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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).

Posted by  |  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).

Posted by  |  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).

Posted by  |  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).

Posted by  |  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).

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