettes performed at historic LGBTQ+ London venues like The Black Cap and The Vauxhall Tavern David regularly starred in pantomimes with many A-list celebrities, whom he was proud to call his close friends. In 2023 David celebrated his 90th birthday with a special birthday gala event – David at 90 – at the Brighton Dome. The show featured music from all nine decades of David’s life and was his last public performance.  David had chosen for all the funds to be donated to the Brighton Rainbow Fund, a charity which which distributes funds to Brighton and Hove LGBTQ+ and HIV organisations.  The LGBT+ trailblazer worked tirelessly to support good causes and raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for Aids charities. In 2022 Maisie became the subject of the award-winning documentary Maisie: Britain’s Oldest Performing Drag Artiste. The documentary covers important themes within David’s life. David opened up about his experiences being a gay man before it became ‘legal’ in the UK. Within the film, he also talks about performing at Brighton Pride the day after the death of his beloved life partner Don whom he dedicated many of his songs to. 

Popular YouTuber and potential Maverick Alysha Burney has died while vacationing in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, a day before her 25th birthday. She died after suffering an asthma attack while she was asleep, according to her brother, Charles Burney. Following online speculation about how she died, he told the Flying Monkeys that she did ‘not do drugs’ and was a ‘self-loving and happy individual who cherished her life and was looking forward to the upcoming year’s plans.’ ‘She was in Mexico to celebrate her birthday. She was a very classy young woman,’ he said. ‘There’s a spread of misinformation online, stating different things based on speculation. These sources lack credibility and should not be believed. My sister did not engage in environments that would lead to such situations.’ Charles also praised his sister for never being ‘selfish with her knowledge’ and living life as a ‘very open book.’ ‘Alysha was very goal-oriented, creative, and passionate about giving back. She graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science in Digital Media Production and was working towards her graduate degree,’ he noted.  

Frank Beard, the longtime drummer for the legendary rock group ZZ top, has stepped away from the current tour due to a “health issue,” according to reports. No further details were provided about what that issue might be. The band released the following statement on social media. “Shelter Music Group, ZZ Top’s management, has announced the band’s drummer, Mr. Frank Beard, has temporarily stepped away from the current tour to attend to a health issue requiring his focus in the near term. Beard, along with ZZ Top members Billy F. Gibbons and Elwood Francis, presently on the Elevation tour since March 5th, have engaged fellow Texan and longtime tech member, percussionist and drummer, John Douglas, for the interim. Mr. Douglas has maintained a close relationship with Beard and the bandmates, having served with the group in the past.” Beard, 75, has been a member of ZZ Top for more than 55 years and has played on all of the band’s albums. The band noted in its statement that Beard is “looking forward to a speedy recovery.”

On This Day

  • 1872 – The Wanderers F.C. win the first FA Cup, the oldest football competition in the world, beating Royal Engineers A.F.C. 1–0 at The Oval in Kennington, London. 1
  • 1988 – The Kurdish town of Halabja in Iraq is attacked with a mix of poison gas and nerve agents on the orders of Saddam Hussein, killing 5,000 people and injuring about 10,000 people. 
  • 1988 – The Troubles: Ulster loyalist militant Michael Stone attacks a Provisional IRA funeral in Belfast with pistols and grenades. Three persons, one of them a member of PIRA are killed, and more than 60 others are wounded.

Deaths

Last Week’s Birthdays

Alexandra Daddario (39), Alan Tudyk (54), Jerome Flynn (62), Aisling Bea (41), Erik Estrada (76), Jimmy Nail (71), David Cronenberg (82), Eva Longoria (50), Michael Caine (92), Billy Crystal (77), William H. Macy (75), Titus Welliver (63), Aaron Eckhart (57), Lesley Manville (69), Jaimie Alexander (41), Liza Minnelli (79), Jodie Comer (32), Alex Kingston (62), Johnny Knoxville (54), John Barrowman (58), Olivia Wilde (41), Jon Hamm (54), Sharon Stone (67), and Chuck Norris (85). 

16th March 2025 | Categories: 2025 | Leave A Comment »

Dead Pool 9th March 2025

No points this week, so the Flying Monkeys have been flown, watch this space next week! Big thanks to everyone who shares news stories and deaths, keep ‘em coming! 

Look Who You Could Have Had:

  • Tim Kruger, 44, German pornographic film actor and director, domestic accident. 
  • Angie Stone, 63, American singer (“No More Rain (In This Cloud)“, “Wish I Didn’t Miss You“) and rapper (The Sequence), traffic collision. 
  • Jack Vettriano, 73, Scottish painter (The Singing Butler). 
  • George Lowe, 67, American voice actor (Space Ghost Coast to Coast, Robot Chicken). 
  • Kathryn Apanowicz, 64, British actress (Angels, EastEnders) and television presenter (Calendar).  
  • Carl Dean, 82, American businessman, husband of Dolly Parton. 
  • Roy Ayers, 84, American musician and composer (Everybody Loves the Sunshine). 
  • Pamela Bach, 61, American actress (Baywatch), suicide by gunshot.  
  • Brian James, 70, English punk rock guitarist (The Damned, The Lords of the New Church) and songwriter (“New Rose”). 
  • Brad Sigmon, 67, American convicted murderer, execution by firing squad.

In Other News

Prominent adventurer Andrew Cross has died aged 36 after being taken off life support a month after he was involved in a ‘severe’ car accident in Colorado. Andrew, known as ‘Desert Drifter’ to half a million fans on YouTube, died peacefully on Tuesday, having sustained a serious brain injury in the January 31st crash. ‘Andrew’s spirit is free, surrounded by light and love,’ the explorer’s sister, Jenna Spooner, announced on the CaringBridge website. She told how those with Andrew before his passing put him on a mobile ventilator and walked a loop around the ICU with him, staff lining the hallway to ‘honour him’. Then in the room, friends and family read scripture, prayed, and sang during the process of removing life support and for over an hour afterwards.’ The family said earlier this week they had made the ‘difficult decision’ to remove Andrew from life support, after acknowledging his discomfort in late February. Andrew described his vlogging as ‘exploration and adventure with a historical twist’, documenting desert tours and mountain climbs for hundreds of thousands of viewers. The Virginia-born adventurer was tragically involved in a two-car accident at the end of January, when he was rear-ended at high speed while stopped. The Mesa County Coroner’s Office in Colorado confirmed to the Flying Monkeys on Wednesday that Andrew had died from injuries sustained in the crash.  

The autopsy of Gene Hackman revealed that the 95-year-old Oscar winner died of a combination of “advanced Alzheimer’s disease” and severe heart disease, the New Mexico Chief Medical Examiner announced last week. “It is reasonable to conclude that Mr. Hackman died on February 18th,” Dr. Heather Jarrell said in a press conference with Santa Fe Sheriff Adan Mendoza and other county officials. “He was in very poor health,” Dr. Jarrell also noted of Hackman, adding that there was evidence that he hadn’t eaten for a number of days. His wife, Ms. Arakawa is assumed to have died on or around February 11th, officials estimated. “The cause of death for Mr. Gene Hackman, aged 95 years, is hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, with Alzheimer’s disease as a significant contributory factor,” Dr. Jarrell explained in greater detail. “Autopsy examination and a full body post mortem CT examination demonstrated no acute findings of internal or external trauma, and showed severe heart disease, including multiple surgical procedures involving the heart, evidence of prior heart attacks and severe changes of the kidneys due to chronic high blood pressure.” Hackman’s heart issues were well-known and the actor had spoken about them on numerous occasions before retiring from public life in the early 2000s. Last week it was unveiled by Santa Fe County Sheriff’s department that Hackman’s pacemaker appeared to cease functioning around February 17th, a timeline that tracks with the details offered Friday. New Mexico health authorities also said that Hackman’s wife Betsy Arakawa seems to have passed away from Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome. A rare-ish disease, Hantavirus is spread mainly by rodents’ faeces, and is not spread from person-to-person, according to the CDC. Hackman did not have Hantavirus all tests have shown.

On This Day

  • 1959 – The Barbie doll makes its debut at the American International Toy Fair in New York.  
  • 1961 – Sputnik 9 successfully launches, carrying a dog and a human dummy, and demonstrating that the Soviet Union was ready to begin human spaceflight. 
  • 1976 – Forty-two people die in the Cavalese cable car disaster, the deadliest cable car accident in history. 

Deaths

  • 1847 – Mary Anning, English paleontologist (b. 1799). 
  • 1996 – George Burns, American comedian, actor, and writer (b. 1896). 
  • 1997 – Terry Nation, Welsh author and screenwriter (b. 1930). 
  • 1997 – The Notorious B.I.G., American rapper, songwriter, and actor (b. 1972). 
  • 2006 – John Profumo, English soldier and politician, Secretary of State for War (b. 1915). 
  • 2023 – Chaim Topol, Israeli actor (b. 1935). 

Last Meals 

Brad Sigmon was an American convicted murderer who was executed for the 2001 double murder of his ex-girlfriend’s parents in South Carolina. Sigmon was convicted of battering David and Gladys Larke, aged 62 and 59, respectively, to death with a baseball bat on 27th  April 2001, a week after he and his former girlfriend had broken up.

Subsequently, Sigmon was found guilty and given two death sentences for the double murder. He was also given a 30-year jail term for first-degree burglary for stealing from the Larkes on the day of the murders. Sigmon was executed by firing squad on 7th March 2025, becoming the first person in almost fifteen years to be executed by this method as well as the oldest person executed in the state. 

Sigmon was put to death by firing squad in the Broad River Correctional Institution. The firing squad fired at 6:05 pm, and Sigmon flexed his arms and heaved in the chair for a few seconds before he fell motionless, and he was pronounced dead at 6:08 pm.

Sigmon became the fourth person in the United States to be executed by firing squad since 1976, and the first since the execution of Ronnie Lee Gardner in Utah in June 2010. As a result of Sigmon’s execution, South Carolina became the second state in the United States to carry out a firing squad execution; the country’s first three firing squad executions (including Gardner’s) were all conducted by Utah since 1976. 

For his last meal, Sigmon ordered a KFC, green beans, mashed potatoes with gravy, biscuits, cheesecake and sweet tea. Sigmon originally asked for three buckets of the fried chicken and wanted to share them with the other inmates, but his request was denied by the prison department.

In his final statement, Sigmon hoped for the end of the death penalty and found it unjustified under the New Testament for him to pay with his life for the murders of David and Gladys Larke, stating that they were no longer living under the Old Testament and no one had the authority to take lives except for God. Reportedly, Sigmon’s lawyers, the family members of the Larkes, the prosecution, religious counsellors and three reporters were present to witness the execution

Last Week’s Birthdays

Oscar Isaac (46), Juliette Binoche (61), Cynthia Rothrock (68), Bryan Cranston (69), Rachel Weisz (55), Alan Davies (59), Shaquille O’Neal (53), Eva Mendes (51), Jolene Blalock (50), Matt Lucas (51), Paul Blackthorne (56), Fred Williamson (87), Patsy Kensit (57), Catherine O’Hara (71), Charlie Brooker (54), Miranda Richardson (67), Jessica Biel (43), and Julie Bowen (55).

9th March 2025 | Categories: 2025 | Leave A Comment »

Dead Pool 2nd March 2025

A busy week for celebrity deaths! Let’s dish out the points! 62 points to Martin for correctly  guessing Roberta Flack was going to pass in 2025! Not only that, I can award 55 points to Fiona, Paula, Dave, Lee A, and Julie for predicting Gene Hackmans demise. Well done everyone! 

Look Who You Could Have Had:

In Other News

Pope Francis, who has been battling pneumonia for two weeks, has had an “isolated” breathing crisis in hospital, the Vatican has said. It led to an episode of vomiting and a “sudden worsening of his respiratory condition” on Friday following the coughing “bronchospasm”. The 88-year-old received gas through a face mask to help him breathe. In an update on Saturday, the Vatican said the Pope had a “peaceful night and is resting”. Referring to the Pope’s peaceful night, a Vatican official added: “I think he had coffee this morning.” Earlier, Vatican sources said the Pope’s doctors needed 24 to 48 hours to determine whether there had been any damage or setback to his condition. They were not giving any prognosis, but said the Pope remained alert and “in good spirits”. In a statement on Friday, the Vatican said: “In the early afternoon of today, after a morning spent alternating respiratory physiotherapy with prayer in the chapel, the Holy Father presented an isolated crisis of bronchospasm which, however, led to an episode of vomiting with inhalation and sudden worsening of the respiratory condition. The Holy Father was promptly bronchoaspirated and began non-invasive mechanical ventilation, with a good response to gas exchange.” Vatican sources said the latest crisis happened at about 14:00 local time on Friday, but did not say how long it lasted. The latest episode comes after a couple of days in which Vatican statements had been slightly more positive, talking of a “slight improvement” in the pontiff’s condition. This is now the longest the Pope has been in hospital – and the longest period in which he’s been out of public sight – since he took over from Pope Benedict in 2013.   

Billy Joel sparked concern among concert-goers as he required help to recover from a fall on stage. Footage from his gig at Mohegan Sun resort in Stamford, Connecticut on February 22 shows Billy – who was described as “frail” at the event – twirl a microphone stand before throwing it across the stage, before suddenly falling over after delivering the wild trick. The 75-year-old was performing his hit It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me during the worrying moment, which saw him fall directly on his back. Attendees said the star was helped up by his band and managed to sing his final song to end the gig, but was “visibly thrown off” by the fall. “He just didn’t look well hobbling across the stage,” one concerned fan shared. Photos from the troubling fall seem to show Billy – dressed for the concert in an all-black suit and dress shoes – seeming to stumble before falling hard on his side, and rolling over onto his back before taking a moment to pause once he got back to his feet again. The New Yorker previously spoke about his continued love of making music, and made it clear he had no plans to retire from the industry. Speaking exclusively to the Flying Monkeys in 2023, he shared: “I still write music. I’ve kind of given up on song form because I’ve done it. I tend to like instrumental music, orchestral music. I mean, I’m writing all the time, but I’m not always recording.” The star also spoke of his stage personality, joking that he often stays seated – in contrast to his very physical show before falling this week. “I have this image of ‘I’m the least glamorous pop-star there is’. I just sit at the piano,” he said. “I’m in my 70s, I am not a matinee idol, so why are you coming to see me in the first place? But you know, it all has to do with the music, it’s all about music.” Billy has opened up about his past struggles with alcohol and substance abuse, alongside a difficult journey with mental health which culminated in a suicide attempt as he struggled with his career. 

Skype, the video calling service used by 300 million people every month, is about to die. Microsoft said it’s hanging up the phone on the programme after 14 years as the company focuses on its Teams app. Users will be asked to switch to Teams before the service is turned off in May. People will be able to log in to Teams using their Skype credentials. When doing so, Skype contacts and chats will appear on Teams. Teams users can call and chat with Skype users and Skype users can do the same with Teams users, Microsoft said in a blog post. Those who do not jump ship can export their Skype data. Microsoft said: ‘Starting in May 2025, Skype will no longer be available. Over the coming days, you can sign in to Microsoft Teams Free with your Skype account to stay connected with all your chats and contacts. Thank you for being part of Skype.’ Skype launched in 2003 and was purchased by Microsoft 14 years ago for $8,500,000,000. But in a decline only quickened by the coronavirus pandemic, rival services such as Zoom and Apple FaceTime surpassed it. When Microsoft tried to spin Skype as a corporate communications platform, software company Slack – and Teams – quickly took the crown. Jeff Teper, Microsoft’s president of collaborative apps and platforms, said: ‘Skype has been an integral part of shaping modern communications and supporting countless meaningful moments, and we are honoured to have been part of the journey.  We also understand that change can be challenging and want you to know that we’re here to support you every step of the way. We’re excited about the new opportunities that Teams brings and are committed to helping you stay connected in new and meaningful ways.’ 

On This Day

  • 1657 – The Great Fire of Meireki begins in Edo (now Tokyo), Japan, causing more than 100,000 deaths before it exhausts itself three days later.
  • 1797 – The Bank of England issues the first one-pound and two-pound banknotes. 
  • 1882 – Queen Victoria narrowly escapes an assassination attempt by Roderick Maclean in Windsor.
  • 1978 – The late iconic actor Charlie Chaplin‘s coffin is stolen from his grave in Switzerland. 

Deaths

Last Week’s Birthdays

Bryce Dallas Howard (44), Daniel Craig (57), Nathalie Emmanuel (36), Rebel Wilson (45), Gates McFadden (76), Jon Bon Jovi (63), Jensen Ackles (47), Lupita Nyong’o (42), Javier Bardem (56), Ron Howard (71), Dirk Benedict (80), Justin Bieber (31), John Turturro (68), Rae Dawn Chong (64), Amanda Abbington (51), Stephanie Beacham (78), Kate Mara (42), Adam Baldwin (63), Timothy Spall (68), Bill Duke (82), Chase Masterson (62), Sean Astin (54), Anson Mount (52), and Edward James Olmos (78).

2nd March 2025 | Categories: 2025 | Leave A Comment »

Dead Pool 16th February 2025

Bit of a sporting theme to last week’s deaths, sadly no points to award though. I best unleash the Flying Monkeys! 

Look Who You Could Have Had:

In Other News

Pope Francis has been hospitalised as he continues to battle with bronchitis, the Vatican said on Friday. “This morning, at the end of his audiences, Pope Francis, 88, was admitted to the Policlinico Agostino Gemelli for some necessary diagnostic tests and to continue his treatment for bronchitis, which is still ongoing, in a hospital environment,” it said. Last Wednesday, the Pope said he was suffering from a “strong cold”, and asked an aide to read his prepared message for his weekly general audience at the Vatican. “I want to ask forgiveness but with this strong cold, it is difficult for me to speak,” he told pilgrims at the audience. He was then diagnosed with bronchitis last Thursday and has continued his activities and audiences indoors at Casa Santa Marta, the Vatican residence where he lives, with a public appearance on Sunday. Before going to hospital on Friday, he had an official meeting with Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico. Francis also held meetings on Friday morning with Cardinal Luis Tagle, a senior Vatican official, with a Catholic philanthropy group based in Puerto Rico and with Mark Thompson, the chairman and CEO of the CNN news channel. A person who attended one of the meetings, who asked not to be named to discuss a sensitive matter, said the pope appeared to be struggling to talk during their encounter. Francis has long battled health problems, including long bouts of bronchitis. He uses a walker or cane when moving around his apartment and recently fell twice, hurting his arm and chin. Rome’s Gemelli hospital, the largest in the city, has a special suite for treating popes. Francis spent nine days there in June 2023, when he had surgery to repair an abdominal hernia. 

Duran Duran guitarist Andy Taylor is “fighting as hard as he can” as he continues treatment for cancer, his bandmates have said, as they addressed his absence at the Sanremo Music Festival in Italy. The musician, 63, revealed in 2022 that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2018. The following year he said his cancer was “asymptomatic”, having previously been told he needed “palliative, end-of-life care”. Speaking at a press conference at Sanremo, frontman Simon Le Bon told attendees that Taylor’s cancer was “very late, fourth-stage metastasised cancer”. “He’s fighting as hard as he can,” he said of his bandmate, “and we are with him in that fight”. Andy Taylor joined Duran Duran in April 1980 and left after six years to pursue a solo career. He rejoined the band in 2001 for a series of successful concerts – as well as their 2004 album, Astronaut – before leaving again in 2006. In 2023, he hit back at reports that there was bad blood between him and his former bandmates, pointing to a moving letter read out by Le Bon as the band were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2022. Taylor did not attend the ceremony due to ill health. In the same interview, he discussed how he had approached a doctor who told him about a treatment involving radioactive chemicals given intravenously, which would target only cancer cells. He said he was declared “asymptomatic” after the treatment and called the scientist, Christopher Evans, the “Elon Music of cancer”. Taylor said two symptoms alerted him that something was wrong: bone pain while jogging, which he almost mistook for arthritis after his years of live performances, and erectile dysfunction, which was masked by his use of Viagra. Asked about the prospect of returning to Duran Duran, he also said: “No, I’m not going to rejoin the band … I would not say no to the opportunity, particularly for the fans, but as I keep reminding people, you have to be asked.” 

New York Dolls co-founder and punk icon David Johansen has shocked fans with the revelation that he has a brain tumour and stage four cancer. The news first broke via a Sweet Relief Fund in the 75-year-old’s name seeking to raise money for his treatment and ongoing care. Leah Hennessey, the singer’s daughter, revealed the extent of her 75-year-old father’s health issues on the site. She wrote: ‘Five years ago at the beginning of the pandemic we discovered that David’s cancer had progressed and he had a brain tumour. ‘There have been complications ever since. He’s never made his diagnosis public, as he and my mother Mara are generally very private people, but we feel compelled to share this now, due to the increasingly severe financial burden our family is facing.’ She continued, sharing that her father incurred additional medical fees after falling down the stairs in November and breaking his back in two places. The incident forced the punk icon to stay in the hospital for an extended period of time and caused his previous condition to worsen quickly, meaning his wife has become his full-time carer. Leah wrote: ‘As hilarious and wise as David continues to be, he is physically debilitated and his care exceeds what we are capable of providing without specialised professional help.’ She added: ‘David has worked continuously as a singer and actor for the better part of six decades, to the delight of his fans all over the world.  However, for the past five years, David has been unable to work as a performer.’ Johansen himself also released a statement that reads: ‘We’ve been living with my illness for a long time, still having fun, seeing friends & family, carrying on, but this tumble the day after Thanksgiving really brought us to a whole new level of debilitation. This is the worst pain I’ve ever experienced in my entire life. I’ve never been one to ask for help but this is an emergency. Thank you.’ 

On This Day

  • 1923 – Howard Carter unseals the burial chamber of Pharaoh Tutankhamun.
  • 1978 – The first computer bulletin board system is created (CBBS in Chicago).
  • 2006 – The last mobile army surgical hospital (M.A.S.H.) is decommissioned by the United States Army.

Deaths

  • 1992 – Angela Carter, English novelist, short story writer (b. 1940).
  • 2016 – Boutros Boutros-Ghali, Egyptian politician and diplomat, 6th Secretary-General of the United Nations (b. 1922).
  • 2024 – Alexei Navalny, Russian activist (b. 1976).

My Bloody Valentine

Valentine’s Day. What does it mean to you? Is it 24 hours to devote to the celebration of the pure, unconditional and unbearably soul-shattering love that you feel for your soulmate? A wondrous day of passion and hugs and kisses, to be enjoyed on a rose petal-covered bed with flutes of Champagne and heart-shaped chocolates…

It is? Oh, how lovely for you!

For the rest of us, here’s something much more interesting – a rundown of some of the most infamous and shocking Valentine’s Day murders ever… 

The infamous St. Valentine’s Day massacre

True crime buffs don’t think of candlelit dinners when they hear the words ‘Valentine’s Day’. They think of seven Chicago mobsters being riddled with hundreds of bullets.

It’s never been officially confirmed, but there’s very little doubt that history’s most famous gangster was behind this audacious slaughter. Al Capone had finally had it with competing for the bootlegging racket of The Windy City and decided to eliminate his main rival, the Irish gang boss George ‘Bugs’ Moran.

Capone’s gang lured seven of Moran’s North Side Mob to a warehouse on the morning of the 14th, 1929. Dressed as police officers, the South Side Italians made the men line up against the wall and unloaded two Thompson machine guns and two shotguns into them.

The Columbine Subway shooting

The two high school sweethearts were shot to death by an unknown assailant who police have since failed to track down. Theories behind the tragic killing range from Nick interfering in a drug deal at the sandwich shop to the idea that the shooting could somehow have been related to the school massacre the previous year. All that’s known for certain is that both kids in love were cut down before they got a chance to really begin living their lives.

Oscar Pistorius shoots his girlfriend through a door

It was one of the most genuinely jaw-dropping and gob-smacking news stories ever. Arguably sport’s most inspirational character, South African runner Oscar Pistorius won over the world with his athletic exploits, despite being a double amputee since he was a toddler. ‘Blade Runner’ was a hero – literally – to millions. And then, on Valentine’s Day 2013, he became a killer.

It was the early morning of the 14th when Pistorius woke at his home in Pretoria, to find that his model girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp was no longer in bed with him. She was, instead, in the couple’s en-suite bathroom. The sprinter heard noise coming from the bathroom and – for whatever reason – didn’t assume it was Reeva. He, apparently, thought it was an intruder. He shot through the door four times, killing her.

A lengthy and public trial ensued, with Pistorius receiving a five-year sentence for culpable homicide in 2014. Two years later the state appealed and the verdict was overturned. He was resentenced to 13 years in prison for Ms Steenkamp’s murder.

Pistorius is due to be released from prison on parole on 5th January 2024, almost 11 years after he murdered Reeva Steenkamp. 

Wife hires hitman called ‘Mr Results’ to kill unlucky husband

Snellville, Georgia. Richard Schoeck was looking forward to Valentine’s Day, 2010. He was due to meet his wife Stacey at a local park so that they could ‘exchange cards and gifts’. It was The Schoecks’ third wedding anniversary and Richard was excited. He loved his wife dearly, gladly adopting her three children after becoming her fifth husband. But she never showed up to the park.

Richard was instead met by one Reginald Coleman, a personal trainer and part-time hitman who went by the rather immodest moniker of ‘Mr Results’. Coleman gunned Richard down, killing him. Stacey waited for her $500,000 life insurance payout. She never received it. Instead, she rightly received jail time.

To make matters worse, Stacey was not only cheating on Richard, she even posthumously accused him of molesting one of her sons. The child spoke out in Richard’s defence at the trial and the notion was quashed. Stacey Schoeck is now serving life in prison. 

Christian missionary gives wife bullet as Valentine’s gift

When 39-year-old Baptist minister Nathan Leuthold called 911 on February 14th 2013, he told police that his family had been the victims of a home invasion. When officers arrived at the scene, they found Denise Leuthold – Nathan’s wife – dead. She’d received a single but deadly gunshot wound to the head. 

Things didn’t look good for Nathan’s defence. And that was before Illinois Police found Google searches on Nathan’s computer like ‘how to hit someone over the head to knock them out’ and ‘how to muffle a gun’.

He got 80 years in jail for the murder. That’s a lot of Valentine’s Days that Nathan Leuthold’ll be missing. 

A bubble and squeak murder

On the eve of Valentine’s Day 2021, a private birthday celebration in a sleepy seaside resort ended in bloody murder. 66-year-old, Penny Jackson stabbed her 78-year-old husband, David three times. The motivation for the killing was supposedly nothing more than an argument over her choice to serve ‘bubble and squeak’ with the gourmet evening meal their daughter had sent them in lockdown. During the trial later that year, recordings of the aftermath of the crime were beamed around the world, with the recording of Penny Jackson’s 999 call and police body-cam footage of her arrest going viral. 

Young couple in love tied to a tree, tortured and killed

Students Jesse McBane, 19, and Patricia Mann, 20, were a young couple out for a walk on Valentine’s Day back in 1971. It was to be the final walk either of them would ever take. Thirteen days after they entered the wooded area in Durham, Orange County, North Carolina, their lifeless bodies were found.

Fully clothed but covered crudely by leaves, the couple were tied up and had both been strangled to death. Evidence pointed to their killer or killers repeatedly tightening and loosening the ropes around their necks as a form of torture and way of prolonging the killings.

No one was ever caught for the heinous, heinous crime. So, er, yeah… Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone!

Last Week’s Birthdays

Elizabeth Olsen (36), The Weeknd (35), Christopher Eccleston (61), LeVar Burton (68), Amanda Holden (54), Megan Thee Stallion (30), Matt Groening (71), Simon Pegg (55), Freddie Highmore (33), Danai Gurira (47), Andrew Robinson (73), Neal McDonough (59), Mena Suvari (46), Stockard Channing (81), Robbie Williams (51), Kim Novak (92), Hugh Dennis 63), Christina Ricci (45), Josh Brolin (57), Michael Ironside (75), Natalie Dormer (43), Jennifer Aniston (56), Sheryl Crow (63), Elizabeth Banks (51), Chloë Grace Moretz (28), Keeley Hawes (49), Laura Dern (58), Robert Wagner (95), Holly Willoughby (44), and Philip Glenister (62).

16th February 2025 | Categories: 2025 | Leave A Comment »

Dead Pool 9th February 2025

We have points to award! Well done to Abi for predicting that Steven Lawayne Nelson would die this year, albeit was a forgone conclusion as he was scheduled for execution, but still a brave bet as not all Death Row executions get mentioned in the Wiki listings. Anyhow, 113 points! Well done! 

Look Who You Could Have Had:

In Other News

Katie Price’s friends reportedly fear for her health after a “risky” move following another round of surgery. The 46-year-old refuses to slow down despite jetting to Turkey again last month for gruelling surgeries. Katie was seen singing and dancing at a public appearance in Yorkshire, despite needing rest following serious facial procedures abroad. The mum-of-five, who is teetotal, wasn’t drinking – but her pals fear she is pushing herself too hard instead of allowing her body to heal. A source told The Flying Monkeys: “Katie’s had lots of surgeries so she tends to play them down, but they’re not all minor. She has to undergo various types of anaesthesia and she’s doing it in a foreign country, far away from home. Everyone knows partying after surgery is a very bad idea.” The former glamour model has long been open about her love of cosmetic surgery, undergoing multiple facelifts, boob jobs, and other procedures over the years. She underwent tweakments abroad last month after being unhappy with her recent £10,000 facelift. Sources close to the star claimed she was unhappy with her “pixie ears” following her face lift. Fans spotted her ears had been snipped and Katie no longer has any lobes. It comes as Katie explained one of her biggest fears around having so much plastic surgery. A clairvoyant predicted she would pass away peacefully in her sleep, which her sister Sophie suggested could apply to being under anaesthesia. 

Conductor Daniel Barenboim says he has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. The 82-year-old issued a statement Thursday on Instagram. He has appeared more frail since 2022, canceling scheduled performances that included a new production of Wagner’s Ring Cycle in Berlin. “I am planning to maintain as many of my professional commitments as my health permits,” he wrote. “As ever, I consider the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra my most important responsibility. It is essential for me to ensure the orchestra’s long-term stability and development. I will continue to conduct the Divan whenever my health allows me to. At the same time, I will take an active role in ensuring that the Divan has the opportunity of working with excellent conductors going forward. I have been navigating this new reality of mine and my focus is on receiving the best available care.” A child prodigy pianist who made his Carnegie Hall debut at 1957 at age 14. Barenboim has been chief conductor of the Orchestre de Paris and music director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Milan’s Teatro alla Scala and general music director of the Berlin State Opera.  

Ozzy Osbourne is gearing up for one final performance despite no longer being able to walk as his Parkinson’s diagnosis progresses. The 76-year-old announced that he is reuniting with Black Sabbath and will return to the stage one last time for “the greatest heavy metal show ever” at Villa Park in his hometown of Birmingham on July 5, 2025. His health woes began in 2003 when Ozzy was involved in an ATV accident; this led to extensive back surgery, where he had metal rods placed in his spine. Ozzy’s spinal issues didn’t stop; sixteen years later, the rocker suffered a nasty fall in his home, which dislodged the metal rods and kick-started his long health journey. It was discovered in that he had the Parkinson’s after the fall at his Los Angeles home, which required him to undergo surgery on the old spinal injury. Ozzy’s condition has progressed to the point where it has affected his legs. “I have made it to 2025. I can’t walk, but you know what I was thinking over the holidays? For all my complaining, I’m still alive, I may be moaning that I can’t walk but I look down the road and there’s people that didn’t do half as much as me and didn’t make it.”  

On This Day

  • 1959 – The R-7 Semyorka, the first intercontinental ballistic missile, becomes operational at Plesetsk, USSR.
  • 1986 – Halley’s Comet last appeared in the inner Solar System.
  • 1996 – The Provisional Irish Republican Army declares the end to its 18-month ceasefire
  • and explodes a large bomb in London’s Canary Wharf, killing two people.
  • 2021 – Second impeachment trial of Donald Trump begins.

Deaths

Last Meals

Steven Lawayne Nelson was executed by lethal injection in Huntsville, Texas, after spending 13 years locked up for the murder of a pastor. 

He was put on death row after being convicted of beating, strangling and suffocating Reverend Clint Dobson, 28, during a robbery at the NorthPointe Baptist Church in 2011, while his secretary, Judy Elliot, was badly beaten but ended up surviving.

Nelson denied killing Dobson, however, saying he was at the church to be a lookout for the robbery, claiming that Dobson and Elliot were already on the floor when he arrived and were still breathing.

The 37-year-old had maintained his innocence despite being convicted by a jury in 2012, and each of his appeals were denied by state and federal courts. 

Marking the second execution to take place in the US since the start of the year, Nelson was pronounced dead at 6.50pm local time on Wednesday evening.

Nelson made a series of chilling remarks as the process got underway, most of which were in reference to his wife Helene Noa Dubois, who got married two weeks before his execution date.

In his final moments, Nelson repeatedly told his spouse that he loved and appreciated her while she watched on through a window a short distance away.

Dubois had brought their white dog into the witness area, which she scooped up in her arms to watch the execution as Nelson said: “Give Monkey a hug for me.”

Addressing his wife, Nelson said: “It is what it is,” before encouraging her to ‘enjoy life’.

“I’m not scared, it’s cold shit in here, but I’m at peace, I’m ready to be at home. Let’s ride, Warden.”

As the lethal dose of pentobarbital was administered, Nelson reportedly told Dubois to ‘let him go to sleep’ before he was seen mouthing the word ‘love’.

The Flying Monkeys reported that he then briefly began trembling as the drug took effect, before he was pronounced dead 24 minutes later.  

He was not entitled to a final ‘death row’ meal under a unique Texas law which abolished the luxury in 2011.

Last Week’s Birthdays

Michael B. Jordan (38), Rose Leslie (38), Tom Hiddleston (44), Ciarán Hinds (72), Joe Pesci (82), Mia Farrow (80), Mary Steenburgen (72), Seth Green (51), Nick Nolte (84), John Williams (93), James Spader (65), Deborah Ann Woll (40), Ashton Kutcher (47), Eddie Izzard (63), Chris Rock (60), Kevin Whately (74), Jennifer Jason Leigh (63), Michael Sheen (56), Charlotte Rampling (79), Christopher Guest (77), Tony Jaa (49), Cristiano Ronaldo (40), Gabrielle Anwar (55), Alice Cooper (77), Jim Jefferies (48), Isla Fisher (49), Aimee Lou Wood (30), Nathan Lane (69), and Warwick Davis (55).

9th February 2025 | Categories: 2025 | Leave A Comment »

Dead Pool 2nd January 2025

Again I have to dole out the points! Congratulations to Neil G for correctly guessing that  Catherine Laborde would pass away this year, 177 points as he also listed her as his Woman. I can also award Shân EW 72 points for Marianne Faithful, who also passed away last week. Well done both of you! 

I’ll be closing the donations page in the next few days, if anyone else would like to donate this year, please do so soon. Thank you to everyone who has generously donated this year, although we didn’t cover the costs this year, it certainly helped immensely. 

Look Who You Could Have Had:

 In Other News

Pope Francis tripped when the handle of his walking stick snapped entering the Vatican auditorium for an audience Saturday. The 88-year-old pope often has to use a wheelchair or a cane because of bad knees and has fallen twice in the past two months. After Saturday’s slight stumble, two aides helped him to his chair on the stage and the audience proceeded without incident. After he recovered someone in the audience shouted “Viva il Papa” and the audience applauded. Earlier in January, Francis fell and hurt his right arm. It wasn’t broken, but a sling was put on as a precaution. On December 7th, the pope whacked his chin on his nightstand in an apparent fall that resulted in a bad bruise. The pontiff has long battled health problems including long bouts of bronchitis. He uses a walker or cane when moving around his apartment in the Vatican’s Santa Marta hotel. Speculation about Francis’ health is a constant in Vatican circles, especially after Pope Benedict XVI broke 600 years of tradition and resigned from the papacy in 2013. Benedict’s aides have attributed the decision to a nighttime fall that he suffered during a 2012 trip to Mexico, after which he determined he couldn’t keep up with the globe-trotting demands of the papacy. Francis has said that he has no plans to resign anytime soon, even if Benedict “opened the door” to the possibility. In his autobiography “Hope” released this month, Francis said that he hadn’t considered resigning even when he had major intestinal surgery. 

Giles Coren has been diagnosed with prostate cancer. Coren, 55, said urology nurses had taken a biopsy before informing him they had found “some cancer” but that “no treatment would be necessary for the moment”. “In the very week that it was announced on the front page of The Times that prostate cancer is now the commonest cancer in England … I have been diagnosed with it!” he wrote in his column for the paper. Earlier in the week charity Prostate Cancer UK said diagnoses of the disease had overtaken breast cancer in 2022 and 2023, making it England’s most common cancer. TV star and writer Coren, who is the brother of Only Connect presenter Victoria Coren Mitchell, said his “delightful journey started a couple of years ago”. “I had to demand, literally demand, a prostate specific antigen (PSA) test along with my annual cholesterol check, because not only is it not mandatory on the NHS but your GP is not even allowed to suggest it unless you have symptoms,” he claimed. Coren said the test “came back a bit high” and revealed he had only asked for it because of the work done by celebrities including Stephen Fry, the late Bill Turnbull – and more recently Sir Chris Hoy, who revealed his prostate cancer was terminal in 2024.  

Patti Smith is assuring fans that she is “absolutely fine” after a “small incident” onstage while performing in Brazil. The rocker, 78, seemingly collapsed onstage in Sao Paulo on Wednesday, while performing with the Soundwalk Collective group, and was helped offstage before returning briefly in a wheelchair. In a statement shared to Instagram the next day, Smith said she’d been dealing with the effects of a migraine, and that various accounts of what happened had been “grossly exaggerated.” “This is me letting everyone know that I am fine,” she wrote alongside a selfie that featured her smiling for and waving to the camera. “I had some post migraine dizziness. Had a small incident, left the stage, and returned 10 minutes later and talked to the people, told them I was fine and sang them Wing and Because the Night.” Smith said she’d been checked out by an “excellent doctor” and was doing well. “Please do not accept any other story. With all the strife in the world, this explainable incident does not merit so much attention,” she wrote. “Thank you everyone for your concern. Trust me I am fine.” The “Because the Night” singer fell about 30 minutes into her performance, and remained there for several minutes before she received assistance. Journalist Micheline Alves told the Flying Monkeys that Smith seemingly tried to support herself by holding her microphone or music stand, but “everything fell on top of her.” She remained conscious, and was able to stand on her own, Alves said. 

On This Day

  • 1709 – Alexander Selkirk is rescued after being shipwrecked on a desert island, inspiring Daniel Defoe’s adventure book Robinson Crusoe.
  • 1887 – In Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, the first Groundhog Day is observed.
  • 1901 – Funeral of Queen Victoria.

Deaths

Last Week’s Birthdays

Paul Mescal (29), Gemma Arterton (39), Brent Spiner (76), David Jason (85), Shakira (48), Sherilyn Fenn (60), Michael C. Hall (54), Harry Styles (31), Minnie Driver (55), Jonathan Banks (78), Dexter Fletcher (59), Justin Timberlake (44), Christian Bale (51), Olivia Colman (51), Gene Hackman (95), Phil Collins (74), Katharine Ross (85), Tom Selleck (80), Heather Graham (55), Marc Singer (77), Oprah Winfrey (71), Ariel Winter (27), Will Poulter (32), Elijah Wood (44), Tom Hopper (40), Alan Alda (89), Alan Cumming (60), Rosamund Pike (46), James Cromwell (85), Bridget Fonda (61), and Patton Oswalt (56). 

2nd February 2025 | Categories: 2025 | Leave A Comment »

Dead Pool 26th January 2025

A quiet week this week, barely any famous deaths and hardly any news to talk about.  

Look Who You Could Have Had:

In Other News

Pauline Quirke has been diagnosed with dementia, her husband Steve Sheen has announced. The Birds of a Feather star, 65, is best known for playing Sharon Theodopolopodous in the much-loved sitcom alongside Linda Robson and Lesley Joseph from 1988 to 1999. Quirke, who has also had roles in Emmerdale and Broadchurch, was first diagnosed with the disease in 2021. She will now “step away from all commercial and professional duties”. The BAFTA-nominated actor’s last public appearance came in February 2023, when she was awarded an MBE by Prince William for service to young people, entertainment and charity. In his statement, Quirke’s husband Sheen said: “It is with a heavy heart that I announce my wife Pauline’s decision to step back from all professional and commercial duties due to her diagnosis of Dementia in 2021. Pauline has been an inspiration through her work in the film and TV industry, her charity endeavours and as the founder of the very successful Pauline Quirke Academy of Performing Arts (PQA). Her talent, dedication, and vision have touched countless lives and will continue to do so through the legacy of her work and through PQA where her vision and guidance has facilitated many young peoples’ progression and interest in the Arts and enhanced their self-confidence.” Dementia is an umbrella term for progressive conditions associated with an ongoing decline of brain functioning. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common, and a timely diagnosis is vital. On average, people live between eight to ten years after an Alzheimer’s diagnosis. However, some live for a further twenty years or more. 

Music legend Sting has been forced to cancel four gigs just 24 hours before being back on stage. The singer, 73, has fallen ill with a statement from his Instagram page reading: “On advisement from his doctor, due to illness, it is with sincere regret that Sting must cancel his appearance at the Bass Magazine Awards this Thursday.” It added he would also “postpone his STING 3.0 concerts in Phoenix, AZ and Wheatland, CA as well as his performance at the Cherrytree Music Company’s 20th anniversary”. The statement went on to say: “Fans should retain their tickets for the postponed shows, as they will be honoured on the new dates. Sting sincerely apologises for any inconvenience and extends his gratitude to the fans for their understanding.” Sting last cancelled a string of gigs back in 2019 due to a mystery illness. He was forced to pull of performances in Belgium, Germany, Stuttgart, and the Czech Republic. A source insisted the illness was not serious, saying: “He’s just resting up. Everyone is expecting him to be back up and running very soon. He’ll be going straight into the rest of his scheduled tour dates.” Later that year, Sting had made a full recovery but took to the stage in a sling.

On This Day

  • 1905 – The world’s largest diamond ever, the Cullinan, which weighs 3,106.75 carats (0.62 kg), is found at the Premier Mine near Pretoria in South Africa.
  • 1926 – The first demonstration of the television by John Logie Baird.
  • 1998 – On American television, U.S. President Bill Clinton denies having had “sexual relations” with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky. 
  • 2009 – Nadya Suleman gives birth to the world’s first surviving octuplets.
  • 2020 – A Sikorsky S-76B flying from John Wayne Airport to Camarillo Airport crashes in Calabasas, 30 miles west of Los Angeles, killing all nine people on board, including five-time NBA champion Kobe Bryant and his daughter.

Deaths

  • 1823 – Edward Jenner, English physician, creator of the smallpox vaccine (b. 1749). 
  • 1973 – Edward G. Robinson, Romanian-American actor (b. 1893).
  • 2020 – Kobe Bryant, American basketball player (b. 1978).

Last Week’s Birthdays

Scott Glenn (86), Deep Roy (76), Ellen DeGeneres (67), Volodymyr Zelenskyy (47), Justin Baldoni (41), Mischa Barton (39), Kristen Schaal (47), Matthew Lillard (55), Nastassja Kinski (64), Ed Helms (51), Adrian Edmondson (68), Gil Gerard (82), Linda Blair (66), Geena Davis (69), Emma Bunton (49), Rainn Wilson (59), Tom Baker (91), and Gary Barlow (54).

26th January 2025 | Categories: 2025 | Leave A Comment »

Dead Pool 19th January 2025

Loads of points  to award this week, with the passing of Linda Nolan I can award 85 points to Paula H, Lara U, Paul G, and an amazing 185 points to Mark K, Mark W, Chris A, Martin G, Lee U, as they had her listed as either a Cert or a Woman. I can also award 55 points to Fiona B for correctly guessing that Joan Plowright would die in 2025. Well done everyone! 

Look Who You Could Have Had:

In Other News

Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan has been stabbed after an intruder invaded his home in Mumbai. Khan, 54, was rushed to Lilavati Hospital in an auto-rickshaw where he underwent emergency surgery.  A 2.5-inch piece of the blade was removed from his spine after a five-hour-long surgery. Khan’s public representatives also confirmed the incident, calling it an “attempted burglary”, adding that “the rest of the family is doing fine”. Later on Thursday, doctors told reporters Khan was “on the path to complete recovery”. “He sustained a major injury to the thoracic spinal chord due to a lodged knife in the spine,” said Nitin Dange, one of the doctors operating on on the actor. “Surgery was performed to remove the knife and also repair the leaking spinal fluid.” A female employee at their home was also attacked and was being treated, police said. Khan lives in an apartment in the western Mumbai suburb of Bandra, along with his wife Kareena Kapoor-Khan, who is also an actor, and their two children. According to the Flying Monkeys a suspect has been detained in Chhattisgarh and the police have launched an investigation into the attack. Khan is among the country’s most bankable actors, having featured in more than 70 films and television series, in some also as a producer. He is the son of former India cricket captain Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi and actress Sharmila Tagore.  

James Whale was rushed to hospital over the festive period. The 73-year-old broadcaster, who has been diagnosed with terminal cancer, had to be taken into intensive care after falling ill with the flu. The TV and radio veteran has been diagnosed with stage four kidney cancer that has spread to his brain, spine and lungs. Whale was hospitalised with the flu but he was discharged from the ICU and able to go back home to recover. His wife Nadine updated fans after the hospital dash, admitting he’d had another encounter with the “Grim Reaper”. She wrote: “After a worrying week I am happy to report that @THEJamesWhale is out of ICU and back at home, having batted off the Grim Reaper yet again. This time he tried with a bout of Influenza A, but without success. Our hero is home.” Whale, who was made an MBE for his services to to broadcasting, was first diagnosed with cancer back in 2000 and had one of his kidneys removed. However, in 2020, the presenter revealed the cancer had returned in his kidney, brain, spine and lungs. The Talk TV host admitted he considered euthanasia shortly after his diagnosis so he could “go and get it over with”. He said: “I came home, had a little think about things. I decided I’m just booking myself a trip to Dignitas. You might as well just go and get it over with. I’d looked into it quite some time ago because Melinda died two years ago and it’s been something in the back of my mind. But you have to make the most of it. When you’re my age – and I’ve had a good life – you say maybe you have another year left. Four years ago, we thought I had months.”  

Heart Radio presenter Jamie Theakston has revealed he is cancer-free, four months after being diagnosed with stage one laryngeal cancer. The 54-year-old broadcaster made the emotional announcement during his return to Heart Breakfast on Friday morning, following a period of absence that began in September 2024. Theakston had undergone three separate surgeries after listeners first noticed a change in his voice prior to his diagnosis. Speaking on the show, Theakston said: “Today is the four-month anniversary of my cancer diagnosis. So it’s been four months, and I’ve had enough of hospitals and operations, and it’s just lovely to be back, and I’ve got some news for you. Because I can tell you that as of today, I’m cancer-free.” The diagnosis had come as an overwhelming surprise to the presenter. “When I was told, ‘Oh, it’s probably cancer,’ just, literally, I just didn’t even know what to say. I mean, it just blew my mind,” he revealed. Theakston detailed the challenging series of procedures he underwent, with each surgery causing increased damage to his vocal cords. The presenter revealed the stark statistics he faced. “By the third one, they said, ‘Well, look, you’ve got a one in six chance you might not be able to talk again.’ And so, then you kind of think, ‘Oh, okay, that’s like rolling a dice,'” he shared. The presenter confirmed he will return to Heart Breakfast full-time on Monday, January 20th.

On This Day

  • 1883 – The first electric lighting system employing overhead wires, built by Thomas Edison, begins service at Roselle, New Jersey.
  • 1901 – Queen Victoria, Queen of the United Kingdom, is stricken with paralysis. She dies three days later at the age of 81.
  • 1978 – The last Volkswagen Beetle made in Germany leaves VW’s plant in Emden. Beetle production in Latin America continues until 2003. 
  • 2012 – The file-sharing website Megaupload is shut down by the FBI.

Deaths

  • 1983 – Ham, chimpanzee and animal astronaut, first hominid in space (b. 1957). 
  • 2000 – Hedy Lamarr, Austrian-American actress, singer, and mathematician (b. 1914). 
  • 2017 – Miguel Ferrer, American actor (b. 1955).

Last Week’s Birthdays

Katey Sagal (71), Rob Delaney (48), Tippi Hedren (95), Dolly Parton (79), Michael Crawford (83), Kevin Costner (70), Dave Bautista (56), Mark Rylance (65), Jim Carrey (63), Zooey Deschanel (45), Lin-Manuel Miranda (45), Caroline Munro (76), FKA twigs (37), James May (62), Natasia Demetriou (41), James Nesbitt (60), Claudia Winkleman (53), Eddie Hall (37), Jason Bateman (56), Emily Watson (58), Kevin Durand (51), Mark Addy (61), Faye Dunaway (84), Dave Grohl (56), Michael Peña (49), Liam Hemsworth (35), Orlando Bloom (48), Natalia Dyer (30), Ruth Wilson (43), and Bill Bailey (60).

19th January 2025 | Categories: 2025 | Leave A Comment »

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