Alas no points this week, but plenty to read, in fact I had to drop a few interesting stories as this newsletter was getting a bit too long. 

Look Who You Could Have Had:

• Sarah Coyle, 108, Irish centenarian, oldest living person in Ireland. 
• Judy Loe, 78, English actress (Singles, Space Island One, Casualty), cancer. 
• Connie Francis, 87, American pop singer (“Pretty Little Baby“, “My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own“). 
• Fauja Singh, 114, Indian-British marathon runner and longevity claimant, traffic collision.
• Bradley John Murdoch, 67, Australian convicted murderer (Peter Falconio), throat cancer.
• Felix Baumgartner, 56, Austrian skydiver and extreme sportsman (Red Bull Stratos), paragliding crash. 
• Alan Bergman, 99, American songwriter (“The Way We Were“, “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers“). 
• Wyn Davies, 83, Welsh footballer (Newcastle United, Bolton Wanderers, national team). 

In Other News

A once popular adult star has reportedly gone mysteriously missing after taking a ‘wrong’ life path, it has been claimed. Faye Reagan, real name Jillian Faye Henning, has been declared missing by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Missing Persons Detail since 7th May. A missing persons bulletin filed by the authorities asked for the public’s assistance in locating the 36-year-old, who once dominated the adult scene after joining the industry at the age of 19. The missing persons report says Faye is 5ft6, weighs 115lbs and has red/brown hair – a memorable characteristic from her past career. She also has brown eyes. It also says that she was last spotted wearing a black top, green sweatpants and carrying a dark coloured backpack. The report states that she was seen at 3800 block of East Charleston, Las Vegas, Nevada. In a bid to locate the woman, the report asks hospitals to check their registries for the missing person and “notify police immediately.” A screenshot of the report is currently being circulated on Reddit forums, with fans expressing their concerns and well-wishes for the star. Fans were shocked when she left the career abruptly, and are now equally as shocked to learn the star has gone missing. Some claim that Faye turned to an unsavoury lifestyle after her adult star fame, with some alleging that she had been spotted looking “dishevelled” in Las Vegas. In the missing persons poster, Faye appears to be looking unkempt – which seems to be in a mug shot-style photograph, further feeding the concerns about her lifestyle. The stunning risqué actress, memorable for her natural ginger locks and freckles, became a huge star when she started her career in her late teens. She shot to fame after shooting five sex scenes in just one day for a hardcore film titled ‘The Gauntlet 3′. The actress would be later nominated for fifteen AVN Awards. 

General Hospital legend Tristan Rogers revealed he is  battling cancer. On Thursday, the veteran actor’s friend and publicist, Anthony Turk, announced the news in a press release. ‘Beloved Emmy-winning actor Tristan Rogers, best known for his role as Robert Scorpio on the daytime drama, General Hospital, is sharing with fans that he has been diagnosed with cancer,’ Turk began. He continued: ‘While he remains hopeful and is working closely with his medical team on a treatment plan, this is a challenging time for Tristan and his family.’ The star’s rep kindly requested ‘privacy and understanding’ as Rogers and his family face ‘the emotional and physical burdens that come with this diagnosis. They are deeply grateful for the outpouring of support and love from their friends and family. Tristan sends his love to his fans and wants them to know how much he appreciates their loyalty and encouragement over the years,’ Turk concluded. ‘This support means more to him now than ever.’ Rogers is best known to daytime audiences as international spy-turned-Port Charles D.A. Robert Scorpio on General Hospital. He has portrayed the character since 1980, and most recently, reprised his role on the series last year.  

Jaws star Richard Dreyfuss dropped out of SharkCon over the weekend after being diagnosed with bronchitis. The actor, 77, shared the news in a clip, filmed from a hospital bed, which was posted by the event’s official Instagram account. Richard, who portrayed Matt Hopper in Jaws fifty years ago, was due to speak at the two-day annual event that took place at the Florida State Fairgrounds Expo Hall Grounds this weekend. However, he said he wasn’t able to attend it because of his diagnosis. He said in his video, “Hello fellow cons. I am very, very sorry to tell you that I’ve been diagnosed with, viral, er…What is it?” His wife, Svetlana Erokhin, then answered off-camera, “Bronchitis.” Richard, covered by a Jaws blanket, added, “I’ve been told by my doctors I cannot fly and I would have to fly five hours to get there. “I’m terribly sorry because I had planned to be there and I had been looking forward to it, but I am unable to do so.” He added, “I don’t want to get anyone else sick and I don’t want to get sicker myself.” He continued, “I feel terrible about not showing up and I feel worse about exposing you to this apparently very viral illness. But there will be other times and I will make it my business to show up.” Richard added, “I want you all to feel very sorry for me, and very sorry for yourselves. I’m in a lot of pain and that has to come first, my health. I feel very good about having the time and enough health.” His wife added, “And such great fans!” Richard agreed, saying, “And such great fans.”  

An American Idol executive and her husband have been found murdered inside their $5 million Los Angeles mansion. Robin Kaye, an award-winning music supervisor for the hit show, and Thomas Deluca, both 70, were discovered brutally shot to death at their home in Encino on Monday around 2.33pm. Officers were called to the six-bedroom home for a ‘welfare check,’ but when they entered, they discovered Kaye and Deluca both shot in the head. Authorities witnessed blood at the front entrance of the couple’s home before breaking through a window to enter the property, a source told the flying monkeys. Their sudden deaths are being investigated as a double homicide. The motive is unknown, police said. Police were previously called to their home on Thursday after a suspect was allegedly trying to break in, the outlet reported. According to neighbours, a person, who may have been armed, was spotted hopping a fence on the tree-lined street in the ritzy California neighbourhood. Police officers were called to the home to conduct a welfare check after neighbours and family had not heard from them in four days.

A man has died after being pulled into an MRI machine in New York while wearing a heavy metal necklace. The 61-year-old, who has not been named, was pulled by the machine’s strong magnetic force after he entered a room at the Nassau Open MRI clinic while a scan was under way, Nassau County Police said. It is unknown why the man entered the room or if he was a patient at the clinic. Police added that the accident on Wednesday afternoon “resulted in a medical episode” and left the man in a critical condition in hospital. He was later pronounced dead. MRI stands for Magnetic Resonance Imaging. The machines use strong magnetic fields and radio waves to create detailed images of the inside of the body. Due to the magnetic fields, “very powerful forces” are exerted on objects made of iron, some steels, and other magnetic materials, the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering says. It says the forces are “strong enough to fling a wheelchair across the room”.

On This Day

• 1944 – Adolf Hitler survives an assassination attempt led by German Army Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg.
• 1969 – Apollo 11’s crew successfully makes the first human landing on the Moon in the Sea of Tranquility. Americans Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin become the first humans to walk on the Moon six and a half hours later.
• 1982 – The Provisional IRA detonates two bombs in Hyde Park and Regent’s Park in central London, killing eight soldiers, wounding forty-seven people, and leading to the deaths of seven horses.

Deaths

• 1973 – Bruce Lee, American actor and martial artist (born 1940).
• 2005 – James Doohan, Canadian-American actor (born 1920). 
• 2011 – Lucian Freud, German-English painter and illustrator (born 1922).
• 2017 – Chester Bennington, American singer (born 1976).

Last Week’s Birthdays

John Francis Daley (40), Sandra Oh (54), Gisele Bündchen (45), Benedict Cumberbatch (49), Jared Padalecki (43), Ramin Djawadi (51), Priyanka Chopra Jonas (43), Vin Diesel (58), Kristen Bell (45), Eric Winter (49), Brett Goldstein (45), David Hasselhoff (73), Alex Winter (60), Will Ferrell (58), Corey Feldman (54), Phoebe Cates (62), Travis Fimmel (46), Diane Kruger (49), Forest Whitaker (64), Brigitte Nielsen (62), Jesse Ventura (74), Phoebe Waller-Bridge (40), Jackie Earle Haley (64), Kyle Gass (65), and David Mitchell (51).

I think the word we all need today is claggy. But the stifling heat will not stop the rollercoaster that is the Dead Pool. This week we can award some points! With the death of Norman Tebbit I can deal out 56 points to Shân, well done her! 

Look Who You Could Have Had:

• Wayne Dobson, 68, English magician, complications from multiple sclerosis. 
• Norman Tebbit, Baron Tebbit, 94, British politician, secretary of state for employment (1981–1983), and MP (1970–1992). 
• James Carter Cathcart, 71, American voice actor (Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters, Sonic X), throat cancer. 
• Ian Blair, Baron Blair of Boughton, 72, British police officer and life peer, Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis. 
• David Gergen, 83, American political commentator and advisor, complications from Lewy body dementia. 
• Donald Rose, 110, British supercentenarian and World War II veteran, oldest man in the United Kingdom. 

In Other News

Grange Hill star Lee MacDonald has put all his energy into campaigning after experiencing two terrifying cancer scares in 18 months. The Zammo McGuire actor had his first cancer scare last year after a “little black spot” appeared on his eye, which he initially brushed off as a mole. He was more ‘annoyed’ by it due to its close proximity to his eye but, after it started ‘weeping’, his wife encouraged him to see a doctor, which still didn’t cause Lee to worry. “Cancer didn’t even cross my mind going into the doctor’s. I went there purely because it was annoying me, and it was there, and I wanted to get rid of it,” he recalled of the doctor’s visit as he explained how he thought it would turn out to be a harmless mole or pimple. “So I thought, a bit of cream and it’ll go.” However, his world soon turned upside down when the doctor told him the black spot looked like cancer. Lee returned to the doctor’s for another biopsy and learned the spot wasn’t cancerous, despite the doctor’s initial fears. Although it was the positive news he wanted to hear, he gained a new perspective on his health as he teamed up with O2’s campaign in partnership with The British Skin Foundation to highlight the importance of sun safety. Earlier this month, Lee found a rash on his face that he first assumed was from shaving. “Because I was shaving every other day and it would bleed, I just thought it’s a rash where I’m shaving on it, I’m just aggravating it, so it’s never going to clear up.” Lee stopped shaving around it to see if the problem would stop persisting, but nothing changed. He quickly booked an appointment with the doctor for a check-up and learned it was actually keratosis, a rash with pre-cancerous cells. When he was told of the diagnosis, his first thought was: “Oh, not again.” The EastEnders star will soon be getting the rash burnt off, which will ‘hopefully get rid of it’. “So hopefully, you know, it will get rid of it. But again, quite scary. So that’s two scares in 18 months.”   

Jeff Lynne has been forced to cancel his planned BFT Hyde Park concert this weekend after falling ill. The team working with the 77-year-old music star had previously revealed he was suffering from ill health. A statement issued on Saturday confirmed the news, announcing: “Jeff Lynne is heartbroken to report that he will not be able to perform at tomorrow’s BST Hyde Park show. “Jeff has been battling a systemic infection and is currently in the care of a team of doctors who have advised him that performing is simply not possible at this time nor will he be able to reschedule. The legacy of the band and his longtime fans are foremost in Jeff’s mind today — and while he is so sorry that he cannot perform, he knows that he must focus on his health and rehabilitation at this time.” The news comes after the band cancelled their Thursday night performance at Manchester’s Co-Op Live due to “illness”. A fan who was at the ELO gig a day before the cancelled explained to the Flying Monkeys: “At the start of the set he came on and couldn’t play the guitar because he has injured his hand. He sounded shaky to begin with but his singing and energy picked up and was great until the last 10 minutes of the show.” A chair was brought onto the stage and he had to sit down to sing the last few songs, he appeared to be unsteady on his feet at the end and was helped off the stage by staff. “He really wasn’t well, it was obvious to fans at the gig he wasn’t himself and it is sad to see.” Jeff had previously battled with a broken hand whilst performing with the group on his farewell concert.  

Jessie J has received the “all clear” from her doctor after undergoing surgery following her breast cancer diagnosis. Jessie J, whose real name is Jessica Cornish, was relieved to hear the news. At the time, she recorded a video of herself to capture her reaction — and then she shared that video with her fans. “A video I took of myself after I got the all clear. When a friend asked ‘How do you feel?’ this explained it better than words,” Jessie J, 37, captioned an Instagram video. Fans could see the singer have a huge weight lifted off her chest as she took a deep breath. “I pray that anyone going through something hard and scary with their health, including everyone around them who are mentally effected and loves them gets to experience this feeling,” she added. 

On This Day

• 1985 – The Live Aid benefit concert takes place in London and Philadelphia, as well as other venues such as Moscow and Sydney.
• 1990 – Lenin Peak disaster: a 6.4-magnitude earthquake in Afghanistan triggers an avalanche on Lenin Peak, killing 43 climbers in the deadliest mountaineering disaster in history.
• 2016 – Prime Minister of the United Kingdom David Cameron resigns, leaving a fucking egotistical mess that we’re still trying to work out. 
• 2024 – Donald Trump is injured in an assassination attempt while speaking at an election campaign rally, destroying the belief that Americans can shoot straight.

Deaths

• 2020 – Grant Imahara, American engineer, roboticist, and television host (born 1970).
• 2024 – Shannen Doherty, American actress (born 1971). 
• 2024 – Richard Simmons, American fitness personality and public figure (born 1948).

Last Week’s Birthdays

Harrison Ford (83), Ken Jeong (56), Patrick Stewart (85), Melissa O’Neil (37), Michelle Rodriguez (47), Cheryl Ladd (74), Bill Cosby (88), Tamsin Greig (59), Stephen Lang (73),  Craig Charles (61), Chiwetel Ejiofor (48), Wyatt Russell (39), Fiona Shaw (67), Peter Serafinowicz (53), Sofía Vergara (53), Tom Hanks (69), Pamela Adlon (59), Jimmy Smits (70), Scott Grimes (54), Courtney Love (61), Richard Wilson (89), David Corenswet (32), Kevin Bacon (67), Anjelica Huston (74), Maya Hawke (27), Jaden Smith (27), Pauline Quirke (66), Jack Whitehall (37), and Ringo Starr (85).

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

Look Who You Could Have Had:

• Sandy Gall, 97, Scottish journalist and television presenter. 
• Kenneth Colley, 87, English actor (Star Wars, Monty Python’s Life of Brian, Firefox), complications from COVID-19 and pneumonia. 
• Gerald Harper, 96, English actor (Hadleigh, Adam Adamant Lives!, A Night to Remember). 
• Julian McMahon, 56, Australian actor (Nip/Tuck, Fantastic Four, Home and Away), cancer. 
• Diogo Jota, 28, Portuguese footballer (Wolverhampton Wanderers, Liverpool, national team), traffic collision. 
• Michael Madsen, 67, American actor (Reservoir Dogs, Kill Bill: Volume 2, Donnie Brasco), cardiac arrest. 
• Mark Snow, 78, American film and television composer (The X-Files, Smallville, Blue Bloods).  
• Peter Russell-Clarke, 89, Australian chef and television personality (Come and Get It), complications from a stroke.

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).

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:

• Joe Marinelli, 68, American actor (Santa Barbara, The Morning Show, General Hospital), stomach cancer. 
• Mick Ralphs, 81, English guitarist (Mott the Hoople, Bad Company) and songwriter (“Feel Like Makin’ Love“), complications from a stroke. 
• Richard Gerald Jordan, 79, American convicted murderer, execution by lethal injection. 
• Rick Hurst, 79, American actor (The Dukes of Hazzard, Steel Magnolias, Earth Girls Are Easy). 
• Lalo Schifrin, 93, Argentine-born American film and television composer (Mission: Impossible, Dirty Harry, Rush Hour), complications from pneumonia. 
• Takahiro Shiraishi, 34, Japanese convicted serial killer, execution by hanging. 
• Wayne Larkins, 71, English cricketer (Northamptonshire, national team).

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

• 1933 – Roscoe Arbuckle, American actor, director, and screenwriter (born 1887).
• 1967  – Jayne Mansfield, American actress (born 1933).
• 1995 – Lana Turner, American actress (born 1921).
• 2003 – Katharine Hepburn, American actress (born 1907).
• 2023 – Alan Arkin, American actor (born 1934).

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).

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:

• Leonard Lauder, 92, American cosmetics industry executive, CEO of The Estée Lauder.
• John Reid, 61, Scottish record producer, singer (Nightcrawlers) and songwriter. 
• Kim Woodburn, 83, English television personality (How Clean Is Your House?). 
• Anne Burrell, 55, American chef and television personality (Secrets of a Restaurant Chef, Worst Cooks in America, Iron Chef America). 
• James Prime, 64, Scottish musician (Deacon Blue), cancer. 
• Patrick Walden, 46, English guitarist (Babyshambles). 
• Wincey Willis, 76, British television and radio broadcaster (Good Morning Britain, Treasure Hunt). 
• David Lawrence, 61, English cricketer (Gloucestershire, national team), complications from motor neurone disease. 
• Ian McLauchlan, 83, Scottish rugby union player (national team, British & Irish Lions). 

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).