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 Death Impends (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...
COHEN DOWN And so the Boys of ‘66 finalists tally falls down to two with the death of George Cohen. A right-backer, his playstyle was noted for its power and defensive prowess. He had been a stalwart at the club level with Fulham, but his international career was off to an inconspicuous start that might’ve […]
FALLEN The musical voice of David Lynch’s worlds, Julee Cruise, died earlier this year, now it’s time for his soundtrack to follow suit with the death of Angelo Badalamenti, aged 85. On this form, apologies in advance to any Bobby Vinton fans. Badalamenti had been active in the music business for years, working with reputed […]
GET ROTTER Director Mike Hodges has died aged 90. After several years of directing TV, his first turn at directing a feature film proved his finest, helming gritty gangster classic Get Carter. Along the way he also directed cult favourite Flash Gordon, and concluded his career with I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead. Well, he’s sleeping […]
THE BUTLER BIT IT It’s not the end of a DDP year without a LotL athlete being salvaged by that last-chance saloon we call the Sports Personality of the Year In Memoriam. The lucky customer this time is golfer Peter Butler, who died in October aged 90. He was one of the preeminent British golfers […]
BRITISH FILM OUT-OF-COMMISSIONER Inaugural British Film Commissioner Sydney Samuelson has had his last cut aged 97. The son of a silent film veteran, Samuelson had been active in the industry since the late 30s and throughout the 50s he filmed the Queen’s coronation and established a reputed film equipment rental company. He was a pillar […]
GIRL SCOUT COOKIE CRUMBLES The Girl Scouts of the USA was founded in 1912. Its former CEO Frances Hesselbein was born a mere three years later. She stewarded the cookie-proffering youth organisation for thirteen years, receiving 22 honorary doctorate degrees and the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her efforts. In her centennial year, she was […]
ALLEY OOPS The bar has closed for actress Kirstie Alley, aged 71. Her first role of note was as Spock’s protégé in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, and she followed suit with a number of smaller films and box office smash romcom Look Who’s Talking. Any other Travolta leading ladies might wish to […]
DEAD-END STREET After the death of Emilio Delgado (Luis) earlier in the year, another bedrock of the Sesame Street human cast has been swept away with the clouds. Bob McGrath started out as a singer with Mitch Miller’s troupe and became an unlikely teen idol in Japan of all places, nicknamed “Bobu Magurasu” by his […]
BYE-DE-BYE! Goodbye campers! Actress Ruth Madoc has died aged 79. She was best known as chief Yellowcoat Gladys Pugh in Hi-de-Hi!, where her xylophone tinkling and unrequited passion for Jeffrey made her a memorable presence. Outside the holiday camp, Madoc was a respected stage veteran with the occasional film role (such as a supporting bit […]
NO MORE JET BLACK Longtime Stranglers drummer Jet Black has died aged 84. An owner of a liquor store and several ice cream vans before taking up the sticks, his established businessman credentials seemed at odds with the youthful rebellion of punk. Instead his store became the initial headquarters for The Stranglers and his ice […]
