Actress ('The Big Sleep', 'How To Marry A Millionaire', 'Murder On The Orient Express' etc etc), born Betty Joan Perske. Formerly married to Humphrey Bogart.
Legendary songwriter and pianist. Has written over 70 U.S. Top 40 hit singles for artists such as Dionne Warwick, Dusty Springfield and Aretha Franklin.
Born 28 March 1979 (Gloucester, Gloucestershire, England)
Islamic terrorist (again) who was co-conspirator of an attempt to blow up a bomb (again) in an aircraft (again) which was hidden in a shoe (OK, that was something new!).
Iranian stage and film actor, known from Academy Award nominated film 'Farewell Baghdad'. Now suffering from cancer and receiving donations from other Iranian film personalities.
Together with husband Pip, one part of a television writers-duo, known for their contributions to 'Doctor Who'. Those forever complaining about the current show should be grateful they've not been hired! Died in September 2014 but no obit.
Former Tory MP and Home Secretary. To teachers and school kids, his main legacy is "Baker days", which allow them an extra day off school. To everyone else, he's best remembered as his caricature of a snail in the satirical TV show 'Spitting Image'.
One of the major Taliban members. Co-founder of the movement in Afghanistan and deputy of Mullah Omar. Arrested in 2010 but released in September 2013 to facilitate the peace process, although not really to be an expert on that sort of thing..Born ca. 1968.
Veteran film director, producer, screenwriter and author of 'Confessions of a Hollywood Director', memoirs which pay tribute to the behind-the camera-work of Hollywood's golden era.
Born 13 October 1971 (Hammersmith, London, England)
Comic actor who was already inexplicably popular in the UK thanks to his Ali G character, but really made it big internationally in 2006 with his 'Borat' film.
Record promoter and agent as well as husband to the late concert pianist Joyce Hatto. Jailed for a year in 1966 for fraud, he attained notoriety again in 2007 by confessing that a large number of piano concert CDs sold by his label were copies and not played by his recently deceased wife.
Entertainer and game show host, born Kiernan Michael Parker. In March 2001, an unfortunate incident involving a dead homosexual in his swimming pool wrecked his career and made some DDPers feel that suicide may be on the cards.
Actress. Became an 80s sex symbol after 9 1/2 weeks with Mickey Rourke before landing an Oscar in 1998 for her role as Lynn Bracken in 'L.A. Confidential'. Was married to Alec Baldwin.
Singer who had several hits in the 1950s and '60s, as well as singing the theme tunes to 3 James Bond films. Had a minor comeback in the late '90s as an ironic cult heroine.
Inventor of the wind-up radio, which was an absolute godsend for many in the developing world. More importantly, though, he was voted Pipe Smoker of the Year 1999.
Former rugby union player, turned broadcaster of rather dour persona. Later on TV as a captain on 'A Question of Sport'. More recently works as a rugby pundit.
Former singer, member of Soul II Soul. Her daughter, Alexandra Burke won the X-Factor in 2008, but Bell is in poor health & a lot of the "human story" element had focused on Bell as a result.
Scumbag serial killer, convicted for three murders. Incidentially, the was the last of these, of the teenage Milly Dowler which unwittingly opened up the phone hacking scandal in 2011.
Canadian born actress, still best known as playing the mother in the Oxo adverts of the 1980s. Has the noble distinction of being the first topless woman The Man In Black ever saw on television.
Born 16 April 1927 (Marktl am Inn, Bavaria, Germany)
Former member of the Hitler Youth and professor of theology who was elected Pope following the death of his predecessor, John Paul II, in April 2005. Stepped down as Pope in March 2013.
Born 8 April 1944 (Garnant, Carmarthenshire, Wales)
Once a heart-throb of sorts in 'Shelley' and 'Loot'. Now grossly overweight, a drunk & only plays heavies/drunks/fat people in his rare TV appearances.
Actor of Luchino Visconti films as well as German production 'Ludwig', where he portrayed the former Bavarian King. Had been a sex-symbol in the 1960s, openly bisexual in relationships to Visconti as well as Alain Delon, Marissa Bell and Bianca Jagger. Now still in the news as bankrupt alcoholic and two-day contestant of the German version of 'I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!'
Second son of Princess Margriet and nephew of former Dutch Queen Beatrix which makes him cousin to the current King Willem-Alexander. Lost his 11th place in line of succession to the Dutch throne due to the fact that cousins cannot be counted. Known as Bernhard Lucas Emmanuel van Vollenhoven.
Film actress & former model who has appeared & acted well in some excellent movies but will also be remembered for her awful performance in the god-awful 'Catwoman'.
Bizzare granny in a bee costume called "bee lady", who became fundraiser of the year while raising £100,000 for Age UK and was honoured with a striped telephone box. Born around 1922.
Former cloakroom attendant at Liverpool's Cavern Club and then pop singer, now presenter of cheesy TV shows. Keeps harping on about how wonderful Liverpool is and how proud she is to be a Scouser, yet has lived in Surrey for the past 30 years.
MP for Sedgefield, County Durham since 1983, elected Labour leader in 1994 and Prime Minister in 1997. Not a popular DDP pick, as he's youngish and apparently in good health, but maybe he'll die of embarrassment if Cherie decides to sing in public again.
Born 14 July 1960 (Warwick, Queensland, Australia)
Local Aussie politician, former Minister for Families, Community Services, Disability Services and Youth, Minister for Education, Minister for the Arts, Treasurer, Deputy Primer, Minister for Reconstruction and (finally) Premier, in Queensland.
UN Weapons Inspector, former Swedish Foreign Minister. Got in trouble for not finding any weapons of mass destruction, which was a bit harsh, because there never were any.
Born 23 September 1939 (Hoveton, Norfolk, England)
BBC Radio 4 cricket commentator. His father went to school with Ian Fleming, who borrowed his surname for James Bond's long-time nemesis, Ernst Stavro.
Formerly 30-stone (420 lb) front man of ska group Bad Manners. Collapsed and almost died during a gig in Italy in 2001, since when he is reputed to have lost a lot of weight. His real name is Douglas Trendle.
Astrophysicist. Won the Hughes medal for his landmark discoveries concerning the nature of active galactic nuclei, the physics of the intergalactic medium and of the interstellar gas in primordial galaxies.
Born 8 March 1912 (Fakse Ladeplads, Hylleholt, Denmark)
Freedom fighter and member of Holger Danske, a Danish resistance group against the Nazis. Died in May 2014 and hasn't even got a Danish obit yet, let alone a British one!
Born 15 March 1948 (Neptune City, New Jersey, USA)
Gender theorist, born as a man, now a lesbian woman. Has suffered from PTSD and also diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, chronic lymphocytic leukemia and in September 2012 with lung cancer.
Born 15 January 1933 (Fenton, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England)
British TV presenter, mainly on daytime television or sports programmes. Wearer of bad sweaters and target of unlikely sex orgy allegations. Had a liver transplant in 2001.
Born in Bishopbriggs, Scotland (exact date unknown)
Cancer-ridden TV presenter who did the Edinburgh MoonWalk, a marathon for women in their bras. Still goes partying until 3am. And of course one of those who blogs on their illness. Born 1982.
TV presenter, agony aunt & dog lover. Born Caterina Irene Elena Maria Imperiali di Francavilla, so it's probably a good thing that she took her first husband's name instead when going professional.
3 times Formula 1 champion. First F1 racer to be knighted, still drives in historic races, although mostly retired. In good health, but now completely deaf.
Moors Murderer, in prison since 1966, having been caught just 4 weeks after the death penalty for murder was abolished in the UK. Made various efforts to legally "die" in prison by refusing food, all failed. Now rumoured to have dementia.
Former White House press secretary to Ronald Reagan, who was left permanently disabled when an assassination attempt on Reagan saw him shot in the head.
Advocate of gun control ever since her husband Jim was seriously wounded in the 1981 assassination attempt on Ronald Reagan. Now suffering from lung cancer.
Guyanese author whose book based on his experiences as a black teacher in a poor, working class London school, 'To Sir, With Love' was later made into a film starring Sidney Poitier
TV personality and something of a polymath - writer, presenter, producer, biographer, you name it. Was even a Conservative MP and junior minister at one time.
Born 18 July 1950 (Sharnley Green, Surrey, England)
Entrepreneur since the age of 16, when he started a national student magazine. Now boss of the Virgin records/banking/airline/mobile phones/etc empire.
Born 6 November 1965 (Carshalton, London, England)
Wales-based Englishman, sentenced to life imprisonment for the abduction and murder of five-year-old April Jones in 2012. Has six children by four women himself.
Chairman and CEO of Time Warner Cable until his retirement in 2014 due to his cancer treatment after 41 years. One of the richest people worldwide according to Forbes. Born around 1948.
Born 6 December 1952 (Luton, Bedfordshire, England)
Notorious prisoner, who has little in common with the late actor except the 'tache. Originally jailed for armed robbery, now for some violent escapades during his prison stay, including an attempt to poison a cell neighbour. Born Michael Gordon Peterson.
Film and television producer with an impressive resume, including 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show', 'Taxi' and 'The Simpsons' on television and 'Terms of Endearment' and 'Jerry Maguire' in film, amongst others.
Born 27 May 1968 (Warrington, Lancashire, England)
Scarlet-haired, well-connected harridan and epicentre of the phone hacking scandal along with her shifty cohort Andy Coulson. Was editor of both The Sun and the News of the World before her spectacular fall from grace.
Born 4 December 1987 (Los Angeles, California, USA)
Actor, best known for his performances in Disney Channel series. As a rap singer, he sang the title song for 'That's So Raven', and played the title role as well. Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore!"
Former front man of Cream, who also wrote most of their songs. Underwent a liver transplant in October 2003, after being diagnosed with cancer of the liver.
Born 16 November 1961 (Hammersmith, London, England)
Former WBC world heavyweight boxing champion and pantomime dame. Lost the plot somewhat after his wife left him, and was sectioned to a mental hospital in September 2003, although he was later released.
Born 3 September 1929 (Boston, Massachusetts, USA)
One of the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives. Charges against him include 18 counts of murder, plus racketeering, money laundering, and breaking wind on the Sabbath in Tennessee.
Sound designer on 'Star Wars' and thus the creator of the familiar R2-D2 bleeps and yelps, as well the throbbing sound of the lightsabers and the distinctive breathing of Darth Vader.
Former tennis player, who won the women's doubles title at both the French Championships and Wimbledon in 1956 with Althea Gibson. First British woman ever to reach a Wimbledon final.