h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Gorgeous Della Reese - aged 86 "surrounded by love"
An incredible singer, and the first African-American woman to host a talk show.
(I preferred her singing gospel songs like this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X22s_50CadU
rather than the style in the clip provided)

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-11-21/della-reese-singer-and-touched-by-an-angel-star-dies-aged-86/9174548

It's been a bad couple of days.

Rodney Bewes.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-42067506

When I heard I thought 'That's not likely!'

PP.

for Della

for Rodney

Rodney Bewes was picked twice in this game - by atinythorn 2013-14.

David Cassidy
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-42076323
Back when I shared a bedroom with my younger sister, her side of the bedroom had Donny Osmond posters, I had one of David Cassidy above my bed

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWlXzON16gw

Some nice tributes, there

David Cassidy was never picked in this game.

Christine Keeler http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42245839

So they're making a TV series about the profumo affair. That will be interesting as I remember it but was too young to understand it at the time.

And now Johnny Hallyday has died. Apparently hardly known outside the francophone world, but he was big around the time we were doing French A level.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-42247551

Keeler was never picked in this game, but Hallyday was picked nine times, including four times by coelacanth between 2013 and 2016, so that's an unfortunate swap.

I was going to put him back on my 2018 list as well!

August Ames, 23, Canadian porn actress, suicide by hanging.
A victim of cyber-bullying on social media. This after surviving childhood abuse by a male close family member. I won't add my personal thoughts but just acknowledging this girl's traumatic life and what led her down her chosen career path.

I'll not link to the sites but plenty can be found by searching for her name.

P.S. My younger son has also been a victim of cyber-bullying on social media so I know how distressing it can be.

Max Clifford, notorious publicist:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-25884378

He doesn't seem to be on anyone's list this year, but I would be very surprised if he has never been picked.

Be very surprised - he hasn't.

I hadn't recalled him being on my list or any of the lists when I was managing the game, but wasn't sure. You can't always trust the search engine either.

Keith "Cheggers" Chegwin:

http://www.theguardian.com/media/2017/dec/11/keith-chegwin-tv-presenter-dies-aged-60

(never picked in this game)

Icy

Very sad. Tony Blackburn has just been interviewed on BBC News about him, he said Cheggers was just as nice off camera as he was on.


GB

That's one I'm surprised by.

<BB<

heinz wolff
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/professor-heinz-wolff-bioengineering-pioneer-and-tv-presenter-dies-aged-89/ar-BBGNOVs?li=BBoPWjQ&ocid=mailsignout
great explainer

http://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/professor-heinz-wolff-bioengineering-pioneer-and-tv-presenter-dies-aged-89/ar-BBGNOVs?li=BBoPWjQ&ocid=mailsignout

forgot to remove the "s"