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), The Man in Black (2010-17), Spade Cooley (2018-19), msc (2020-21), Grim Up North (2020-22), and Reptile (2020-23). Now the Committee of DI (2022), time (2024), and Banana (2023) oversee the biggest deadpool going...

John Anderson

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CADAVER, READY! REAPER, READY! Gladiators referee John Anderson has died aged 92. He was everpresent during the original 90s series and came back for the brief aughties revival, where his catchphrases and umping would prove as much a part of the pop culture fabric as the athletics contests. His death leaves I’ll sleep when you’re […]

Kenneth Grange

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OUT OF GRANGE Prolific designer Kenneth Grange has died aged 95. His works are omnipresent in British life, and include the InterCity 125 train, the Kodak Instamatic camera, Britain’s first parking meters, kettles, typewriters, and pens. A kindred spirit to us, he also designed his own coffin, which during his lifetime was used as a […]

Ray Lawler

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I FOUGHT THE LAWLER, AND LAWLER LOST Pioneer Aussie playwright Ray Lawler has died aged 103. His best-known play was Summer of the Seventeenth Doll, heralded as a turning point in Australian theatre history. He was unique for Bibliogryphon’s Bookworm Food. Ray Lawler23 May 1921 – 24 July 2024, aged 103💀💀💀💀 + 👻 = 8 […]

Benjamin Luxon

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LUXON DIMS Opera baritone Benjamin Luxon has sung his last aged 87. He was noted for his collaborations with Benjamin Britten, and was picked by The Fat Lady’s singing… Benjamin Luxon24 March 1937 – 25 July 2024, aged 87💀💀💀💀💀💀 + 👻 = 10 POINTS

Edna O’Brien

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GIRL WITH PENNY EYES Irish author Edna O’Brien has died aged 93. Her debut novel The Country Girls broke down stigmas surrounding sexual discussion in 60s Ireland, and was so controversial it was subject to bans and burnings. The acclaim won out in the end and in her latter years she received various awards from […]

Becky Barr

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BECKONING FOR BARR BBC presenter Becky Barr has died aged 46. She had been a popular regular at BBC North West Tonight until switching her trade to firefighting in 2019. A Christmastime announcement of advanced cancer had all the makings of an inspired 2025 pick, instead a canny gamble pays off for three teams, with […]

Joe Egan

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CLOWNS TO THE LEFT OF ME, CROAKERS TO THE RIGHT Surviving frontman of Stealers Wheel Joe Egan has died aged 77. After befriending Gerry Rafferty in their teens, the duo formed the folk rock group in 1972 and quickly struck gold with “Stuck in the Middle with You”. Rafferty’s presence with the group became on-and-off […]

Martin Mull

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MULL OVER Comic actor Martin Mull has died aged 80. He had worked as a satirical musician when he caught the eye of Norman Lear and was cast as a cruel wifebeater in soaps satire Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman. His character died after being impaled on a Christmas tree star, but Mull himself became a […]

Joe Engle

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ACUTE ENGLE Astronaut Joe Engle has died aged 92. The last surviving X-15 pilot was also poised to walk on the Moon before he was swapped for Harrison Schmitt in the push to fly a scientist. He later flew on the Space Shuttle with fellow DDP24 graduate Richard Truly. He was a twin pick for […]

Ysanne Churchman

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GRACE UNDER FIRE Archers actress Ysanne Churchman has died aged 99. She joined the radio mainstay in 1951 as the second actress to play Grace Archer, it would prove a brief-yet-pivotal tenure as Grace’s shocking death in a stable fire drew an audience of 20 million and deliberately overshadowed the launch of ITV on the […]