Dead Pool 12th April 2026

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

Look Who You Could Have Had:

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

In Other News

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

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

On This Day

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

Deaths

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

Last Week’s Birthdays

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