2026 Celebrity Death Pool
Sipech
Shipmate
in The Circus
Welcome to the 2026 Celebrity Death Pool.
The rules are simple. You must pick up to 13 well-known people who you think will join the choir invisible during 2026. That is, starting from 00.01 GMT on 1st January 2026 and ending at 23.59 GMT on 31st December 2026.
The definition of "well-known" is that their deaths will be reported by at least one major news outlet. This would include (but is not limited to) The BBC, CNN, The New York Times, The Guardian, The Church Times, Baptist Times, Private Eye, etc.
All selections must be real natural born people. No fictional characters, abstract entities or "corporate persons" will be accepted.
Points are awarded according to the following formula: 100 minus the celebrity's age at the time of death. For example, if the person you choose dies at the age of 67 you will earn 33 points. Should you pick someone who is 100 years old when they die you will receive no points; should your person be over 100 you will lose points.
You cannot choose anyone under the age of 18.
You are disqualified if you contribute in any way to the death of one of your chosen candidates. So no poisoning the Archbishop of Canterbury if you work in the catering department of Lambeth Palace.
All entries must be submitted on this thread no later than 23.59 GMT on 31st December 2025. No entries will be accepted after this time. No exceptions. You may make changes to your list up until this time but only if someone pops their clogs before the beginning of the year or if you've put someone in twice.
There are also some bonus awards:
Inside Track with the Grim Reaper Award: given for picking the first death of 2026.
Quantity Not Quality Award: given for picking the most people who croak in 2026, regardless of their points value.
Sudden Death: given for picking the last death of 2026
This is only a game. The Ship, its management and their associated minions do not necessarily endorse the death any human being. This is not in any way a "wish list". Reviewing past years will show that truly evil and nasty dictators seem to have a habit of lingering while those figures we truly respect and admire often don't. The Circus is a place for games, not discussion of the rights or wrongs of those games. If you want to discuss the ethics of this one there are other places you can do that. If you find the game distasteful, that’s fine - you’re under no obligation to take part.
There are no prizes other than the warm fuzzy feeling you get for being a winner.
Good luck to all players and bad luck to your nominees.
The rules are simple. You must pick up to 13 well-known people who you think will join the choir invisible during 2026. That is, starting from 00.01 GMT on 1st January 2026 and ending at 23.59 GMT on 31st December 2026.
The definition of "well-known" is that their deaths will be reported by at least one major news outlet. This would include (but is not limited to) The BBC, CNN, The New York Times, The Guardian, The Church Times, Baptist Times, Private Eye, etc.
All selections must be real natural born people. No fictional characters, abstract entities or "corporate persons" will be accepted.
Points are awarded according to the following formula: 100 minus the celebrity's age at the time of death. For example, if the person you choose dies at the age of 67 you will earn 33 points. Should you pick someone who is 100 years old when they die you will receive no points; should your person be over 100 you will lose points.
You cannot choose anyone under the age of 18.
You are disqualified if you contribute in any way to the death of one of your chosen candidates. So no poisoning the Archbishop of Canterbury if you work in the catering department of Lambeth Palace.
All entries must be submitted on this thread no later than 23.59 GMT on 31st December 2025. No entries will be accepted after this time. No exceptions. You may make changes to your list up until this time but only if someone pops their clogs before the beginning of the year or if you've put someone in twice.
There are also some bonus awards:
Inside Track with the Grim Reaper Award: given for picking the first death of 2026.
Quantity Not Quality Award: given for picking the most people who croak in 2026, regardless of their points value.
Sudden Death: given for picking the last death of 2026
This is only a game. The Ship, its management and their associated minions do not necessarily endorse the death any human being. This is not in any way a "wish list". Reviewing past years will show that truly evil and nasty dictators seem to have a habit of lingering while those figures we truly respect and admire often don't. The Circus is a place for games, not discussion of the rights or wrongs of those games. If you want to discuss the ethics of this one there are other places you can do that. If you find the game distasteful, that’s fine - you’re under no obligation to take part.
There are no prizes other than the warm fuzzy feeling you get for being a winner.
Good luck to all players and bad luck to your nominees.
Tagged:
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1. Peter Kaye
2. Boris Johnson
3. Paul Gascoigne
4. Adam Hart-Davies
5. Michael Schumacher
6. Michael Crawford
7. Mike Oldfield
8. Charles Windsor
9. Donny Osmond
10. Chris Hoy
11. Boy George
12. Donald Trump
13. Michael J Fox
1. Paul Gascoigne (Gazza).
2. Ronnie Wood (a Stone).
3. Paul Gambaccini (Presenter).
4. Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin.
5. Nigel Farage, MP for Clacton.
6. Joseph (Sepp) Blatter. (former President of FIFA and under a cloud until 2027)
7. Bashar Hafez al-Assad, (former west London doctor and now ex-President of Syria).
8. Alan Bennett (National Treasure).
9. Dennis Skinner (Beast of Bolsover rtd).
10. Dame Esther Rantzen.
11. Sir Frederick Hugh Barclay, (the surviving Barclay Brother).
12. Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (former US President).
13. Donald John Trump, (current US President).
Reserve in case any don't make midnight on the 31st of December Dame Julie Andrews.
HM King Charles
HM Queen Camilla
HRH Princess Catherine of Wales
George Carey
Esther Rantzen
Michael Aspel
Donald Trump
Joe Biden
Billy Connolly
Joanna Lumley
Vladimir Putin
Richard O Sullivan
Neil Kinnock
A couple changes from the 2025 list. Listed oldest to youngest:
1. Luis Aparicio (1934)
2. Sandy Koufax (1935)
3. Bill Mazeroski (1936)
4. Juan Marichal (1937)
5. Jim Kaat (1938)
6. Carl Yastrzemski (1939)
7. Steve Carlton (1944)
8. Rod Carew (1945)
9. Reggie Jackson (1946)
10. Nolan Ryan (1947)
11. Johnny Bench (1947)
12. Mike Schmidt (1949)
13. Cal Ripken, Jr. (1960)
In the event one of those departs the stage prior to the opening of the pool, then my replacement name will be Tony Oliva (1938).