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:

• Phil Robertson, 79, American businessman (Duck Commander) and television personality (Duck Dynasty). 
• Ed Gale, 61, American stuntman (Child’s Play) and actor (Howard the Duck, Spaceballs). 
• Peter Kwong, 73, American actor (Big Trouble in Little China, The Golden Child, Cooties). 
• Valerie Mahaffey, 71, American actress (The Doctors, French Exit, Young Sheldon), cancer. 
• Loretta Swit, 87, American actress (M*A*S*H, Freebie and the Bean, Race with the Devil).

 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

• 1927 – Lizzie Borden, American accused murderer (born 1860).
• 1962 – Adolf Eichmann, a German Nazi SS-Obersturmbannführer (born 1906). 
• 1999 – Christopher Cockerell, English engineer, invented the hovercraft (born 1910).
• 2008 – Yves Saint Laurent, French fashion designer  (born 1936).
• 2015 – Charles Kennedy, Scottish journalist and politician (born 1959).

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).

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:

• Roger Nichols, 84, American songwriter (“We’ve Only Just Begun“, “Times of Your Life“) and composer.  
• Kathleen Hughes, 96, American actress (It Came from Outer Space, The Glass Web, The Golden Blade). 
• Leslie Dilley, 84, Welsh art director (Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Alien) and production designer, double Oscar winner, complications from Alzheimer’s disease. 
• Barry Fantoni, 85, British author and cartoonist (Private Eye), heart attack. 
• Mine Kondō, 114, Japanese supercentenarian, oldest living person in Japan (since 2025). 
• Benjamin Ritchie, 45, American convicted murderer, execution by lethal injection. 
• George Wendt, 76, American actor (Cheers, Forever Young, “Bill Swerski’s Superfans“). 
• Billy Williams, 95, English cinematographer (Women in Love, On Golden Pond, Gandhi), Oscar winner. 
• Oscar Franklin Smith, 75, American convicted murderer, execution by lethal injection. 
• Daniel Williams, 39, Metalcore drummer (The Devil Wears Prada) killed in the San Diego Cessna Citation II crash. 
• Alan Yentob, 78, British television executive and presenter.

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

• 1981 – Ruby Payne-Scott, Australian physicist and astronomer (b. 1912).
• 1990 – Vic Tayback, American actor (b. 1930).
• 2020 – George Floyd, American man murdered by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin (b. 1973).

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).

I’ll forgive you if you have no idea who any of our celebs are this week, but apparently these people are famous!  

Look Who You Could Have Had:

• Robert Benton, 92, American film director (Kramer vs. Kramer, Places in the Heart) and screenwriter (Bonnie and Clyde), Oscar winner. 
• Anne Dunham, 76, British equestrian, six-time Paralympic champion. 
• Sabu, 60, American professional wrestler (ECW, WWE, TNA). 
• Glen Edward Rogers, 62, American convicted serial killer, execution by lethal injection. 
• Charles Strouse, 96, American composer (Bye Bye Birdie, Applause, Annie).  

In Other News

Veteran broadcaster James Whale has given a frank health update on his 74th birthday following treatment for stage four kidney cancer. The broadcaster and talk show host has been a popular voice on radio and TV for five decades and currently presents a weekly nighttime talk show on talkRADIO. He was awarded an MBE for his services to broadcasting and to charity in the 2024 New Year Honours List. Whale revealed in February 2020 that his kidney cancer had since spread to his spine, brain and lungs. In 2024 he expressed doubt as to whether he would still be alive by the end of the year. Speaking recently to the Flying Monkeys, Whale offered a candid update on his health. Asked how he was doing, he replied: “I’m feeling ok. As people know I’m not about to die, but well, you never know do you. I have had all my treatment so I’m giving you the lowdown on it. If I make it to Christmas I will be exceptionally lucky. Sometimes I think it will be easier just to have a heart attack and go.” Speaking earlier this month on 2nd May, Whale, along with his Talk co-host Ash Gould, updated listeners on his situation, indicating that he hoped to continue working for a few months more. He said: “I’m at the end of my cancer journey. There is no treatment I can have anymore. I’m hoping to go on for another few months, but as soon as I can’t do the show anymore, I won’t.” Whale added: “I can’t tell you how grateful I am to Talk to actually let me on the air and sit next to Ash, which is a real pain in the butt, but I’ve been doing it for 25 years!” Whale was first diagnosed with cancer in 2000, and had to have one of his kidneys removed. In 2018, his first wife, Melinda Maxted, died after being diagnosed with lung cancer; in August 2020, Whale revealed cancer had returned in his kidney, spine, brain and lungs. The radio DJ’s past experience with cancer led him to form the James Whale Kidney Fund in 2006, which merged with Kidney Cancer UK in 2015.  

Sir Chris Hoy is appreciating life “more than ever” after being diagnosed with terminal cancer last year and says he has entered “a bit of a stability period” in his treatment. The 49-year-old, a six-time Olympic cycling gold medallist, said in February 2024 that he was undergoing treatment for prostate cancer. In October, he announced his diagnosis was terminal after the primary cancer spread to his bones, with doctors giving him between two and four years to live. Speaking to the Flying Monkeys, Hoy issued a positive update on his health: “I’m doing well. It feels like I’ve entered a bit of a stability stage at the moment and I’m feeling good. Most importantly, cancer’s not the first thing I think about when I go to bed at night. I think we’ve got into a rhythm now where it’s part of our life and we manage that and crack on. I feel good. I’m on constant medication, constant treatment, but it’s not interfering too much with my life, and the most important thing is it’s working, so I’m stable at the moment, everything’s good. Making hay while the sun shines.” The Scot won his six Olympic golds – and one silver medal – between 2000 and 2012, making him Britain’s second-most decorated Olympic athlete behind Sir Jason Kenny (seven golds). He also claimed 11 World Championship golds and 34 World Cup titles before retiring in 2013. “I can’t believe the position I’m in now compared to 18 months ago. I never imagined I’d be able to get to this point where I’m actually living life,” he continued. “And not just living life, but actually appreciating it more than ever. It’s not just about doing bucket-list stuff and doing massive things, it’s about appreciating the daily, mundane fun of life.”

On This Day

• 1695 – The Linfen earthquake in Shannxi, Qing dynasty causes extreme damage and kills at least 52,000 people!
• 1812 – John Bellingham is found guilty and sentenced to death by hanging for the assassination of British Prime Minister Spencer Perceval.
• 1953 – Jacqueline Cochran becomes the first woman to break the sound barrier.
• 1980 – Mount St. Helens erupts in Washington, United States, killing 57 people and causing $3 billion in damage.

Deaths

• 1980 – Ian Curtis, English singer-songwriter (b. 1956).
• 1995 – Elizabeth Montgomery, American actress (b. 1933).
• 2021 – Charles Grodin, American actor and talk show host (b. 1935).

Last Meals 

Florida has executed a man known as the “Casanova Killer” for his good looks and ability to charm women just before murdering them.

Glen Edward Rogers, 62, was executed on Thursday by lethal injection for the murder of Tina Marie Cribbs, one of four single mothers in their 30’s with reddish hair who fell victim to the Casanova Killer. Rogers was also known as the “Cross Country Killer” because the victims all lived in different states: California, Mississippi, Louisiana and Florida.

“He’s an animal,” one of his victim’s sisters said in court before Rogers was sentenced to death, according to an archived report from the Associated Press. “He’s about the evilest thing I think I’ve ever imagined.”

Rogers used his last words to shout-out President Donald Trump and address the families of his victims, according to execution witnesses.

“I know there’s a lot of questions that you need answers to. I promise you in the near future the questions will be answered and I hope in someway will bring you closure,” he said. “President Trump, keep making America great. I’m ready to go.”

Randy Roberson, whose mother Andy Lou Jiles Sutton was a victim of the Casanova Killer, witnessed the execution and said that seeing Rogers die will help give him some closure but that his death was far too easy.

“It helps a lot, just knowing that he’s not here anymore,” Roberson said. “I wish it wouldn’t have been so easy for him. It looked like he just went to sleep, like he didn’t really get what he deserved.”

Rogers − a native of Hamilton, Ohio − was pronounced dead at 6:16 p.m., becoming the 16th inmate executed in the U.S. this year and the fifth in Florida. His last meal consisted of pizza, chocolate cake, and soda. Another three men are set to be executed in the U.S. next week, in Texas, Indiana and Tennessee.

Here’s what to know about Rogers’ execution, including who his victims were. 

Authorities connected five victims to the Casanova Killer. Four of them were mothers with reddish hair in their 30’s. Three of the murders happened within a six-day period.

• Mark Peters, a 72-year-old retired electrician in Hamilton, Ohio, with whom Rogers lived with briefly, was found dead in a shack owned by Rogers’ family in January 1994 in Beattyville, Kentucky. (Rogers is a native of Hamilton, Ohio just outside Cincinnati.)
• Sandra Gallagher, a 33-year-old mother of three, of Santa Monica, California, killed on September 28th, 1995 in Van Nuys. Her body was found in her burning vehicle. She had met Rogers in a bar the night of her murder.
• Linda Price, a 34-year-old mother of two, found stabbed to death in the bathtub of her home in Jackson, Mississippi, on November 3rd, 1995. Price briefly lived with Rogers, telling her mother: “He is my dream man,” according to an archived story in the Dayton Daily News.
• Tina Marie Cribbs, a 34-year-old mother of two, found stabbed to death in a Tampa, Florida hotel bathtub on November 7th, 1995. Like Gallagher, she had met Rogers at a bar on the night of her murder.
• Andy Lou Jiles Sutton, a 37-year-old mother of four: three sons and a daughter who were 19, 17, 8, and 6 when she was found stabbed to death in her bed on November 9th, 1995 in of Bossier City, Louisiana. Sutton and Rogers met  before her murder and are believed to have slept together.

Soon after his arrest, Rogers claimed to have killed Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman in Los Angeles in June 1994, and about 70 people overall. There was no evidence to back that up. 

Growing up, Rogers’ childhood was deprived of love, moral guidance or family values, and he frequently witnessed his alcoholic father beat his mother, according to court records.

Rogers started using controlled substances at a young age and began committing burglaries, eventually becoming a chronic alcohol abuser, court records said.

As an adult, he held a slew of jobs, from a school bus driver in his native Hamilton, Ohio, to a carnival worker in Mississippi.

Since his arrest at the age of 33, he spent most of the past three decades on death row. He was 62 at the time of his execution.

Last Week’s Birthdays

Tina Fey (55), Miriam Margolyes (84), Chow Yun-Fat (70), Toyah Willcox (67), Paul Whitehouse (67), Pierce Brosnan (72), Megan Fox (39), Thomas Brodie-Sangster (35), David Boreanaz (56), Danny Trejo (81), Stephen Mangan (57), Cate Blanchett (56), George Lucas (81), Tim Roth (64), Greg Davies (57), Siân Phillips (92), Francesca Annis (80), Robert Pattinson (39), Samantha Morton (48), Iwan Rheon (40), Harvey Keitel (86), Zoë Wanamaker (76), Mark Heap (68), Stephen Colbert (61), Varada Sethu (33), Rami Malek (44), Malin Akerman (47), Ving Rhames (66), Emilio Estevez (63), Gabriel Byrne (75), and Jason Biggs (47).

Another week of relative unknowns passing away. I’ll have to release the Flying Monkeys!  

Look Who You Could Have Had:

• Jochen Mass, 78, German racing driver (Formula One), complications from a stroke. 
• James Foley, 71, American film director (Glengarry Glen Ross, Who’s That Girl, Fifty Shades Darker), brain cancer. 
• Simon Mann, 72, British mercenary, heart attack
• Rosanna Norton, 80, American costume designer (Tron, Carrie, Airplane!), cancer. 
• Greg Cannom, 73, American makeup artist (Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Mrs. Doubtfire, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), four-time Oscar winner. 
• Sir Tom Farmer, 84, British car servicing executive, founder and CEO of Kwik-Fit. 

In Other News

Former Coronation Street legend Charlie Lawson has gave a health update after he was rushed to hospital earlier this week. The 65-year-old actor revealed he was sent to A&E after suffering two falls. Giving an update from his hospital bed, the former ITV soap star, who is best known for having played Jim McDonald, took to social media to give fans a debrief. Charlie explained he was undergoing examinations after falling twice. The actor had an MRI scan and was waiting on more results. Now, after being initially sent home, Charlie is back in the hospital and shared an update with his followers. On Twitter, he said: “Well hello folks, from a rather, erm, well I’m not sure what it’s doing outside. It was rather nice when I came in, but here I am again in special day care in Macclesfield hospital waiting to see an osteopath and hopefully getting a transfer to Salford Royal to the spinal unit. That’s the plan, but I was talking to you last time from the same cubicle and I ended up back at home at half ten at night so we shall wait and see.” He then told followers he is “fine” before saying he “simply can’t walk properly”. “I’m in great pain,” he added. “I can’t stand on my tip toes now so, yeah, this is very comfortable but if I stand up I just fall over so there’s something seriously gone wrong, so i’ll keep you posted. Cheerio now!” He captioned the upload: “Encore une fois!!!,” which translates to one more time. Earlier in the week, Charlie told followers: “Hi folks, went to physio this morning and she sent me straight to A&E, which I did. They examined me. I have an MRI scan and I’m sitting waiting for the results. They’ve whisked me back in for more examinations so it’s not going awfully well at the moment. Anyway, I’ll keep you updated. They put a wristband on me and all sorts of craic. I’ve fallen over twice, so something going wrong down there.” Charlie first made his debut on the Street back in 1989 in his role as Jim, the patriarch of the McDonald family. He remained in the role for over a decade before making his exit in 2000, 11 years on.  

Queen Margrethe of Denmark has been hospitalised after contracting a cold, the royal household has revealed. The 85-year-old, who abdicated in January in favour of her son, King Frederick X, was admitted to Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen. The royal, a third cousin of Queen Elizabeth, is in hospital for observation as a precautionary measure.  She has also cleared her schedule of upcoming engagements, including yesterday’s visit to the Sankt Lukas Foundation’s 125th anniversary celebration. ‘HM Queen Margrethe admitted to Rigshospitalet,’ the palace wrote, adding, ‘As a result of the cold that H.M. Queen Margrethe has contracted, it has been decided that the Queen will be admitted to Rigshospitalet for observation as a precaution. Her Majesty, known for her chain-smoking and love of dachshunds, was last seen on Sunday during a church service in connection with the 80th anniversary of Denmark’s liberation. Despite resigning in 2023, the monarch remains active and performs royal duties alongside her son. Margrethe shocked the nation with the announcement of her abdication during her New Year’s Eve live television segment. She said one of the reasons why she chose to give up the throne was because of her health issues, adding that she underwent surgery for her back in February 2023. Margrethe said: ‘It went well, thanks to the skilled healthcare staff who took care of me. Of course, the operation also gave rise to thinking about the future – whether the time had come to leave the responsibility to the next generation.’ She is still known as Her Majesty Queen Margrethe and can fill in as regent if King Frederik, Queen Mary and Crown Prince Christian are abroad, ill or on holiday.  

Japan’s Emperor Emeritus Akihito will undergo heart tests at a hospital after an unspecified problem was detected during a routine checkup. The Imperial Household Agency did not answer calls to its office to confirm reports by the Flying Monkeys and several other Japanese media. Akihito, 91, who is retired, is the father of Emperor Naruhito. He abdicated from the Chrysanthemum Throne in 2019. Akihito will be hospitalised, starting Tuesday, at the University of Tokyo Hospital. Other details were not immediately available. Akihito had heart bypass surgery in 2012. Akihito ascended to the throne after his father, Hirohito, died in 1989. No other emperor has abdicated in modern Japanese history. But Akihito has broken with other imperial traditions. He was the first emperor to marry a commoner, Empress Michiko. 

On This Day

• 868 – A copy of the Diamond Sūtra is published, making it the earliest dated and printed book known.
• 1812 – Prime Minister Spencer Perceval is assassinated by John Bellingham in the lobby of the House of Commons.
• 1985 – Fifty-six spectators die and more than 200 are injured in the Bradford City stadium fire.
• 1997 – Deep Blue, a chess-playing supercomputer, defeats Garry Kasparov, becoming the first computer to beat a world-champion chess player in a classic match format.

Deaths

• 1889 – John Cadbury, English businessman, founded the Cadbury Company (b. 1801).
• 1981 – Bob Marley, Jamaican singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1945).
• 1985 – Chester Gould, American cartoonist, created Dick Tracy (b. 1900).
• 2001 – Douglas Adams, English novelist and screenwriter (b. 1952).
• 2024 – Susan Backlinie, American actress and stuntwoman (b. 1946).

The ‘Worst Death in History’

History is, sadly, replete with examples of man’s cruelty towards his fellow man.

From modern-day terrorist attacks to medieval torture methods, we are constantly reminded of humankind’s propensity towards inflicting pain on others.

And yet, when it comes to the worst, or “cruellest”, death in history, one man is widely regarded as the unfortunate chart-topper, based on the sheer horror of the range of abuses he endured.

György Dózsa was a Hungarian revolutionary, born in 1470, who came to lead a peasants revolt against the country’s nobility.

He and his fellow rebels successfully killed thousands of members of the ruling classes – burning their manor houses to the ground and seizing the fortresses of Arad, Lippa, and Világos – before they were finally defeated by Hungary’s governing forces.

Dózsa was taken prisoner in July, 1514, and, according to historian Paul Freedman, of Yale University, subsequently executed in a manner “so stunningly barbarous that across Europe contemporaries, inured though they were to gruesome public spectacles, took notice.” 

Freedman notes that Dózsa was forced to sit on an iron throne, which was then heated up, while a red-hot iron crown was placed on his head in a “mock coronation ceremony”.

“Still alive, the partially roasted Dózsa was then removed from the throne and his followers, who had been starved for this purpose, were forced to eat his flesh.”

What remained of the 44-year-old was then quartered and “sent around Hungary for display”.

Other accounts offer further gruesome details, with The Legends of Hungary Youtube channel claiming that “while he was still alive, Dózsa’s soldiers were forced to tear his naked body apart with their own teeth”.

Then, before he succumbed to this hellish end, he was forced to witness as his younger brother Gergely was cut into three parts and hung on the gallows.

Suffice it to say, it’s no wonder Dózsa’s death has been branded the “cruellest of all time,” however arbitrary such a title may be.

Last Week’s Birthdays

Tim Blake Nelson (61), Holly Valance (42), Jadyn Wong (40), Meg Foster (77), Bono (65), Rosario Dawson (46), Grace Gummer (39), Billy Joel (76), Stephen Amell (44), David Attenborough (99), Vicky McClure (42), Alexander Ludwig (33), MrBeast (27), Richard O’Sullivan (81), George Clooney (64), Adrianne Palicki (42), Henry Cavill (42), Lance Henriksen (85), John Rhys-Davies (81), Richard E. Grant (68), Zach McGowan (45), Michael Palin (82), and Marc Alaimo (83).

Another successful week, let’s dole out the points! Neil correctly predicted that Steve McMichael would die this year, he also listed him as his Cert, so a whopping 183 points which boost him to the top of the league table. 

We can also award 134 points to Abi, Dave, and Lee who listed Inah Canabarro Lucas as either a Cert or a Woman, well done all of you! 

Look Who You Could Have Had:

• Steve McMichael, 67, American football player (Chicago Bears) and professional wrestler, Super Bowl champion, complications from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
• Jane Gardam, 96, English writer (The Queen of the Tambourine, Old Filth, God on the Rocks). 
• Mike Peters, 66, Welsh rock singer (The Alarm, Big Country) and songwriter (“Sixty Eight Guns”), chronic lymphocytic leukaemia. 
• Priscilla Pointer, 100, American actress (Carrie, Dallas, Blue Velvet). 
• Inah Canabarro Lucas, 116, Brazilian supercentenarian, world’s oldest living person. 
• Ruth Buzzi, 88, American comedienne and actress (Sesame Street, The Berenstain Bears), complications from a stroke and Alzheimer’s disease. 
• Jeffrey Hutchinson, 62, American convicted murderer, execution by lethal injection. 
• Jill Sobule, 66, American singer-songwriter (“I Kissed a Girl“, “Supermodel“), house fire. 

In Other News

The comedian Milton Jones has announced that he is cancelling a planned tour of the UK after being diagnosed with prostate cancer, which will require surgery. The 60-year-old shared the news in a statement on social media where he said that the cancer is “treatable” and he is due for an operation in the coming weeks. However, his recovery period has forced him to cancel a handful of shows across the country. “I’m so sorry about this, but I need to announce the cancellation of several dates from my ongoing Ha!Milton Tour.” He continued: “This difficult decision comes following a recent diagnosis of treatable prostate cancer. I’ll be undergoing surgery soon and will need time afterwards to fully recover.” Jones added: “In addition, the summer dates in Colchester, Bridlington, Stroud, and London will be rescheduled to the Autumn. All dates currently scheduled for the Autumn leg of the tour remain unaffected. Ticket holders for the cancelled shows will be contacted directly by the venue box office. Thanks for your support and respecting my privacy during this time. This decision has not been taken lightly. Trust me, abnormal service will resume as soon as possible and I’m looking forward to being back out on the road again soon – though probably not on a bike!” Jones, best known for his deadpan and often surreal one-liners, began his career in 1996 performing regularly at The Comedy Store in London and Manchester.   

Joanna Lumley has reflected on her mortality, predicting that her “time must be coming quite soon”. The Bafta-winning star of the hit sitcom Absolutely Fabulous, who is 78, opened up on the subject of death in a new interview, revealing that several of her “beloved friends are beginning to leave”. “As you near the top of the hill you suddenly think: ‘Gosh, there’s not all that amount of time left. My time must be coming quite soon and I don’t want to have wasted a minute of being on this beautiful planet.” Lumley also urged young people to worry less, telling the Flying Monkeys: “I used to panic when I was young, but as I’ve got older I’ve started literally to live day to day. With age, you work out what matters. I always knew that good stuff would come along when I was older. When I was 18, I longed to be 30. When I was 30, longed to be 50. We mustn’t be led into thinking getting old is bad. Growing old is good.” While sharing “a big message” to younger generations, the actor hinted that social media might be affecting their people skills. “You need time in your head. I’m so afraid we’re going to breed a generation who don’t know the world and don’t know how to talk.” Lumley previously expressed concern over young people’s work ethic, stating her belief that the youth of today want a fast track to success without putting the work in.  

Sir David Attenborough has reflected on approaching “the end of his life” while sharing what he believes will save the planet from destruction. The veteran naturalist addressed his mortality in a new documentary, which is set to be released in cinemas on 8th May – his 99th birthday. In the forthcoming film, titled Ocean: With David Attenborough, the former BBC Two controller expressed his sadness with the current state of the world’s ecosystems, but said that he has worked out what Earth’s “most important place” is “after living for nearly a hundred years on this planet”. He said that the key to saving the planet “is not on land, but at sea”, stating: “When I first saw the sea as a young boy, it was thought of as a vast wilderness to be tamed and mastered for the benefit of humanity. Now, as I approach the end of my life, we know the opposite is true.” Attenborough added that the planet “is in such poor health” that he “would find it hard not to lose hope” were it not for the ocean, which he called “the most remarkable discovery of all”. He concluded: “If we save the sea, we save our world. After a lifetime of filming our planet, I’m sure nothing is more important.”

On This Day

• 1949 – The entire Torino football team (except for two players who did not take the trip) are killed in a plane crash.
• 1979 – Margaret Thatcher becomes the first female Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
• 1998 – A federal judge gives “Unabomber” Theodore Kaczynski four life sentences plus 30 years after Kaczynski accepts a plea agreement sparing him from the death penalty.
• 2000 – Ken Livingstone becomes the first Mayor of London.

Deaths

• 1984 – Diana Dors, English actress (b. 1931).
• 2008 – Fred Baur, American chemist and founder of Pringles (b. 1918)
• 2009 – Dom DeLuise, American actor, director, and producer (b. 1933)

Last Meals

Florida has executed Gulf War veteran Jeffrey Hutchinson for the shooting deaths of his girlfriend and her three children despite a letter from 129 veterans arguing that Hutchinson’s mind was a casualty of war.

The 62-year-old former U.S. Army Ranger was convicted for the 1998 murder of 32-year-old Renee Flaherty, and her three children: 9-year-old Geoffrey, 7-year-old Amanda, and 4-year-old Logan.

On the night of September 11th 1998, Hutchinson fought with Flaherty, after which he packed some of his clothes and guns into his truck, and went to a bar, according to court records.

The bartender testified that Hutchinson told him that Flaherty was angry with him, while other witnesses testified that he drove recklessly when he left, according to court documents.

Hutchinson then returned to the Crestview home, “busted down” the front door and shot Flaherty, Amanda and Logan in the head in the master bedroom, a forensic pathologist testified − according to court documents. 

The pathologist testified that Hutchinson shot Geoffrey last in both the chest and the head while the child “was able to see the bodies of his mother, sister, and brother,” according to court records.

“The terror suffered in that moment is incomprehensible to this court,” Hutchinson’s trial judge said, according to the Flying Monkeys.

Hutchinson called the police and told a dispatcher: “I just shot my family.” Police arrived to  find him spattered with blood and lying in a daze on the garage floor, still holding the phone, according to court documents. 

His last meal consisted of salmon, mahi-mahi, asparagus, baked potato and iced tea. He had no last words

The execution took place shortly after 8 p.m. ET on Thursday at the Florida State Prison in Railford using the state’s three-drug protocol involving etomidate, rocuronium bro­mide and potassium acetate. He was declared dead at 8:14 p.m. ET, according to the Florida Department of Corrections.

It marked the fourth execution in Florida this year and the 15th in the nation.

While Hutchinson himself maintained that the murders were committed by home invaders, his defence team pointed to brain damage and trauma suffered by the former U.S. Army Ranger during his service in the Gulf War as reason to stop the execution.

Maria DeLiberato, executive director of Floridians for Alternatives for the Death Penalty and liaison for Hutchinson’s legal team, previously told the Flying Monkeys that experts called Hutchinson’s statements “a delusional belief based on his significant and severe mental illness.”

“Executing a man who was physically and psychologically shattered by war − a man who never got the treatment or understanding he needed and deserved − is not justice,” the group said in a statement following the execution.

Meanwhile 129 veterans representing every branch of the military wrote to Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, calling Hutchinson “one of us” and urging the governor to stop the execution.

Last Week’s Birthdays

Will Arnett (55), Rob Brydon (60), Frankie Valli (91), Sandi Toksvig (67), Rachel Zegler (24), Christina Hendricks (50), Pom Klementieff (39), Dwayne Johnson (53), Matt Berry (51), Christine Baranski (73), Ellie Kemper (45), David Suchet (79), Joe Wilkinson (50), Lily Allen (40), David Beckham (50), Julie Benz (53), Jamie Dornan (43), Joanna Lumley (79), Ana de Armas (37), Gal Gadot (40), Kirsten Dunst (43), Sam Heughan (45), Daniel Day-Lewis (68), Michelle Pfeiffer (67), Uma Thurman (55), Kate Mulgrew (70), Anita Dobson (76), Jerry Seinfeld (71), Willie Nelson (92), Jessica Alba (44), Penélope Cruz (51), Mary McDonnell (73), Ann-Margret (84), and Jay Leno (75).