Another  decidedly average week, no points to award and another bunch of ‘famous’ people who you might not have heard of… 

Look Who You Could Have Had:

• Roger Hunt, 83, English footballer (Liverpool, Bolton Wanderers, national team), world champion 1966.  
• Darrell Bath, British punk guitarist (The Vibrators, The Dogs D’Amour).  
• Vin Welch, 84, British actor (Coronation Street, The Bill), pneumonia.  
• Tommy Kirk, 79, American actor (Old Yeller, The Shaggy Dog, The Misadventures of Merlin Jones).  
• Ravil Isyanov, 59, Russian-born American actor (GoldenEye, K-19: The Widowmaker, Transformers: Dark of the Moon). 
• Greg Gilbert, 44, English singer and guitarist (Delays), bowel cancer. 

 In Other News

Vic Reeves has candidly revealed he is ‘living with deafness’ after doctors discovered a tumour is growing on his brain and has cut off all hearing in one of his ears. The 62-year-old comedy star has been diagnosed with a vestibular schwannoma – also known as acoustic neuroma, which is a non-cancerous brain tumour. The NHS explains that acoustic neuromas “grow on the nerve used for hearing and balance, which can cause problems such as hearing loss and unsteadiness.” They can become dangerous if they grow to a large size – with Vic saying doctors are now monitoring his tumour to track it’s size, requiring regular trips for MRI scans. And he says he has now been robbed of all hearing in one ear, prompting him to throw out all his favourite old LPs. Opening up about his health battle Vic said: “I’ve got a vestibular schwannoma – it’s a tumour in my head. I’ve gone completely deaf, 100 per cent deaf, in the left ear, and it will never come back. It’s dead – absolutely completely gone. It’s like the size of a grape so they just have to keep an eye on it.” The comedian went on to explain that the growth is fortunately not at risk of being deadly, and he’s being advised on treatment. He said: “It’s benign. They can’t remove it – they can shrink it or they can leave it and keep an eye on it, and that’s what they’re doing. The eardrum and your brain, there’s a nerve and that takes all the information from your ear to your brain and the tumour is right in between the nerve, so it’s gone ping and snapped it and you can’t reattach nerves.” Describing how the illness has affected his life, the Shooting Stars legend said: “I had to throw away all me stereo LPs. I’m living with deafness. Can you imagine a life without stereo records – no more will I hear Jimi Hendrix, well the producer. On If 6 was 9 he goes all over the place. I thought it was great stereo when it first happened. All I’ve got left is Frank Ifield and mono!” He continued: “Because I like going out bird watching I never know where the birds are because I can hear them, but I don’t know what direction they’re in.      

Phil Collins has been pictured leaving his hotel in a wheelchair before his gig in Leeds on Tuesday night. The musician, who recently admitted he can ‘barely hold a drumstick’ in one of his hands, has been suffering from ill health for the past 15 years. On Tuesday night, the 70-year-old performed alongside his band Genesis at Leeds Arena and remained seated throughout the show. As he belted out his hit songs, the musician stayed in his chair and leant against a microphone stand while treating a delighted audience to renditions of his best-loved songs. Ahead of the gig on Tuesday, the Genesis star was pictured in a wheelchair on Monday afternoon. As he was wheeled out of a hotel in Leeds, the drummer and singer wore a medical face mask and baseball cap as he was pictured out and about. Clutching a brown wooden walking stick, the One More Night singer kept warm in the cold weather conditions in a leather jacket and blue scarf. Earlier last month, Phil sparked concern amongst fans as he appeared on BBC Breakfast and gave a rare interview where he discussed his health. The dad-of-five has been suffering from ill health for the past 15 years with him suffering an injured vertebrae in his upper neck which has led to crippling nerve damage. During his chat on the early morning breakfast show, the award-winning artist spoke candidly about his future and admitted that the band he plays with will be retired after their current UK tour.   

Katie Price has been seen for the first time since court as she was photographed on her way to rehab. The former glamour model, 43, has pleaded guilty to drink-driving, driving whilst disqualified and driving without insurance following a crash near her home in Sussex on Tuesday. The mother-of-five was involved in a single-car collision that left her BMW flipped on its side on the B2135 near Partridge Green. Katie’s sentencing has now been deferred until December 15th to allow her to have treatment at the Priory Centre and speak to the probation service. After her appearance in court, Katie was photographed driving through London on her way to the Priory. The star looked downcast and tense as she sat in the passenger seat of a Fiat 500. Katie held her hand to her forehead after pleading guilty to the charges. She was told that her sentence would be deferred on the condition that she have treatment at the Priory Centre, not commit any further offences, and be banned from driving in the interim. The reality TV star was told she must also engage with the probation service so a report can be prepared. It will not be the first time that the multi-millionaire has had a stint at the facility as she checked into rehab in September 2018 in order to tackle her drug issues. She spent 28 days in the facility after deciding to receive professional help after depending on cocaine to numb the pain of her problems. 

On This Day

• 1863 – The last Thursday in November is declared as Thanksgiving Day by U.S. President Abraham Lincoln. 
• 1952 – The United Kingdom successfully tests a nuclear weapon to become the world’s third nuclear power.  
• 1981 – The hunger strike at the Maze Prison in Northern Ireland ends after seven months and ten deaths.  
• 1995 – The O. J. Simpson murder case ends with a verdict of not guilty.

Deaths

• 42 BC – Gaius Cassius Longinus, Roman politician (b. 85 BC). 
• 1226 – Francis of Assisi, Italian friar and saint (b. 1181 or 1182). 
• 1283 – Dafydd ap Gruffydd, Welsh prince (b. 1238). 
• 1998 – Roddy McDowall, English-American actor (b. 1928). 
• 2004 – Janet Leigh, American actress (b. 1927). 
• 2005 – Ronnie Barker, English actor and screenwriter (b. 1929). 
• 2015 – Denis Healey, English soldier & politician, Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer (b. 1917)

Last Meals

Emeline Meaker was the first woman who was legally executed by Vermont. In 1883, Meaker was convicted and hanged for the murder of her husband’s niece Alice. 

Sometime in the spring of 1879, a child welfare worker approached Meaker and her husband to ask if they would consider taking Mr. Meaker’s eight-year-old niece, Alice and her brother, Henry, into their home, as the children were living in an overcrowded orphanage. Mr. Meaker was offered a stipend of US$400 (equivalent to $11,110 in 2020) to care for Alice, and so he agreed. Emeline Meaker was not pleased with the arrangement and beat, starved, and otherwise mistreated Alice.

Meaker decided to kill Alice, and ordered her son Almon to get a lethal dose of strychnine from an apothecary. On April 23rd, 1880, Meaker and Almon seized Alice, placed a sack over the girl’s head, and took her to a remote area outside Burlington. When they arrived at a clearing by a stream, Almon handed the poison to his mother and she poured it into a drink which she gave to Alice. While Alice thrashed about in reaction to the strychnine poisoning, Meaker forcibly held her hand over Alice’s mouth to keep the girl from crying out, keeping it there until Alice was dead, and then Almon and his mother buried Alice’s body.  

Alice’s disappearance was investigated, and Almon confessed to the local sheriff. At trial, both he and Emeline were sentenced to death; however, Almon’s sentence was commuted by the Vermont Legislature because it was believed that he was dominated by his mother. Almon’s confession was published in the newspaper on the date set for Emeline’s execution. It was reported that Emeline acted violently while in jail, but calmed as her execution date drew nearer.  

On March 30th, 1883, the morning of her scheduled execution, Meaker ate a large beefsteak, three potatoes, a slice of bread and butter, a piece of meat pie, and a cup of coffee. Then, at her request, she went to view the gallows, remarking that it was not half as bad as she thought it would be. She sent a message to her husband through the sheriff, and then ate a lunch consisting of two boiled eggs, two slices of toast, one potato, one doughnut, and a cup of coffee.

Over 125 spectators gathered in the prison guardroom at the Vermont State Prison in Windsor County, and it was reported that the sheriff was besieged with requests for passes to witness the hanging. When Meaker was finally led to the gallows, and asked (by slip of paper as she was deaf) if she had anything to say, Emeline said in a low voice, “May God forgive you all for hanging me, an innocent woman. I am as innocent as that man standing here,” indicating a deputy. None of her family was present at the execution and her husband and children did not accept her body for burial after the execution.

Last Week’s Birthdays

Denis Villeneuve (54), Alicia Vikander (33), Lena Headey (48), Clive Owen (56), Neve Campbell (48), Seann William Scott (45), Gwen Stefani (52), Tommy Lee (59), Greg Proops (62), Lorraine Bracco (67), Sting (70), Avery Brooks (73), Tiffany(50), Brie Larson (32), Julie Andrews (86), Zach Galifianakis (52), Randy Quaid (71), Monica Bellucci (57), Alistair Petrie (51), Kieran Culkin (39), Eric Stoltz (60), Omid Djalili (56), Ian Ogilvy (78), Rula Lenska (74), Zachary Levi (41), Ian McShane (79), Erika Eleniak (52), James Lance (46), Mackenzie Crook (50), Luke Goss (53), Robert Webb (49), Patricia Hodge (75), Naomi Watts (53), Mira Sorvino (54), Hilary Duff (34), Brigitte Bardot (87), Dita Von Teese (49), Gwyneth Paltrow (49), Indira Varma (48), Meat Loaf (74), Denis Lawson (74), and Avril Lavigne (37).

An odd week, the deaths seemed to be rolling in on the Telegram group, yet no points to award. Anyhow…. 

Look Who You Could Have Had:

• Al Harrington, 85, Samoan-American actor (Hawaii Five-O), stroke.  
• Roger Michell, 65, South African-born British film director (Notting Hill, Venus, My Cousin Rachel).  
• Willie Garson, 57, American actor (Sex and the City, White Collar, John from Cincinnati), pancreatic cancer.  
• Robert Fyfe, 90, Scottish actor (Last of the Summer Wine, Around the World in 80 Days, Cloud Atlas), kidney disease. 
• Matthew Strachan, 50, English composer (Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?) and singer-songwriter.   
• Melvin Van Peebles, 89, American film director, actor and playwright (Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song, Posse, Ain’t Supposed to Die a Natural Death). 
• Helmut Oberlander, 97, Ukrainian-born Canadian World War II soldier, member of the Einsatzgruppen.  
• Alan Lancaster, 72, English rock bassist (Status Quo, The Party Boys), complications from multiple sclerosis.

In Other News

The television presenter Julia Bradbury has announced she has breast cancer, and urged other women to check their breasts and seek help if they notice any changes. The 51-year-old broadcaster will undergo a mastectomy in October to remove her left breast, along with its 6cm tumour. Surgeons will also take tissue from her lymph nodes to establish whether or not the disease has spread. Bradbury, who made her name presenting the BBC’s Countryfile, said she was going public in order to encourage others to get tested. “My plan is to come through it and out the other side and I hope to be able to do that bravely enough so that women who are scared to get tested, to get a diagnosis, go ahead. I want to be able to give them a wave and say: look, it’s horrible, but you can do it too.” She urged women not to ignore warning signs: “We must, must, must check ourselves and seek help. Being scared of a diagnosis could be the thing which kills you. So learn what to look for and check, check, check. Doctors are experts but only you can press a lump, know how it feels and think you should do something about it.” Doctors have told her the cancer cells are currently confined to her milk ducts and have not yet spread to the breast tissue. This means that, despite the significant size of the tumour, she may not need chemotherapy.  

Harry Potter star Tom Felton was carried off a golf course in Wisconsin during a Ryder Cup Celebrity Match on Thursday. Felton, 34, who is famous for playing Draco Malfoy in the popular Harry Potter franchise, suffered a ‘medical incident’ on the golf course, according to the PGA of America. A statement from the PGA of America said: “In today’s Ryder Cup Celebrity Match, actor and musician Tom Felton experienced a medical incident on the course while participating for Europe. He was transported to a local hospital for treatment. No further details are available.” Pictures show Felton looking shaken as he is helped to his feet by fellow players, volunteers and tournament officials.

Ed Sheeran, Coldplay and Snow Patrol are among leading figures in the music industry to pay tribute to music agent Steve Strange. The co-founder of X-Ray Touring, from Carrickfergus, in County Antrim, died following illness, aged 53. X-Ray Touring has the likes of Eminem, Erasure, Linkin Park, Kodaline, Queens of the Stone Age and Stereophonics on its books. “Steve was a titan of the global music industry,” Limelight Belfast said. The music venue described Mr Strange as “an unsung hero, and a fantastic and loyal friend to this venue and to Northern Ireland’s music community for more than 40 years”. Mr Strange started his music industry career at Limelight Belfast in the 1980s, according to the venue, before becoming an agent in London a few years later. Writing on Instagram, Grammy Award winning artist Ed Sheeran said it was “a very sad day, and a huge loss”. While Coldplay said it was “devastated” by the news of Mr Strange’s death. On Twitter, the band said it spent “a bittersweet hour” with Mr Strange last week. “Despite his illness he was still taking calls and watching ticket counts.” Rock band Snow Patrol said that their agent “believed in us before almost anyone else in the music industry did”. To picture a world without him in it is to picture a world so diminished. With less joy, less positivity, less optimism, less heart. Quieter, duller and much less interesting,” said the band. “So instead we’ll remember the joy he brought so many people and tell Steve Strange Stories.” Strangely enough, Strange does not have a Wiki page. 

On This Day

• 1580 – Francis Drake finishes his circumnavigation of the Earth in Plymouth, England.  
• 1905 – Albert Einstein publishes the third of his Annus Mirabilis papers, introducing the special theory of relativity.  
• 1933 – As gangster Machine Gun Kelly surrenders to the FBI, he shouts out, “Don’t shoot, G-Men!”, which becomes a nickname for FBI agents.  
• 1953 – Rationing of sugar in the United Kingdom ends. Due to start again in December 2021. 
• 1959 – Typhoon Vera, the strongest typhoon to hit Japan in recorded history, makes landfall, killing 4,580 people and leaving nearly 1.6 million others homeless.
• 1969 – Abbey Road, the last recorded album by the Beatles, is released.  
• 1973 – Concorde makes its first non-stop crossing of the Atlantic in record-breaking time.

Deaths

• 1902 – Levi Strauss, German-American businessman, founded Levi Strauss & Co. (b. 1829).  
• 1937 – Bessie Smith, American singer and actress (b. 1894). 
• 2003 – Robert Palmer, English singer-songwriter (b. 1949). 
• 2008 – Paul Newman, American actor, director, producer, and businessman (b. 1925). 
• 2019 – Jacques Chirac, French politician and President of France (b. 1932). 

Last Meals

Richard Glossip is an American prisoner currently on death row at Oklahoma State Penitentiary after being convicted of commissioning the 1997 murder of Barry Van Treese. Justin Sneed, the man who murdered Van Treese, agreed to plead guilty in exchange for testifying against Glossip, and received a sentence of life without parole. Glossip is the recipient of international attention due to the unusual nature of his conviction, for which there is little or no additional corroborating evidence. 

On January 7th, 1997, Justin Sneed beat Barry Van Treese to death gruesomely with a baseball bat. The killing occurred at the Best Budget Inn in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, where Van Treese was the owner, Sneed was the maintenance man, and Richard Glossip was the manager. In exchange for avoiding the death penalty, Sneed confessed and told police that Glossip had instructed him to commit the murder.  

Glossip insisted on his innocence and refused to accept a plea bargain. In July 1998, an Oklahoma jury convicted Glossip of the murder and sentenced him to death. In 2001, the unanimous Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals threw out that conviction, calling the case “extremely weak” and finding Glossip had received unconstitutionally ineffective assistance of counsel. 

In August 2004, a second Oklahoma jury convicted Glossip of the murder and sentenced him to death. Glossip complained that prosecutors had intimidated his defence attorney into resigning, but, in April 2007, the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed the death sentence, with two judges in the majority, one judge specially concurring, and two judges dissenting. Glossip attracted the advocacy of Sister Helen Prejean, but failed to get the clemency board to consider letters from Sneed’s family, who believe Sneed is lying.  

Glossip’s legal team asserts that Justin Sneed was addicted to methamphetamine at the time that he murdered Van Treese, and that he habitually broke into vehicles in the parking lot of the Best Budget Inn while he was employed as a maintenance man. Glossip’s execution is controversial in that he was convicted almost entirely on the testimony of Sneed, who confessed to bludgeoning Van Treese to death with an aluminium baseball bat by himself and who was spared a death sentence himself by implicating Glossip.  

In September and October 2015, Glossip was granted three successive stays of execution due to questions about Oklahoma’s lethal injection drugs, which makes him the only man known to have had three last meals, possibly facing a fourth! 

For his three last meals, he’s had the same four items every time: fish and chips, a Wendy’s Baconator, a strawberry shake, and pizza — Pizza Hut once, Dominos twice. He’s also  listened as two men have been put to death, botched lethal injections both. And, as soon as early next year, he could be there again, in that endless daylight cell, waiting for death.

Glossip’s team are convinced they can prove his innocence. The problem is that Glossip was denied clemency in 2014, and inmates usually don’t get a second hearing. “I try to encourage people that there’s always hope,” says Glossip. “Look at me, I survived three executions.”

Last Week’s Birthdays

Jim Caviezel (53), Linda Hamilton (65), Olivia Newton-John (73), Lysette Anthony (58), Serena Williams (40), Ricky Tomlinson (82), Jon Richardson (39), Will Smith (53), Catherine Zeta-Jones (52), Mikael Persbrandt (58), Michael Douglas (77), Mark Hamill (70), Michael Madsen (64), Heather Locklear (60), Felicity Kendal (75), Kevin Sorbo (63), Sven-Ole Thorsen (77), Anthony Mackie (43), Rosalind Chao (64), Karl Pilkington (49), Bruce Springsteen (72), Tom Felton (34), Billie Piper (39), Sue Perkins (52), Ruth Jones (55), Joan Jett (63), Nick Cave (64), Bill Murray (71), Luke Wilson (50), Stephen King (74), David Wenham (56), Ricki Lake (53), Alfonso Ribeiro (50), Jon Bernthal (45), Kristen Johnston (54), Sophia Loren (87), Asia Argento (46), Moon Bloodgood (46), George R.R. Martin (73), Michelle Visage (53), and Connor Swindells (25).

Points!!! Well done to Laura, Louise, Julie, Neil, Mark, Chrissy, Martin, Paula, and Ron for correctly listing Jimmy Greaves. All of you get 69 poin1ts each. But a special well done to Martin who finally broke his duck, now everyone has scored some points this year. Also, as some of you who follow the Telegram channel already know, we have a further 44 points for Paul C as I missed the passing of Arthur Smith back in August. Well done everyone! 

Look Who You Could Have Had:

• Fran Bennett, 84, American actress (Nightingales, Sunset Beach, Wes Craven’s New Nightmare).
• Bob Enyart, 62, American talk radio host, Covid-denier and anti-vaxxer, COVID-19.  
• Antony Hewish, 97, British radio astronomer, Nobel Prize laureate (1974).  
• Norm Macdonald, 61, Canadian comedian, actor, and screenwriter (Saturday Night Live, The Norm Show, Dirty Work), leukaemia. 
• Geoff Hill, 52, British news editor (ITV News), leukaemia.  
• Jane Powell, 92, American actress (A Date with Judy, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Royal Wedding), singer and dancer.  
• Sir Clive Sinclair, 81, English entrepreneur and inventor.   
• Jimmy Greaves, 81, English footballer (Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, national team), world champion (1966).  
• John Challis, 79, British actor (Only Fools and Horses, Benidorm), cancer.

And a missed death from 21st August 2021

• Arthur Smith, 106, English footballer (Bury, Leicester City).

In Other News

Brazil soccer legend Pele has re-entered an intensive care unit at Sao Paulo’s Albert Einstein Hospital, the evil flying monkeys on Friday, in an apparent deterioration of his health after he left the unit earlier this week. The hospital said it had no new information. Pele, an 80-year-old, three-time World Cup winner, was re-admitted to the ICU due to acid reflux. He had a colon tumour removed this month and was transferred out of the ICU on Tuesday. After leaving the ICU, he said in a message to fans on Instagram that he was ready for “90 minutes, plus extra time.” But that proved to be rather premature. Pele has suffered from hip problems for years and cannot walk unaided. His public appearances were already being cut before the COVID-19 pandemic and since then he has made few unnecessary forays outside his house near Santos. It was initially reported that he was not “seriously ill” in hospital, but after the operation to remove the tumour he stated he was “used to celebrating great victories” and would “face this match with a smile”. Now 80 years old, Pele earned 92 caps for Brazil and won three World Cup titles, in 1958, 1962 and 1970.  

Coronation Street’s Craig Charles has revealed how his “breathing is laboured” after getting Covid. The actor and DJ, 57, told fans he had tested positive for coronavirus and is self-isolating. The Red Dwarf star took to Twitter to tell followers he was feeling very unwell. Craig’s post read: “Okay guys I don’t want to alarm, but I’ve caught the Covid. Breathing is a bit laboured which is a worry, but I’ve got an oxymonitor so so far no hospital. Starting to feel a bit better but have to isolate, Sorry to let everyone down. Back soon.” Hundreds of fans then responded by sending the one-time rapist (allegedly) supportive messages. One fan wrote: “Get well soon Craig, my wife and I both have it this week too, trying to rest up, hope you are too.” Craig became a household name when he landed the role of slob technician Dave Lister, the last known survivor of the human race, in the cult BBC sci-fi comedy series Red Dwarf, beating Hugh Laurie to the role. In 2005, Craig joined the Coronation Street cast as taxi driver Lloyd Mullaney and was given free rein to introduce various aspects of the character’s personality. He quit his role on the soap in May 2015 in order to concentrate on filming the new series of Red Dwarf.  

Elton John has postponed dates of his farewell tour after injuring himself in an “awkward” fall, which has resulted in him experiencing “difficulty moving”. The star, 74, revealed that his upcoming UK and European tour dates of his 2021 Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour have been rescheduled to 2023, after being left in “considerable” pain following a fall earlier this year. In a post to his 3.6 million Instagram followers, the Tiny Dancer hitmaker shared that he’d hurt his hip after “falling awkwardly on a hard surface”. Elton wrote: “It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that I am forced to reschedule the 2021 dates of my Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour in Europe and the UK to 2023. At the end of my summer break I fell awkwardly on a hard surface and have been in considerable pain and discomfort in my hip ever since. Despite intensive physio and specialist treatment, the pain has continued to get worse and is leading to increasing difficulties moving,” he said. “I have been advised to have an operation as soon as possible to get me back to full fitness and make sure there are no long-term complications. I will be undertaking a programme of intensive physiotherapy that will ensure a full recovery and a return to full mobility without pain.” Despite postponing his tour dates, the iconic singer told that he would still be going ahead with a charity event, as he didn’t want to disappoint the organisation. Elton explained: “I am going to complete the charitable Global Citizen event on 25th September as I don’t want to let a charity down. Being just five songs it’s a very different physical undertaking to the demands of playing for close to three hours every night on tour and travelling overnight between countries.” He confirmed that following the event, he will be having surgery to ensure he can start performing in as soon as three months time. “After this I will be having the operation to ensure the tour can get back on the road in January of 2022 in New Orleans,” he continued. “I know how patient my incredible fans have been since Covid halted touring last year, and it breaks my heart to keep you waiting any longer.” Elton signed off by promising his loyal fans that the postponed farewell show will be worth waiting for. Last year, the star revealed in February that he had been diagnosed with walking pneumonia, which is an inflammation of the airways. 

First Dates’ barman Merlin Griffiths has revealed he is battling bowel cancer after receiving a bleak diagnosis from doctors at Northampton General Hospital. The 46-year-old was told he has a 75% chance of living for more than five years after medical tests unearthed a stage three tumour that measured 4.5cm in length. Speaking to the Evil Monkeys, Merlin said: ‘I’m keeping that positive outlook, but I’ve a morbid sense of humour. I tell people, “I have colorectal cancer… it’s a real pain in the arse!” Merlin has a seven-year-old daughter called Alix with his partner Lucille, 40, who he has been with for more than a decade and will be by his side as he faces a year of life-saving treatment. When the barman told his young daughter of the troubling diagnosis he reassured her of the powers of modern medicine and gushed about the public healthcare system. He said: ‘I have so much faith in medicine and the NHS in this country, which is just so incredible.’ Keeping his emotions behind closed doors, Merlin admitted: ‘I’ve shed a tear in private. But you can choose “to do” or “not to do”. I chose to lead my life as normal, to stick to the facts about it, and to keep putting one step in front of the other.’ The TV personality, who became a household name alongside Fred Sirieix in the First Dates restaurant, started to feel pain in June but thought it was caused by an old stomach injury from a car accident in his 20s. Merlin was diagnosed with bowel cancer six weeks ago and said his tumour looked like an alien and felt like a walnut stuck inside of him. Doctors discovered the tumour when they gave the barman an emergency sigmoidoscopy to probe his lower intestine after the star spent three months telling people he felt something wrong in his body. Merlin admitted he was terrified by the ordeal but immediately focused on his chances of survival following his diagnosis. The star revealed that his tumour wanted to move into the tissue surrounding it but wasn’t ‘lymph’ – meaning the cancer thankfully hadn’t spread. His oncologist hopes to remove his tumour in three months time, after which he will continue with other life-saving treatment.

Professor Tim Wilson, the former UK Independence Party candidate for South Northamptonshire and more famously a contestant on the Channel 4 series The Circle, announced on Instagram that he’s had a rather serious bowel cancer diagnosis after haemorrhaging into his trousers! He also revealed that whilst having his balloon knot studied by medical professionals, that a nurse recognised him from the show. He has no idea how she did so as he was wearing a surgical mask and had his trousers around his ankles at the time. Anyhow, he’s off for a ‘serious operation’ next week. While taking part in The Circle, Wilson claimed he actually voted to Remain and wished to “expose UKIP from the inside” which probably helped him win the shows “Viewers’ Champion” title for being the most popular finalist by viewer’s vote, winning a £30,000 prize. 

On This Day

• 1846 – Two French shepherd children, Mélanie Calvat and Maximin Giraud, experience a Marian apparition on a mountaintop near La Salette, France, now known as Our Lady of La Salette.
• 1881 – U.S. President James A. Garfield dies of wounds suffered in a July 2nd shooting. Vice President Chester A. Arthur becomes President upon Garfield’s death.
• 1970 – Michael Eavis hosts the first Glastonbury Festival.
• 1991 – Ötzi the Iceman is discovered in the Alps on the border between Italy and Austria.

Deaths

• 1881 – James A. Garfield, American general, lawyer, and politician, and the 20th President of the United States (b. 1831).
• 1998 – Patricia Hayes, English actress (b. 1909).
• 2015 – Jackie Collins, English novelist (b. 1937).

Last Meals

Bobby Joe Long was an American serial killer and rapist who was executed by the state of Florida for the murder of Michelle Denise Simms. Long abducted, sexually assaulted, and murdered at least 10 women in the Tampa Bay Area in Florida during an eight-month period in 1984. He released one of his last victims, 17-year-old Lisa McVey, after raping her over a period of 26 hours. McVey provided critical information to the police that enabled them to arrest Long.

Long was born on October 14, 1953 in Kenova, West Virginia to Joe and Louetta Long. Long was born with an extra X chromosome, also known as 47,XXY, a specific variant of Klinefelter syndrome. This condition results in excessive oestrogen production yielding some female traits such as breast development. Long was teased as a child for his large breasts and underwent breast reduction surgery in adolescence. Long also suffered multiple head injuries as a child. Long had a dysfunctional relationship with his mother; he slept in her bed until he was a teenager and reportedly resented her multiple short-term boyfriends. Long married his high school girlfriend in 1974, with whom he had two children before she filed for divorce in 1980.

Long committed at least 50 rapes as the “Classified Ad Rapist” in Fort Lauderdale, Ocala, Miami, and Dade County.

Starting around 1981, Long began contacting women through the Penny Saver and other classified ads. When Long found a woman alone, he asked to use the bathroom, took out his “rape kit” and raped and robbed the woman. Long was tried and convicted for rape in 1981 but requested a new trial, which was granted. The charges were later dropped, because that was a thing back then….

Long moved to the Tampa Bay area in 1983. In 1984, while on probation for assault, Long raped and strangled 20-year-old Artiss “Ann” Wick in March; her body was discovered in a rural area on November 22, 1984.

Over the next eight months, Long abducted, raped, and murdered at least 10 women in three counties in the Tampa Bay area. The investigation involved personnel from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the FBI, the Tampa Police Department (TPD), the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO), and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE).

The bodies of the victims were typically found in a state of decomposition long after the murders, having been dumped near a rural roadside or dragged into the woods. Long appears to have targeted vulnerable women, including abducting women walking alone and those working as sex workers, persuading women to enter his car where he would rape and torture them. Of Long’s 10 known victims, five of the women were identified as known sex workers, two as exotic dancers. The remaining three victims were a factory worker, a student, and one with an unknown occupation.

During this period, Long also continued his classified-ad rapes, attacking 33-year-old Linda Nuttall in her home.

In the early hours of November 3, 1984, Long abducted 17-year-old Lisa McVey as she rode her bike home from work. She was blindfolded and taken to Long’s home, where he repeatedly raped her. Aware of the danger she was in, the blindfolded McVey reported leaving as many fingerprints in Long’s home as she could to aid any future police investigation. After 26 hours, Long released McVey and she provided investigators with information on his home, car and a time period in which she heard him use an ATM Machine. This led to police identifying Long and he was arrested on November 16, 1984. He was linked to the murders through red carpet fibres found on the bodies of several victims.

At the time of his capture, Long was wanted in three Tampa Bay area jurisdictions where investigators had collected multiple forms of forensic evidence, including clothing, carpet fibres, semen, ligature marks, and rope knots.

Long was arrested outside a movie theatre on November 16, 1984, and charged with the sexual battery and kidnapping of Lisa McVey. Long signed a formal Miranda waiver, and consented to questioning. After the detectives procured a confession for the McVey case,  their questioning focused on a series of unsolved sexual battery homicides in the Tampa Bay area. As the detectives questioned Long about the murders, he replied, “I’d rather not answer that.”

The detectives continued the interrogation, and handed Long photographs of the various murder victims. At this point, Long stated, “The complexion of things sure have changed since you came back into the room. I think I might need an attorney.” No attorney was provided, and Long eventually confessed to eight murders in Hillsborough County, and one murder in Pasco County.

Fibre evidence analysis by the FBI linked Long’s vehicle to most of his victims.

According to the Florida Department of Corrections, Long was ultimately serving one five-year sentence, four 99-year sentences, 28 life sentences, and one death sentence.

On April 23, 2019, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed Long’s death warrant, this being the first death warrant signed by DeSantis since he took office in January 2019. Long’s subsequent appeals were denied and he was executed by lethal injection on May 23, 2019, more than 30 years after his conviction. He ate his final meal at 9:30 am local time; he requested roast beef, bacon, french fries and soda. He was pronounced dead at 6:55 pm and had made no last statement.

Last Week’s Birthdays

Danielle Panabaker (34), Jeremy Irons (73), David McCallum (88), Jimmy Fallon (47), Twiggy (72), Jason Sudeikis (46), Jada Pinkett Smith (50), James Marsden (48), Keeley Hazell (35), Tim McInnerny (65), Cassandra Peterson (70), Bruce Spence (76), Mickey Rourke (69), Madeline Zima (36), Amy Poehler (50), Nick Jonas (29), Danny John-Jules (61), Tom Hardy (44), Tommy Lee Jones (75), Oliver Stone (75), Jimmy Carr (49), Brendan O’Carroll (66), Andrew Lincoln (48), Sam Neill (74), and Walter Koenig (85).

Quite a few deaths this week, but one stands out to me. The sad story of footballer Jean-Pierre Adams, who was capped 22 times for his country only to spend from March 1982 until his death last week in a coma as a result of mistakes made during a ligament operation on his knee.

Look Who You Could Have Had:

• Tony Selby, 83, English actor (Get Some In!, Doctor Who, Witchfinder General), COVID-19. 
• Jean-Paul Belmondo, 88, French actor (Breathless, That Man from Rio, Pierrot le Fou). 
• Michael K. Williams, 54, American actor (The Wire, Boardwalk Empire, Bessie).  
• Jean-Pierre Adams, 73, French footballer (Nîmes, Nice, national team). 
• Phil Jerrod, 41–42, British stand-up comedian, sarcoma. 
• Edward Barnes, 92, British television executive and producer, co-creator of Blue Peter. 
• Art Metrano, 84, American actor (Police Academy, They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?, Joanie Loves Chachi) and comedian.  
• María Mendiola, 69, Spanish pop singer (Baccara). 

In Other News

Big Brother series 5 star Becki Seddiki has been diagnosed with leukaemia after she went to the GP for blood tests following concerns about her health. She’s been chronicling her journey with her health on TikTok after revealing she had been diagnosed with leukaemia last month. Becki explained that she has been undergoing routine blood tests after she was left concerned about her health, with results confirming it was leukaemia. She has been in hospital since her diagnosis and is now hoping to leave and return home for almost two weeks tomorrow – and after packing her bags she is prepped and ready. She said: “I mean, yeah, hope we stick to it. I hope my body behaves and doesn’t spike in temperature or anything.” Her trip home would still be brief, adding that it wouldn’t be a full two weeks but it would be close, she continued: “I can’t wait, oh my God, I can’t wait.” Becki has been incredibly open with her followers through her social media accounts, with the reality star sharing a clip of her shaving her hair as she added: “When you are bored and you know treatment will take away your hair.” She also shared the clip onto her Instagram as she said she “had no choice” but to shave it off. Becki was showered with love after posting the clip, with one user writing: “Get well soon Becki!”, while another said: “Sending power hugs to you! Stay strong and get well soon!”, a third person added: “You are a strong woman.” Her decision to go and get tests done came after she was left feeling exhausted and wanted a clean bill of health. She said: “I told my GP I needed a clean bill of health because of self-medicating on recreational drugs for so long and I realised I was an addict and went to some NA meetings and had been clean for 40 days. “And today I get this diagnosis. It explains a lot, it explained why I have been feeling tired, why my hair has been falling out.” She old her followers that she is hoping to get better soon and reassured them that she will update them along the way.   

Erik Cowie, one of the zookeepers who used to work at Joe Exotic’s ‘Tiger King’ zoo has died aged 53. According to reports, Cowie was found in a residence in New York City on Friday, September 3rd. Cowie had worked and lived in Oklahoma in recent years, continuing to work at GW Zoo after Exotic’s arrest, and it is unclear what he was doing in New York. However, he was reportedly found in a bedroom of the residence, though it is not yet known who the residence belonged to. The death is not considered suspicious, the monkeys report. While no drugs were found on the scene, they reported that a toxicology test will likely be ordered. Cowie was one of Joe Exotic’s animal caretakers and featured on the famous Netflix series about the zoo. Cowie even went on to testify against the Tiger King himself, saying he had seen Joe order the shooting and killing of some of the zoo’s animals. In January 2020, Joe Exotic, real name Joseph Maldonado-Passage, was sentenced to 22 years in federal prison. He was convicted of trying to hire two hitmen to murder animal rights activist Carole Baskin. Earlier this year, Cowie was caught driving under the influence in Oklahoma after a car accident. He pleaded guilty to the offence, however he did not show up to court and an arrest warrant was subsequently issued. Prior to working with Exotic, Cowie admitted to a one-time drinking problem, but denied using any other drugs, according to the monkeys. 

Michael Schumacher’s wife has offered a rare update on her husband’s condition as part of of a new documentary on the F1 legend’s life. The seven-time world champion suffered a severe brain injury while skiing with his son back in December 2013 and following several operations is now cared for in private by his family in Geneva, Switzerland. Details around his condition have been scarce in the years since his accident, but Corinna Schumacher, who has been married to Michael since 1995, has opened up about his health for the new programme that begins streaming on Netflix later this month. “Michael is here. Different, but he’s here, and that gives us strength, I find,” she says. “We’re together. We live together at home. We do therapy. We do everything we can to make Michael better and to make sure he’s comfortable. And to simply make him feel our family, our bond. And no matter what, I will do everything I can. We all will. We’re trying to carry on as a family, the way Michael liked it and still does. And we are getting on with our lives. Private is private’, as he always said. It’s very important to me that he can continue to enjoy his private life as much as possible. Michael always protected us and now we are protecting Michael.” Schumacher remains one of the icons of Formula One with his records for wins, pole positions and podium finishes only just eclipsed by current world champion Lewis Hamilton.  

Those tuning into BBC Breakfast on Thursday morning were taken aback by Phil Collins appearance as he joined his Genesis bandmates to speak on their upcoming tour and retirement. The musician admitted he found his health “very frustrating” as he can no longer hold a stick or play the drums. Fans rushed to Twitter to share their concern for the singer. Recalling his audition for Genesis, Phil said: “I thought I might get £10 a eek for a few months until they saw through me and then I’d be back out on the street again.” With Phil’s son on stage with the band playing the drums, the singer continued: “I’m kind of physically challenge a bit which is very frustrating because I’d love to be playing up there with my son.”Asked if he can still play, Phil sighed: “No, I’d love to. But I mean, I can barely hold a stick with this hand. There are certain physical things that get in the way.” Looking towards the future, Phil hinted the band would retire after their upcoming tour. “We’re all men of our age and I think to some extent, yeah, I think it probably is putting it to bed,” he explained. “I think yeah, I think just generally for me, I don’t know if I want to go out on the road anymore.” Those watching were quick to voice their concern for Phil with many suggesting he does not tour anymore. Phil, 70, has previous spoken about his health problems after he sustained an injured vertebrae in his upper neck, crippling nerve damage, acute pancreatitis, falls, and “foot drop”. Speaking in 2016 about being rushed to hospital with acute pancreatitis in 2012, he admitted he was “close to dying”. He recalled: “Within months you’re drinking vodka from the fridge in the morning and falling over in front of the kids, you know. But it was something I lived through, and I was lucky to live through it and get through it. I was very close to dying.” Phil added: “My organs were kind of f****d. It was spirits, corrosive stuff.”

On This Day

• 1857 – The SS Central America sinks about 160 miles east of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, drowning a total of 426 passengers and crew, including the Captain. The ship was carrying 13–15 tons of gold from the California Gold Rush.
• 1940 – Cave paintings are discovered in Lascaux, France.
• 1958 – Jack Kilby demonstrates the first working integrated circuit while working at Texas Instruments.
• 1959 – Bonanza premieres, the first regularly scheduled TV program presented in colour.
• 1962 – President Kennedy delivers his “We choose to go to the Moon” speech at Rice University.
• 1977 – South African anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko dies in police custody.

Deaths

• 1977 – Steve Biko, South African activist (b. 1946)
• 1992 – Anthony Perkins, American actor, singer, and director (b. 1932)
• 1993 – Raymond Burr, Canadian-American actor and director (b. 1917)
• 1995 – Jeremy Brett, English actor (b. 1933)
• 2003 – Johnny Cash, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor (b. 1932)
• 2012 – Derek Jameson, English journalist and broadcaster (b. 1929)
• 2014 – Ian Paisley, Northern Irish evangelical pastor and politician (b. 1926)

Last Week’s Birthdays

Alfie Allen (35), Linda Gray (81), Virginia Madsen (60), Tyler Hoechlin (34), Roxann Dawson (63), Elizabeth Henstridge (34), Johnny Vegas (50), Guy Ritchie (53), Colin Firth (61), Adam Sandler (55), Hugh Grant (61), Eric Stonestreet (50), Jeffrey Combs (67), Julia Sawalha (53), Rachel Hunter (52), Martin Freeman (50), Heather Thomas (64), Julian Richings (66), Pink (42), Miles Jupp (42), Evan Rachel Wood (34), Toby Jones (55), Julie Kavner (71), Doug Bradley (67), Chrissie Hynde (70), Idris Elba (49), Michael Winslow (63), and Macy Gray (54).

It was just an average week, no points and lots of sad stories; however just as I was about to post this weeks edition, news of Sarah Harding’s death came through. Rewrites and points to award!!! So 211 points to Nickie, Laura, Lee & Louise as they all listed her as their Woman, which has now changed the top of the league table considerably. We have a new leader!! 

Look Who You Could Have Had:

• Ed Asner, 91, American actor (The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Lou Grant, Up). 
• Geronimo, 8, New Zealand-born British alpaca, euthanised. 
• Daffney, 46, American professional wrestler (WCW, SHINE, TNA).  
• Robbie Dale, 81, British radio presenter (Radio Caroline).  
• Willard Scott, 87, American weatherman (Today) and creator of Ronald McDonald. 
• Sarah Harding, 39, English singer (Girls Aloud), cancer. 

In Other News

Katie Price has revealed she offered her mum her lung as she is still waiting for a transplant as she battles a terminal disease. Katie’s beloved mother Amy is battling idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), which causes scarring on the lungs, and makes it hard for the body to take in oxygen, becoming worse over time. Amy was diagnosed in 2017 and as the disease worsens, she is looking at all options to ease the situation, including a lung transplant. Speaking to us, Katie, 43, revealed she had even offered her mum one of her lungs. She said: “My mum, she’s never smoked, always been healthy. She got told a couple years ago, coming up to three years, that she would have three to five years left of her life. You know, it’s gonna happen. She still does a spinning classes. She’s got like 34 per cent left of her lung capacity, so she has started oxygen, which isn’t nice to see because I, in my head, it’s that once you start the oxygen and you need that, you know it’s coming. So she’s waiting to see if she can have a lung transplant. I even offered my lung to her.” However, Katie explained it wasn’t as simple as giving her mother a lung, telling Simon: “But it’s not that easy. You have to be ill enough to have it. Although my mother she could have it now, it doesn’t mean to say that she’d still survive it because it can reject in three weeks and it only prolongs your life five years.” Very brave of Katie, especially more so as she’s still recovering from a good beating by her fiancé.  

Former professional wrestler Daffney Unger has died at age 46. Unger’s mother Jean Tookey Spruill (the wrestler’s real name was Shannon Spruill) confirmed her death, writing on Facebook, “It is with great sadness I have to let you know that my daughter Shannon Spruill … Scream Queen Daff, passed away suddenly last night. Absolutely heartbroken.” On Wednesday, Unger sparked concerns after she hosted an Instagram Live that showed her holding what appeared to be a small gun. In her video, Unger discussed potentially having symptoms of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain disorder caused by repeated concussions. “The most important thing to remember is, that, CTE, and head injuries and concussions, they can only really now be—” Unger said in the video, before pausing and taking several nervous breaths. “They can now really only be diagnosed after you are dead. So, I don’t want to do anything to hurt my brain. I want to be studied,” she continued. “I want the future generations to know. Don’t do stupid shit like me.” After the Instagram Live, former pro wrestler Mick Foley used Twitter to ask people to help locate Unger. “If anyone has a way of reaching Daffney Unger, or knows her address, please help out,” Foley said. “She’s in a bad personal place and is threatening to harm herself. My phone call went straight to voicemail.”  A cause of death has not been released.   

Richard E Grant has said his heart is broken following the death of his wife of 35 years. The actor, known for films including Withnail And I and Can You Ever Forgive Me?, said Joan Washington, a voice coach, had died on Thursday night. He did not give a cause of death. Sharing a video of them dancing together to the song Only You by the Platters on Twitter, he wrote: “ONLY YOU! Joan – Love of my Life & Giver of Life to our daughter Olivia. Our hearts are broken with the loss of your Life last night. 35 years married & 38 together. To be truly known and seen by you, is your immeasurable gift. Do not forget us, sweet Monkee-mine.” Grant, 64, also shared a series of broken heart emojis, prompting condolences and messages of support from his followers. He and Washington married in 1986 and share a daughter, Olivia, and a stepson, Tom, from Washington’s previous relationship. Washington, from Aberdeen, trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama and had nearly 40 years’ experience in the film industry as a voice and dialect coach, working with stars including Anne Hathaway, Vanessa Redgrave and Emma Stone. Among her early projects in the mid-80s were Yentl starring Barbra Streisand, Highlander, and The Bounty, featuring Mel Gibson and Sir Anthony Hopkins. 

On This Day

• 1666 – Great Fire of London ends: Ten thousand buildings, including Old St Paul’s Cathedral, are destroyed, but only six people are known to have died.
• 1972 – Munich massacre: A Palestinian terrorist group called “Black September” attacks and takes hostage 11 Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympic Games. Two die in the attack and nine are murdered the following day.
• 1975 – Lynette Fromme attempts to assassinate U.S. President Gerald Ford.
• 1977 – Voyager Program: NASA launches the Voyager 1 spacecraft.

Deaths

• 1548 – Catherine Parr, Sixth and last Queen of Henry VIII of England (b. c. 1512).
• 1877 – Crazy Horse, American tribal leader (b. 1849).
• 1982 – Douglas Bader, English captain and pilot (b. 1910).
• 1997 – Mother Teresa, Albanian-Indian nun, missionary, and saint (b. 1910).

Life is a Lottery

Margaret Loughrey, 56, from Ballycolman, Strabane, in Northern Ireland, was found dead on Thursday morning eight years after winning £27million on Euromillions. Margaret was unemployed and on her way home from the job centre when she bought a Euromillions ticket on a whim and ended up scooping the jackpot. 

She checked and re-checked her numbers while pacing around her house for five hours the next day trying to process what had happened before calling her brother. 

‘Maggie Millions’ went on to buy an old mill, as well as a pub and various homes, while also giving away half of her fortune to good causes. But her win also attracted the wrong sort of attention and she claims thieves stole millions from her, leaving her with just £5million by 2019.  

Her mental and physical health also deteriorated, with her weight at one stage reportedly dropping to five-and-a-half stone. So it was no surprise to anyone when she was found dead at only 56 years of age. 

The Police Service of Northern Ireland said it is not currently treating her death as “suspicious”, after her body was found at 10.30am in her home. A post mortem will be carried out to determine the cause of death, the force added. 

“I regret winning the lottery, of course I do. I was a happy person before. I am a human being and all it has done is destroy my life,” Margaret once said during an interview. 

Her problems began almost immediately after her landmark win which saw her scoop the biggest lottery fortune Northern Ireland had ever seen. 

She was sectioned for four months in 2013 and later admitted to Sunday Life: “If there is a hell, I have been in it. It has been that bad.” She added: “I will never have peace as long as I live. Even if I didn’t have a penny left, I won’t.” 

Spending her cash brought no end of trouble. Margaret splashed out £1million to buy the historic Herdman’s Mill in Sion Mills a year in but it was  targeted by vandals and set on fire multiple times. She also continually locked horns with Sion Mills Cricket Club, eventually locking them out of their pitch on the grounds before an agreement was reached. 

In 2015, she drunkenly assaulted a taxi driver as he took her home after a party, breaking his glasses and smashing his satnav. He drove her directly to a police station where she had to be physically restrained by officers, and was later ordered by magistrates to do 150 hours community service. 

Last September an employment tribunal awarded her former general assistant, Patrick Breslin, £30,000 after it determined she had mocked his religion before sacking him. 

Her latest business venture had seen Margaret buy her local pub The Greyhound Bar with plans to transform it into The Back Street Bar. She also intended to build 18 affordable homes on her own land, among a string of charitable donations running into the millions. But Margaret was never fulfilled. 

“Money has brought me nothing but grief. It has destroyed my life,” she said a couple of years ago. 

Local councillor Jason Barr told us this morning: “Margaret would have been well thought of…she has had her ups and downs in life like all of us but hopefully she’s at rest now.” 

At the time of her win, Margaret said she’d gone to the job centre to print off an application for a job within the charity sector. Then, while heading home she’d gone into a Supervalu store and bought a lottery ticket. “I can’t always afford to do the Euromillions but I had a couple of extra pound in my purse and just on the spur of the moment I did a Lucky Dip,” she explained. At the time, Ms Loughrey was living on benefits of £62 a week. 

Speaking about the moment she realised she had won the jackpot, Margaret said she’d got up early the next day and “just had this notion so I checked my numbers and there they were. I was just in state of shock and I must have checked 10 times. I took a walk out to the back garden and sat out there for a while before coming back in and checking again.” Eventually, she got her brother to verify the win. 

The next time you’re in the shops, ignore the lotto station and save your money, it’ll only give you grief. 

Last Week’s Birthdays

Michael Keaton (70), Carice van Houten (45), Raquel Welch (81), Rose McGowan (48), Bob Newhart (92), Paddy Considine (48), George Lazenby (82), Damon Wayans (61), Michael Berryman (73), Beyoncé (40), Charlie Sheen (56), Pauline Collins (81), Keanu Reeves (57), Salma Hayek (55), Keith Allen (68), Zendaya (25), Lily Tomlin (82), Burn Gorman (47), Gloria Estefan (64), Steve Pemberton (54), Barry Gibb (75), Richard Gere (72), Chris Tucker (50), Jessica Henwick (29), Cameron Diaz (49), and Michael Chiklis (58).