Death happens. Why not make it interesting?
The online competition to guess which famous people won't make it to the end of the current year. If they're elderly, ill, or just live a high-risk lifestyle, stick 'em in your team, and for each one whose death you correctly predict, you'll score points. DDP was dreamt up in Derby, England (hence the name...) by Big Iain back in 1996. Other hosts: Siegfried Baboon and Rude Kid (2003-7), Octopus of Odstock (2008-9, first tenure), The Man in Black (2010-17), Spade Cooley (2018-19), msc (2020-21), Grim Up North (2020-22), Reptile (2020-23), and DI (2022 – 2025). Now the Committee of Banana (2023), time (2024), the returning Octopus of Odstock (2026) and the deadpooling equivalent of a gap year temp Marlfox (2026) oversee the biggest deadpool going...
EPSTEIN DIDN’T KILL HIMSELF I mean he was 102 FFS. Pathologist Anthony Epstein had speculated that Burkitt’s lymphoma was caused by a virus. He and his assistant, Yvonne Barr, worked futilely for months to cultivate the cancer and uncover the virus. Working from London, a sample of the cancer from Uganda had to be flown […]
MOULDY OLDIE Edie Ceccarelli was born on the exact same 1908 day as Peg Entwistle, the actress who jumped to her death from the Hollywood Sign over ninety years ago. Ceccarelli fared a little better than that, thanking her 116 years to a lifelong passion for dancing. No wonder we’re still waiting on Linda Nolan […]
THE WEE PAST HIS PRIME MINISTER Scottish footballer Ian McMillan has died aged 92. Nicknamed “the Wee Prime Minister” as his playing career coincided with Harold MacMillan’s prime ministry, he was a popular player with both Airdrie and the Gers. He was picked by two teams. Ian McMillan18 March 1931 – 16 February 2024, aged […]
LAST RITES FOR PRIEST Author Christopher Priest has died aged 80. Most closely associated with sci-fi, he was heavily influenced by H. G. Wells and his The Prestige was adapted into film by Christopher Nolan. He now brings some prestige to Bibliogryphon’s Bookworm Food with a unique hit. Christopher Priest14 July 1943 – 2 February […]
HARRY GONEWAY Former MP Harry Greenway has died aged 89. The longtime Tory MP for Ealing North, he was a staunch Thatcher ally and big on famlee valyooz. He was long ill with dementia and a unique pick for Ben-Hur and Messala Were Lovers. Harry Greenway4 October 1934 – 18 January 2024, aged 89💀💀💀💀💀💀 + […]
DOUG A HOLE Cricketer Doug Padgett seemed a prime BBC year-end sports roundup QO, but the Telegraph backlog has hastened the wait time considerably. He was a key figure to Yorkshire and according to cricket writer Colin Bateman, he was “nimble, happy anywhere in the order, he was a great technician and one of the […]
DEATHSTRUCK! The winter bridging 2023-24 is an open season on socially-conscious Normans. Just as Norman Lear from last year’s necrolog brought social issues to the US sitcom, Norman Jewison mastered the craft on the silver screen. The Canuck broke into the industry with a string of fluffy Doris Day comedies before taking on more challenging […]
OFF ZE LIST The last of the beloved Dad’s Army repertoire is off duty. Ian Lavender was the youngest cast member of the classic sitcom by some margin; his “stupid boy” Private Pike beared the brunt of the physical comedy and was devised as asthmatic to give plausible reason for a young member of the […]
A PLACE IN THE SUN, MOVIN’ ON… TV presenter Jonnie Irwin has died aged 50. He had been the longtime host of escapist real-estate fare such as A Place in the Sun and Escape to the Country, making him a recognisable face to people who pay attention to these sorts of programmes. Regardless of how […]
DEAD WHITE AND BLUE All-Murrican country singer Toby Keith has died aged 62. A regular on the country charts with hits like “Red Solo Cup” and “Should’ve Been a Cowboy”, he was known for his carefully considered lyrics that roughly went God God God flag flag flag Dubya Dubya Dubya war war war America America […]
