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Celebrity Death Pool 2023

SpikeSpike Ecclesiantics & MW Host, Admin Emeritus
After an absence of a few years and following discussion with the Admins and the Circus hosts, I’m pleased to announce the return of the Celebrity Death Pool.

The rules are simple. You must pick up to 13 well-known people who you think will shuffle off this mortal coil in 2023. That is, starting from 00.01 GMT on 1st January 2022 and ending at 23.59 GMT on 31st December 2023.

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, The Tablet etc. You get the idea

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.

All entries must be submitted on this thread no later than 23.59 GMT on 31st December 2022. No entries will be accepted after this time. No exceptions - you've got nearly a month, after all. 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. Surprisingly this has happened in the past

There are also some bonus awards:

Inside Track with the Grim Reaper Award: given for picking the first death of 2023

Quantity Not Quality Award: given for picking the most people who croak in 2023, regardless of their points value.

Sudden Death: given for picking the last death of 2022

This is only a game. The Ship, its management and their associated lackeys 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.

I will keep records through the year and will occasionally post scores and other interesting facts.

Good luck to all players and bad luck to your nominees
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Comments

  • PigletPiglet All Saints Host, Circus Host
    Thanks for starting this, @Spike - I'm going to have a think (and possibly take inspiration from people who are quicker off the mark than I am).
  • I will have to review my old list, which is a bit depleted.
  • As per tradition, my list is of baseball players. I have some memory that, back in the old days, I limited myself to Hall of Fame Baseball Players, but that was too much work. So here is my list, with the year of birth following the name. Listed oldest to youngest:

    1. Joe Morgan (1930)
    2. Whitey Herzog (1931)
    3. Luis Aparicio (1934)
    4. Bub Uecker (1934)
    5. Sandy Koufax (1935)
    6. Bill Mazeroski (1936)
    7. Brooks Robinson (1937)
    8. Steve Carlton (1944)
    9. Rod Carew (1945)
    10. Reggie Jackson (1946)
    11. Nolan Ryan (1947)
    12. Mike Schmidt (1949)
    13. Cal Ripken, Jr. (1960)

    In the event one of those departs the stage prior to the end of 2022, then my replacement name will be Tim McCarver (1941).
  • Good to see this game returning. I’ve erased my old list so it’s time to put my thinking cap on.
  • PigletPiglet All Saints Host, Circus Host
    I will have to review my old list, which is a bit depleted.

    You and me both!
  • Tree Bee wrote: »
    Good to see this game returning. I’ve erased my old list so it’s time to put my thinking cap on.

    The internet never forgets.
  • I don't want any of the following people to die (with one exception, who I won't specify), and since my predictions in other matters (notably in trying to predict winners in horse racing) have lost me some serious $$, I hereby present the following in hopes that at least some of their lives will thus be saved.

    1. Bob Newhart
    2. Christina Applegate
    3. Michael J. Fox
    4. Pope Francis
    5. President Biden
    6. Steve Martin
    7. Steve Carell
    8. Dolly Parton
    9. Britney Spears
    10. Melissa Gilbert
    11. Marlo Thomas
    12. Jane Fonda
    13. Donald J. Trump
  • OK, digging up an old list here, with some modifications:

    1. Shane McGowan
    2. Pope Emeritus Benedict
    3. Boris Johnson
    4. Paul Gascoigne
    5. Adam Hart-Davies
    6. Michael Schumacher
    7. Michael Crawford
    8. Mike Oldfield
    9. Billy Connolly
    10. Lionel Blair
    11. Dick Van Dyke
    12. Boy George
    13. Donald Trump

    I think they are all still alive. I hope some of them can achieve another year, and others cannot.
  • SpikeSpike Ecclesiantics & MW Host, Admin Emeritus
    OK, digging up an old list here, with some modifications:

    1. Shane McGowan
    2. Pope Emeritus Benedict
    3. Boris Johnson
    4. Paul Gascoigne
    5. Adam Hart-Davies
    6. Michael Schumacher
    7. Michael Crawford
    8. Mike Oldfield
    9. Billy Connolly
    10. Lionel Blair
    11. Dick Van Dyke
    12. Boy George
    13. Donald Trump

    I think they are all still alive. I hope some of them can achieve another year, and others cannot.

    Lionel Blair died in 2021
  • Gee DGee D Shipmate
    OK, digging up an old list here, with some modifications:

    I think they are all still alive. I hope some of them can achieve another year, and others cannot.

    Do you mean "and others cannot", or rather "even if others cannot"?
  • Spike wrote: »
    OK, digging up an old list here, with some modifications:

    1. Shane McGowan
    2. Pope Emeritus Benedict
    3. Boris Johnson
    4. Paul Gascoigne
    5. Adam Hart-Davies
    6. Michael Schumacher
    7. Michael Crawford
    8. Mike Oldfield
    9. Billy Connolly
    10. Lionel Blair
    11. Dick Van Dyke
    12. Boy George
    13. Donald Trump

    I think they are all still alive. I hope some of them can achieve another year, and others cannot.

    Lionel Blair died in 2021

    I will have Donny Osmond instead then. This is the problem of not keeping my lists up to date.
    Gee D wrote: »
    OK, digging up an old list here, with some modifications:

    I think they are all still alive. I hope some of them can achieve another year, and others cannot.

    Do you mean "and others cannot", or rather "even if others cannot"?

    I meant it exactly as unpleasantly as I wrote it. Some of them are a waste of energy.
  • Crœsos wrote: »
    Tree Bee wrote: »
    Good to see this game returning. I’ve erased my old list so it’s time to put my thinking cap on.

    The internet never forgets.

    Cheers!
  • As usual, my list is made up of people who feature in this week’s Private Eye.

    1 Ian Hislop - Editor
    2 Nigel Farage
    3 Rupert Murdoch
    4 Gyles Brandreth
    5 David Blunkett
    6 Vladimir Putin
    7 Donald Trump
    8 Recep Tayyip Erdogan
    9 Miriam Margolyes
    10 Bob Dylan
    11 Patricia Hodge
    12 Boris Johnson
    13 Piers Morgan
    Reserve: Matt Hancock


  • EnochEnoch Shipmate
    It's a wet and windy morning. So here's my list largely retrieved from 2020, but one or two have matured since then and I decided to drop James Earl (Jimmy) Carter. At 98, if he matures, the score will be minimal.

    Some of these I'd be sadder to see mature than others.

    1. Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI.
    2. Paul Gascoine (Gazza).
    3. Ronnie Wood (a Stone).
    4. John Pilger (Australian journalist).
    5. Paul Gambaccini (Presenter).
    6. Vladimir Putin - not just because I don’t like him, though I don’t, but because there has been speculation over the last year about his health.
    7. Nigel Lawson (Lord Blaby).
    8. Douglas Hurd (Lord Westwell).
    9. Joseph (Sepp) Blatter. (former President of FIFA and under a cloud)
    11. Bashar Hafez al-Assad, (former west London doctor and now President of Syria).
    12. Alan Bennett (National Treasure).
    13. Dennis Skinner (Beast of Bolsover rtd).
    14. Dame Julie Andrews.

    If any should not make it through to midnight on the 31st of December 2022, my reserve is Sir Frederick Hugh Barclay, the surviving Barclay Brother.

  • jedijudyjedijudy Heaven Host
    Here are my guesses! Daughter-Unit and I collaborated to come up with this list, because I hadn't heard of some of these folks.

    1. Charlie Sheen
    2. Matthew Perry
    3. Daniel Radcliffe
    4. Michael J Fox
    5. Frankie Muniz
    6. Elton John
    7. Ben Affleck
    8. Nick Cannon
    9. Morgan Freeman
    10. June Lockhart
    11. Jimmy Carter
    12. Donald Trump
    13. Vladimir Putin

    Spare just in case:
    Tionne Watkins
  • I would include Pele but he might not make it to 2023.
  • Here’s my list:

    1 Collins, Phil
    2 Douglas, Michael
    3 Fox, Michael J
    4 Holder, Noddy
    5 Manilow, Barry
    6 Mitchell, Joni
    7 Nolan, Linda
    8 Rea, Chris
    9 Ronstadt, Linda
    10 Sheen, Charlie
    11 Taylor, Andy (Duran Duran)
    12 Thomsett, Sally
    13 Wood, Ronnie
  • Telford wrote: »
    I would include Pele but he might not make it to 2023.

    Include Pele in what? You haven't posted a list.
  • PigletPiglet All Saints Host, Circus Host
    Telford wrote: »
    I would include Pele but he might not make it to 2023.
    If he doesn't, you'd be allowed to replace him with someone else.
  • JapesJapes Shipmate
    Based on my last known list.

    Justin Beiber
    Mariah Carey
    Jeremy Clarkson
    Michael Douglas
    Rolf Harris
    Barry Manilow
    Paul McCartney
    Elon Musk
    Priti Patel
    Anne Robinson
    Harry Styles
    Donald Trump
    Anne Widdicombe
  • TheOrganistTheOrganist Shipmate
    edited December 2022
    My list for 2023
    Church
    Benedict XVI
    Lord (Richard) Harries of Pentregarth
    Politics
    Jimmy Carter
    Henry Kissinger
    Edith Cresson
    Royalty
    HRH The Duke of Kent
    Sport
    Bobby Charlton
    Edson do Nascimento (Pelé)
    Entertainment
    Mel Brooks
    Petula Clark
    Harry Belafonte
    Michael Aspel
    Miscellaneous
    Thomas Markle Sr
  • 1. Miriam Margoyles
    2. Putin
    3. Kim John Un
    4. Donald Trump
    5. Joe Biden
    6. Paul Macartney
    7. James Galway
    8. Rolf Harris
    9. Stuart Hall
    10. Pele
    11. Michael Douglas
    1! Really happy
    .pp.19
  • Crœsos wrote: »
    Telford wrote: »
    I would include Pele but he might not make it to 2023.

    Include Pele in what? You haven't posted a list.

    It was merely a suggestion for others who do want to post a list.
  • Not sure what went wrong there -
    11. Ronnie Wood
    12. Jeremy Clarkson

    And a spare:
    13. Noddy Holder
  • PigletPiglet All Saints Host, Circus Host
    Here goes - you can decide for yourselves who is "wishful thinking" and who is "kiss of life".

    Michael J Fox
    Pele
    Prunella Scales
    Dame Judi Dench
    Ronnie Wood
    Sir Cliff Richard
    Sir Billy Connolly
    Sir Michael Caine
    Donald Trump
    Joe Biden
    Vladimir Putin
    Kim Jong-Un
    King Charles III


  • SpikeSpike Ecclesiantics & MW Host, Admin Emeritus
    Right, here goes

    1. HM King Charles III
    2. HM Queen Camilla
    3. Tom Lehrer
    4. Billy Connolly
    5. Angela Rippon
    6. Valerie singleton
    7. St Cliff of Richard
    8. David Beckham
    9. Donald Trump
    10. Mick Jagger
    11. Paul McCartney
    12. Richard Dawkins
    13. George Carey
  • Think we should close option of Pope Emeritus Benedict as he appears to be a dead cert even if he doesn't disqualify himself by not making it to Sunday.
  • @KarlLB Does that mean those of us who have him on our list should nominate someone else?
  • @KarlLB Does that mean those of us who have him on our list should nominate someone else?

    Well it's not up to me - just a thought.
  • Someone being a dead cert hasn’t been a cause to rule them out before as far as I am aware - predicting this is part of the challenge.
    A reserve would be wise though.
  • Pele has died according to the BBC.
  • Gee DGee D Shipmate
    Sympathy to all soccer fans on Pele's death.
  • PigletPiglet All Saints Host, Circus Host
    As Pele hasn't made it - may he rest in peace - I'll play my reserve - HM Queen Camilla.

    Michael J Fox
    Prunella Scales
    Dame Judi Dench
    Ronnie Wood
    Sir Cliff Richard
    Sir Billy Connolly
    Sir Michael Caine
    Donald Trump
    Joe Biden
    Vladimir Putin
    Kim Jong-Un
    HM King Charles III
    HM Queen Camilla

  • As Pele was on my list, I’ll include Noddy Holder and have Billy Connolly as my spare.
  • Pelé is on my list but I'm going to wait a bit because so is Benedict ...
  • Did anyone have Viviene Westwood - who has also not made it to the start of our lists?
  • Here's my list:

    1. Princess Alexandra
    2. Pope Emeritus Benedict
    3. Patricia Greene (hoping this is the kiss of life )
    4. Engelbert Humperdinck
    5. Elton John
    6. Ghislaine Maxwell
    7. Liza Minelli
    8. Elon Musk
    9. Katie Price
    10. Vladimir Putin
    11. Donald Trump
    12. Harvey Weinstein
    13. Bruce Willis
  • The Vatican has jyst announced that Pope Benedict XVI has died.
  • Can I replace the late and honourable Pope Benedict with the utterly dishonourable Suella Braverman.
  • Here's my list of potential clog poppers:

    Tony Bennett
    Harry Belafonte
    Frankie Valli
    Willie Nelson
    Joni Mitchell
    Bill Wyman
    Peter Purves
    Bobby Charlton
    Gary Player
    John B Goodenough
    June Spencer
    David Jason
    Khamtai Siphandone
  • EnochEnoch Shipmate
    In light of the sad demise of Pope Benedict, this is my revised list.

    1. Paul Gascoine (Gazza).
    2. Ronnie Wood (a Stone).
    3. John Pilger (Australian journalist).
    4. Paul Gambaccini (Presenter).
    5. Vladimir Putin - not just because I don’t like him, though I don’t, but because there has been speculation over the last year about his health.
    6. Nigel Lawson (Lord Blaby).
    7. Douglas Hurd (Lord Westwell).
    8. Joseph (Sepp) Blatter. (former President of FIFA and under a cloud)
    9. Bashar Hafez al-Assad, (former west London doctor and now President of Syria).
    10. Alan Bennett (National Treasure).
    11. Dennis Skinner (Beast of Bolsover rtd).
    12. Dame Julie Andrews.
    13. Sir Frederick Hugh Barclay, the surviving Barclay Brother.

    If anyone else should not make it through to midnight tonight, my reserve is Princess Michael of Kent.
  • @Merry Vole June Spencer is over 100, so you would lose points if she died. However, it would seem very unfair if she were to die in 2023; she should have a few years left to her to enjoy her retirement.
  • I would like to replace the late Pope Benedict with King Charles III.
  • DoublethinkDoublethink Admin, 8th Day Host
    (And reunite the universal church ?)
  • TheOrganistTheOrganist Shipmate
    edited December 2022
    Following the demise of Pelé and Pope Benedict here is my revised list for 2023
    Church
    The Rt Revd Thomas McMahon
    Lord (Richard) Harries of Pentregarth
    Politics
    Jimmy Carter
    Henry Kissinger
    Edith Cresson
    Royalty
    HRH The Duke of Kent
    Sport
    Bobby Charlton
    Rob Burrow
    Entertainment
    Mel Brooks
    Petula Clark
    Harry Belafonte
    Michael Aspel
    Miscellaneous
    Thomas Markle Sr
  • SandemaniacSandemaniac Shipmate
    edited December 2022
    I'll let you work out who I'm hoping my nomination will give the kiss of life to, and those of whom I hope the opposite (in Christian love, of course).

    Sir Garfield (Gary) Sobers
    Nigel Farage
    Ann Widdecombe
    Vladimir Putin
    Boris Johnson
    Graeme Garden
    Joe Brown
    Adam Hart-Davis
    Don McCullin
    David Bailey
    Priti Patel
    Raman Subba Row
    Harvey Weinstein

    On the off-chance one of those pops off in the last 7.5 hours of 2022, UK time, I'll have Pope Francis on the bench.
  • I lost six people from my 2020 list in the intervening three years. Here is my list for 2023 with the necessary replacements and a few switches.
    1. Henry Alfred Kissinger, né Heinz Alfred Kissinger (ex-Secretary of State, unindicted war criminal, 1923)
    2. Sandra Day O'Connor (ex-Supreme Court Justice, 1930)
    3. William Shatner (actor, 1931)
    4. Willie Hugh Nelson (musician, 1933)
    5. Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, سلمان بن عبد العزیز آل سعود (King, 1935)
    6. William Henry "Bill" Cosby, Jr. NN7687 (entertainer, sex pest, 1937)
    7. Sayyid Ali Hosseini Khamenei, سید علی حسینی خامنه‌ای (Supreme Leader, 1939)
    8. Richard Bruce "Dick" Cheney (cyborg ex-Vice President, 1941)
    9. Ernest Evans, a.k.a. "Chubby Checker" (singer, 1941)
    10. John Dennis Hastert 47991-424 (ex-Speaker of the House, convict, 1942)
    11. Addison Mitchell "Mitch" McConnell III (Senator, 1942)
    12. Sergey Vladimirovich Surovikin, Серге́й Влади́мирович Сурови́кин (general, 1966)
    13. Alexei Anatolievich Navalny, Алексе́й Анато́льевич Нава́льный (politician, political prisoner, 1976)

    Yeah, I know Kissinger is in the same boat as Jimmy Carter and won't be worth many points, but I just couldn't forgive myself if he dies before May 27 and I didn't get any points off the withered bastard.

    Birth years are all gathered from Wikipedia. If they're wrong it's Wiki's fault.
  • @Merry Vole June Spencer is over 100, so you would lose points if she died. However, it would seem very unfair if she were to die in 2023; she should have a few years left to her to enjoy her retirement.

    Thanks! I obviously didn't read the rules properly! (and am a tad embarrassed at entering!)
    And yes we wish June many more happy years.
  • I think it is worth mentioning here two deaths already (not on anyones list, I don't think):

    Jeff Beck - whose Hi Ho Silver Lining was an absolute must at parties when I was partying.
    Lisa-Marie Presley - only child of Elvis.
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