2026

Dead Pool 11th January 2026

Quite a deadly week for the football community, far more footballers than I have listed here kicked their final ball. Plus we have seen the last of pseudoscience poster boy, Erich von Däniken. Perhaps we’ll hear less from the mad hatters claiming humans did not build the Pyramids, Stonehenge etc…

Look Who You Could Have Had:

Pa O’Dwyer, 40, Irish strongman.
Jayne Trcka, 62, American bodybuilder, fitness model and actress (Scary Movie).
Eva Schloss, 96, Austrian-British Holocaust survivor and memoirist.
Terry Wharton, 83, English footballer (Wolverhampton Wanderers, Bolton Wanderers, Crystal Palace).
Martin Chivers, 80, English footballer (Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur, national team).
Tony Field, 79, English footballer (Blackburn Rovers, Southport, Memphis Rogues).
Terry Yorath, 75, Welsh football player and manager (Leeds United, national team).
Molly Parkin, 93, Welsh painter, novelist and journalist.
T. K. Carter, 69, American actor (The Thing, Punky Brewster, Runaway Train).
Erich von Däniken, 90, Swiss author and ufologist.
Bob Weir, 78, American musician (Grateful Dead) and songwriter (“Sugar Magnolia“, “One More Saturday Night“), complications from cancer.
Tina Packer, 87, British actress (David Copperfield, Doctor Who) and stage director, co-founder of Shakespeare & Company.

In Other News

Football legend Kevin Keegan has been diagnosed with cancer, his family has said. In a statement published on Wednesday, his family said the former England international was recently admitted to hospital for “further evaluation of ongoing abdominal symptoms”. “These investigations have revealed a diagnosis of cancer, for which Kevin will undergo treatment,” the statement continued. “Kevin is grateful to the medical team for their intervention and ongoing care. During this difficult time, the family are requesting privacy, and will be making no further comment.” The statement was released by Newcastle United, the club Keegan both played for and managed and remains closely associated with. Affectionately known as “King Kev”, he scored 204 goals in 592 appearances during an illustrious club career and 21 goals in 63 international caps. He began his playing career at Scunthorpe United before moving to Liverpool, where he won three First Division titles as well as two Uefa Cups, the FA Cup and the European Cup. The 74-year-old later had spells at Hamburg – where he won the Bundesliga, was twice named European Footballer of the Year, and reached the European Cup final – and Southampton before he joined Newcastle. He helped the Magpies secure promotion from the Second Division in his second season. He retired in 1984 before moving into management, returning to Newcastle in 1992. Newcastle sealed promotion to the Premier League in his first full season, and he later took charge of Fulham, England, and Manchester City before a second spell with Newcastle in 2008, his most recent managerial role.

A grandmother in Wales who became an internet hit after being hoisted 10ft into the air by a shop’s shutters has died. Anne Hughes’ coat had got entangled in the electronic shutters as they were being opened and she was left dangling upside down. A CCTV video of the incident, which thankfully left her unscathed, was viewed more than 100 million times. Although initially somewhat embarrassed, Anne soon saw the funny side and ended up embracing her newfound fame. Now it’s emerged that she sadly passed away shortly before Christmas, after being diagnosed with cancer. A family friend said: ‘Anne was lovely and, luckily for her and everyone else, she had a good sense of humour. She quite enjoyed her moment of notoriety and she definitely saw the funny side. It’s sad that she’s gone but she has left us with a memory that will always bring a smile to people’s faces.’ Anne was working as a part-time cleaner at the Best One Shop in Tonteg when she was taken for the unexpected ride in March 2024. The video shows her waiting out the front of the store as shopkeeper Amir Akram – who is out of shot – begins opening the shutters. Anne’s coat then gets caught and the shutters start to lift her up. She tries to unhook herself but with no success and keeps rising – the whole time holding on to her shopping trolly. After hearing Anne’s cries Amir rushes out and manages to lower her safely down to the ground. The store later posted the video on its Facebook site, with the caption: ‘Don’t hang about like Anne, come down to best one to get the best deals!!! The only thing going up in this shop is our staff, not the prices!!’ Anne told the media at the time: ‘It could only happen to me. I was embarrassed, who wouldn’t be? But looking back I can see the funny side. And I’ve quite enjoyed the fame, people ask me for selfies next to the shutters.’ In honour of Anne and her unexpected adventure, a graffiti artist spray painted an image of the granny in her famous upside down position on the shop’s shutters. Although she took all the attention in her stride, Anne also wanted to get on with family life and turned down numerous appearances to appear on shows like Good Morning Britain and The Big Fat Quiz of the Year.

BBC host Nick Owen has returned home after undergoing surgery after being diagnosed with kidney cancer. The 78 year old, who presents BBC Midlands Today, was hospitalised before Christmas to undergo treatment. The news of his second cancer diagnosis comes a little under two years after he made a full recovery from prostate cancer. He returned to TV screens later in 2023. Nick has since admitted it had been a “tough” ordeal for the broadcaster and his wife following his most recent health announcement. The presenter also shared he was thankful he made it through the operation in a candid admission. He explained: “I am so relieved to have come through the operation after a traumatic time, especially after what my wife Vicki and our family went through when I had prostate cancer. It’s been tough, but things are picking up now.” Speaking about his recent treatment, Nick told the Flying Monkeys: “The NHS has been absolutely brilliant – from my GP, who was so thorough in getting me a diagnosis, to all the medics at Russells Hall Hospital. I am forever grateful.” Nick had been open about his prostate cancer treatment and encouraged men to get tested. Owen has been on screens for the past 50 years making his first appearance the very first Good Morning Britain in 1983, before forming one of the nation’s favourite on-screen partnerships with Anne Diamond on ITV and then for Good Morning with Anne and Nick on BBC One.

On This Day

1922 – Leonard Thompson becomes the first person to be injected with insulin.
2003 – Illinois Governor George Ryan commutes the death sentences of 167 prisoners on Illinois’s death row based on the Jon Burge scandal.
2020 – Municipal health officials in Wuhan announce the first recorded death from COVID-19.

Deaths

2013 – Tom Parry Jones, Welsh chemist, invented the breathalyser (born 1935).
2014 – Ariel Sharon, Israeli politician, 11th Prime Minister of Israel (born 1928).
2015 – Anita Ekberg, Swedish-Italian model and actress (born 1931).

Last Week’s Birthdays

Jason Connery (63), Jemaine Clement (52), Evan Handler (65), J.K. Simmons (71), Joely Richardson (61), Imelda Staunton (70), James Acaster (41), Cynthia Erivo (39), Michelle Forbes (61), Amber Benson (49), Nicolas Cage (62), Jeremy Renner (55), Linda Kozlowski (68), Erin Gray (76), Lewis Hamilton (41), Rowan Atkinson (71), Eddie Redmayne (44), Kate McKinnon (42), Norman Reedus (57), Genevieve O’Reilly (49), Bradley Cooper (51), Robert Duvall (95), Clancy Brown (67), January Jones (48), and Vinnie Jones (61).

11th January 2026 | Categories: 2026 | Leave A Comment »

Dead Pool 4th January 2026

We begin our year with a bang, barely three days in and Paul C correctly predicted that Sir Patrick Duffy would die. Well done that man! 95 points, which includes the ‘first death of the year’ bonus.

Look Who You Could Have Had:

Victoria Jones, 34, American actress.
Ian Balding, 87, British horse trainer, father of Clare Balding.
Sir Patrick Duffy, 105, British politician, and president of the NATO Assembly.
Bret Hanna-Shuford, 46, American actor (Paramour, Amazing Grace, The Wolf of Wall Street), cancer.

In Other News

As you may have seen on the Telegram Messaging Group, Nickie ran the lists through ChatGPT and we found the following: The top tier names for 2026 are; David Attenborough, Dick Van Dyke, Bruce Willis, Mel Brooks, Clint Eastwood, Tom Baker, Esther Rantzen, Chris Hoy, Michael Caine and Billy Connolly. The most popular Dead Certs this year include Dick Van Dyke, David Attenborough and Esther Rantzen. The most popular Women this year are Esther Rantzen, Ethel Caterham and Joan Collins and the most popular Maverick’s are Britney Spears and Katie Price, although I still feel everyone should be listing James Corden for just being a cunt. Attenborough & Van Dyke dominate across all categories however Esther Rantzen is the single strongest crossover name (Top-10 & Dead Cert & Woman). Doesn’t look like a promising future for Rantzen!

Barry Manilow gave fans a health update on Friday. Weeks after revealing that a cancerous spot had been found in his left lung and he was undergoing cancer treatment, the “Copacabana” singer, 82, updated fans through an Instagram post. Sharing a selfie of himself wearing a green gown in a hospital bed, Manilow captioned his post, “Better Today!” In the comments section, Manilow’s backup singer, Melanie Taylor, showed some support, writing: “That’s my boss y’all! He’s making it through the rain! Love you B!” Manilow’s drummer, Matt Sorum, said, “Heal up Barry, much love.” Last month, the “Mandy” musician revealed in a statement on his Facebook page that he’d need to take a break from performing after the cancerous spot was found on his left lung. “As many of you know I recently went through six weeks of bronchitis followed by a relapse of another five weeks,” Manilow said at the time. “Even though I was over the bronchitis and back on stage at the Westgate Las Vegas, my wonderful doctor ordered an MRI to make sure that everything was OK. The MRI discovered a cancerous spot on my left lung that needs to be removed. It’s pure luck (and a great doctor) that it was found so early. That’s the good news.” However, Manilow said the “bad news” was that he needed to have surgery to remove the spot. “The doctors do not believe it was spread and I’m taking tests to confirm their diagnosis. So, that’s it. No chemo. No radiation. Just chicken soup and I Love Lucy reruns,” he explained.

Grey’s Anatomy actor Steven W. Bailey is opening up about his rare health diagnosis. Bailey, 54, who appeared as Joe the bartender in more than 30 episodes of the long-running medical drama, said he has been diagnosed with a rare neuromuscular disorder known as congenital myasthenia syndrome, or CMS. CMS is a group of rare hereditary conditions caused by a gene difference that results in muscle weakness, worsening a person’s physical ability. In a lengthy thread on Twitter on Friday, Bailey shared that he had been diagnosed with a rare neuromuscular disorder known as congenital myasthenia syndrome. In his “open letter” on Twitter, he wrote that he had “spent years being cautious, private and quiet” about something that has been “shaping his life and work.” “That time is over,” he wrote. “It’s the darnedest thing, but it turns out I have a rather rare genetic neuromuscular disorder. Weird, right? It’s called Congenital Myasthenia Syndrome,” Bailey shared. According to the Flying Monkeys, CMS is a group of rare hereditary conditions caused by a gene difference that results in muscle weakness, worsening a person’s physical ability. “Any muscles used for movement can be affected, including muscles that control speaking, chewing and swallowing, seeing and blinking, breathing, and walking.” According to Bailey, he kept his medical struggles out of the public eye for several years “out of career caution, diagnostic uncertainty, and being private about such things,” but said he decided it was “time to stop” hiding his diagnosis. “CMS is a genetic disease that disrupts the communication between the brain and the muscle at the ‘nerve/muscle junction’… or whatever doctors call it,” he explained. “There are billions of these junction doodads in a body, and an increasing number of mine seem to be on the blink. Troublesome, little buggers — right? The result being that my hands, arms and legs tire quicker than they should, which makes them weaker than, well … anticipated,” he continued. “Sustained repetitive movements are particularly difficult and can cause my muscles to temporarily tighten and shut down.” Bailey joked that while his diagnosis has helped get him out of “doing the dishes and folding laundry in his household,” it has also increasingly hindered his ability to walk.

On This Day

1903 – Topsy, an elephant, is electrocuted by the owners of Luna Park, Coney Island. The Edison film company records the film Electrocuting an Elephant of Topsy’s death.
1959 – Luna 1 becomes the first spacecraft to reach the vicinity of the Moon.
1972 – Rose Heilbron becomes the first female judge to sit at the Old Bailey in London.
1990 – In Pakistan’s deadliest train accident an overloaded passenger train collides with an empty freight train, resulting in 307 deaths and 700 injuries.
2007 –Nancy Pelosi becomes the first female Speaker of the House in U.S. history.
2010 – The Burj Khalifa, the current tallest building in the world, officially opens in Dubai.

Deaths

1961 – Erwin Schrödinger, Austrian physicist & academic (born 1887).
1965 – T. S. Eliot, American-English poet, playwright, and critic (born 1888).
1967 – Donald Campbell, English racing driver & world speed record holder (born 1921).
2011 – Gerry Rafferty, Scottish singer-songwriter (born 1947).
2024 – Glynis Johns, British actress and singer (born 1923).
2024 – David Soul, American-British actor and singer (born 1943).