Dead Pool 15th December 2024

With little over two weeks left, we seem to have hit a quiet period for celebrity deaths. I hate to do this before Xmas, but the Flying Monkeys have been deployed! 

Look Who You Could Have Had:

• Tom Voyce, 43, English rugby union player (Bath, Wasps, national team), drowned. 
• Sir David McMurtry, 84, Irish metrology industrialist, co-founder of Renishaw plc. 
• Arnold Yarrow, 104, British actor (Doctor Who, EastEnders), screenwriter and novelist. 
• Michael Cole, 84, American actor (The Mod Squad, General Hospital, It). 
• María Socas, 65, Argentine actress (The Warrior and the Sorceress, Wizards of the Lost Kingdom, Deathstalker II). 
• Duncan Norvelle, 66, English comedian.

In Other News

The Wanted musician, Max George, will spend Christmas in hospital after medical tests have revealed problems with this heart. The 36-year-old has been a part of the band alongside Siva Kaneswaran, Nathan Sykes, Jay McGuinness, and the late Tom Parker, since 2009. George’s news comes two years after the death of Parker following an 18-month experience with brain cancer. He revealed he was rushed into hospital and some issues were found with his heart. “Hey everyone, Yesterday I felt really unwell and was taken in to hospital,” George wrote in a post on Instagram on Thursday night, wearing a hospital gown. “Unfortunately after some tests they’ve found that I have some issues with my heart.” Although he did not confirm the nature of the diagnosis, he said, “I have a lot more tests to determine the extent of the problems and what surgery I will need to get me back on my feet. It’s gonna be a difficult few weeks / months… and Christmas in a hospital bed wasn’t exactly what I had planned!” He thanked his loved ones and his girlfriend and Eastenders actor Maisie Smith for their support. “As always, I’m surrounded with love and support by my wonderful partner Maisie, her family, my family and friends.. and I’m 100 per cent in the best place. Although this is a huge shock and no doubt a setback, it’s something I’ll take on with all I’ve got! I count myself very lucky that this was caught when it was. Apologies if I bore you with updates in the coming weeks.. I’ve probably got a month in a bed and there’s not THAT much to do! Let’s do this! Much love, Max x”. 

Hollywood legend Dick Van Dyke has revealed that his neighbours “saved” him from his home as he attempted to evacuate due to the devastating Malibu Franklin Fire. The Franklin Fire, another late-year wildfire fanned by fierce Santa Ana winds, left a trail of destruction in its wake. Officials confirmed nine structures were destroyed and six had been damaged. Evacuations in Malibu displaced thousands of residents, including celebrities Dick Van Dyke and Cher. According to the Flying Monkeys, the Mary Poppins star, who turned 99 on Friday, admitted that he had a lucky escape from the fire and was thankful to his neighbours. Van Dyke said: “The fire was coming from the hill, you could see it. And oh my God, and we got out of here. I was trying to crawl to the car, I had exhausted myself, I couldn’t get up.” He added: “Three neighbours came and carried me out and came back and put out a little fire in the guest house and saved me.” The actor had previously posted on Facebook on Tuesday to announce that he and his wife, Arlene Silver, were safe, but that they were not able to locate one of their pets. “Arlene and I have safely evacuated with our animals except for Bobo escaped as we were leaving,” he wrote about their cat at the time. “We’re praying he’ll be ok and that our community in Serra Retreat will survive these terrible fires.” The actor later updated his followers when they found Bobo, writing: “We found Bobo as soon as we arrived back home this morning. There was so much interest in his disappearance that Animal Control was called in to assist. But, thankfully he was easy to find and not harmed.”  

Ian Hislop has been injured after he was struck by an electric bike as he was crossing a road. The 64-year-old hurt his head in the accident and has been seen wearing a large bandage on the place he was hit by the bike. The star was given medical attention and medics applied the dressing. According to reports, he is now said to be “OK”. The incident was confirmed in a statement from Private Eye. His bandage was on show as he went to an event that same evening with his wife of 36 years, Victoria Hislop. The incident comes just months after he was in a taxi when the rear window smashed. Ian was in the back of the vehicle at the time, but no injuries were reported. It happened on Oxford Street near where Private Eye’s office is based. The Metropolitan Police confirmed there was “no evidence of a firearms discharge at this time” after it was initially believed the taxi had been hit by a bullet. “I always say at this point I’m glad to be here, but this week I really mean it,” Ian stated during an episode of Have I Got News For You in October. Ian also shared a little about what police officers asked him during their investigation. He said: “There was one high point when a policeman investigating me said, ‘This may be a silly question, but is there anyone who might have a grudge against you?’

On This Day

• 1890 – Hunkpapa Lakota leader Sitting Bull is killed on Standing Rock Indian Reservation, leading to the Wounded Knee Massacre. 
• 1914 – A gas explosion at Mitsubishi Hōjō coal mine, in Kyushu, Japan, kills 687.
• 1973 – The American Psychiatric Association votes 13–0 to remove homosexuality from its official list of psychiatric disorders.
• 1981 – A suicide car bombing targeting the Iraqi embassy in Beirut, Lebanon, levels the embassy and kills 61 people, including Iraq’s ambassador to Lebanon. The attack is considered the first modern suicide bombing.

Deaths

• 1944 – Glenn Miller, American bandleader and composer (b. 1904).
• 1966 – Walt Disney, American animator, director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1901).
• 2011 – Christopher Hitchens, English essayist, literary critic, & journalist (b. 1949).
• 2013 – Joan Fontaine, British-American actress (b. 1917).
• 2017 – Heinz Wolff, scientist and TV presenter (b. 1928).

Robot Feelings

A surprising incident happened in South Korea. For the first time in history, a robot committed suicide. The robot was found dead after it leaped down a six-and-a-half-foot flight of stairs.

Before the event, an official saw the robot “circling in one spot as if something was there.” The robot was designated as a municipal council officer and could autonomously navigate floors by utilising an elevator.

The cutting-edge bot, created by California-based Bear Robotics, was the first of its type to occupy such a role. It helped with information sharing, city promotion, and daily document deliveries. It even held a card as a civil service officer who worked regular hours from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

It remains unclear why the robot took the action. Authorities in Gumi City Council are looking into the event because they think the robot may have been “depressed,” presumably due to its workload. The sudden demise of the robot has spurred discussion about the mental health of even the most sophisticated technologies.

Headlines are ablaze with conjecture on whether the robot committed suicide due to “work stress” as reality begins to resemble a dystopian science fiction story. This scenario uncannily resembles the plot of the 2004 science fiction movie “I, Robot,” in which an advanced robot can “dream,” just like a human.

The robot’s alleged suicide received mixed responses on social media. One said it would be dangerous and scary if robots started to think like humans. Another suggested it was just an “accidental fall.” A different user believed it was just a technical failure and not an act comparable to human suicide.

Experts think that the incident was most likely a technological error or a bug, despite others sensationalising it as “robot suicide.” Since its deployment in August 2023, the robot, which was a member of the city hall staff, has been operating “diligently.”

It is said to have aided in routine duties like delivering documents, informing locals, and promoting the city. Investigations are ongoing to determine what caused the fall.

Officials said there could have been a programming problem, sensor failure, or navigational error. The company has collected the pieces and will analyse them.

The council is collaborating with Bear Robotics, the manufacturer, to investigate and prevent such occurrences in the future.

Gumi City Council is not considering replacing the deceased officer with another robot.

According to the International Federation of Robotics, South Korea has the highest robot density in the world, with one industrial robot for every ten human employees. The country is renowned for its quick adoption of robotic technology.

Last Week’s Birthdays

Helen Slater (61), Paul Kaye (59), Charlie Cox (42), Garrett Wang (56), Adam Brody (45), Don Johnson (75), Natascha McElhone (55), Miranda Hart (52), Vicki Michelle (74), Emma Corrin (29), Dick Van Dyke (99), Steve Buscemi (67), Jamie Foxx (57), Taylor Swift (35), Jennifer Connelly (54), Bill Nighy (75), Mädchen Amick (54), Mayim Bialik (49), Sarah Douglas (72), Connie Francis (87), Kenneth Cranham (80), Hailee Steinfeld (28), Kenneth Branagh (64), Fionnula Flanagan (83), Susanna Reid (54), John Malkovich (71), Judi Dench (90), Beau Bridges (83), Michael Dorn (72), and Donny Osmond (67).