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

Deathlist 2024 Review

Congratulations to Bluebottle, Deathlist 2024 winner!

Bluebottle quickly established a lead, then maintained it with a very strong performance, scoring eight of his picks, eventually reaching a massive 105 points. This is Bluebottle's second Deathlist victory, the first coming in 2008, but he has been regularly pipped at the post since then, usually by Coelacanth. The Groob had a late charge, but fell short on 60 points. I crept on to the podium with a modest 40 points, thanks to a late score for Jimmy Carter.

On to the 2025 game, the twentieth h2g2 Deathlist contest - who'd have thought it?. Here are some stats on this year's entries:

Picks:

For the 2025 contest, 13 entrants have selected a total of 160 celebrities, 43 of which were chosen for the first time.

There are 98 men and 62 women on the list, and their average age is 81.2 years. The oldest picks are Tomiko Itooka (116), Ethel Caterham (115) and Brenda Milner (106). The youngest pick is Franco Colapinto (21), who is slightly younger than Greta Thunberg (21).

Icy North has selected the oldest celebrities, the 15 on his list having an average age of 92.2 years. At the younger end, Minichessemouse's average is just 67.3 years.


Sequences:

Four celebrities picked in the 2025 game have remained on the same list for 19 years. All are on Mol's list: Alan Bennett, Michael Barrymore, Pete Doherty and Tom Baker.


Long Time Away:

Actor Ian Smith was picked for the first time since 2009. Elton John and Paul McCartney have also returned, last picked in 2010.


Deaths in 2024:

Of the celebrities who died in 2024, 40 had been picked at some time or other in the Deathlist game, and 19 of these were correctly picked in 2024. Of those we missed, the most recent picks were Frank Ifield, Ray Reardon, Manmohan Singh and Frank Field (last picked in 2023). One (Kris Kristofferson) had not been picked since 2006.


The 2006 Originals:

A total of 22 celebrities picked in the first Deathlist game in 2006 are still alive, and eight were picked again this year. One celebrity, Pete Doherty, has been picked in every year since 2006. We lost originals Jimmy Carter, Kris Kristofferson and Maggie Smith in 2024.


Lifesaver Award

Mol managed the difficult feat of shepherding all fifteen of her celebrities safely through 2024 without losing a single one of them, and so wins the coveted Lifesaver Award. Well done!


Welcome to the List:

Some new names to watch out for in 2025 include actors Warren Beatty, Bill Nighy and Joan Plowright; politicians JD Vance and Boris Johnson; royals King Charles III, Catherine Princess of Wales and Princess (formerly Queen) Beatrix of The Netherlands; broadcaster Sandi Toksvig; and sporting stars Rod Laver and Kenny Dalglish.



And so the Deathlist 2025 game is now open. Please post any listed celebrity deaths in 2025 in the thread below.


Homepage: A88060818

Scoreboard: A88060827

Archive: A87874582

Icy

Thanks very much Icy!

Tomiko Itooka, a Japanese woman who was the world's oldest person according to Guinness World Records, has died at the age of 116.

Yoshitsugu Nagata, an official in charge of elderly policies, said Itooka died on 29 December at a care home in Ashiya, Hyogo prefecture, in central Japan.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jan/04/worlds-oldest-person-tomiko-itooka-dies-in-japan-aged-116

As she died before new year, I don't think it counts?

Was picked for this year by Bluebottle & Icy

You're right, a 2024 death doesn't count in this game. It's also too late now to add any reserves, so Bluebottle and I lose out this time.

For the purpose of stats, I'll record it as a successful pick, but zero points.

For the record, I don't object to reserves being used in these circumstances.
If her death had been reported on the 29th, 30th or 31st we have used them.

[BB]

I don't object to reserves in this particular situation either, they were chosen fairly, before seeing any other lists, and we're less than a week in.

I'm going to ask Galaxy Babe to adjudicate, as she vets my list. Honestly, I'm not bothered either way, but I do have declared reserves that can be used.

RIP Tomiko! You have earned your eternal rest

Thank you for asking me to adjudicate, Icy

My decision is to agree with coelacanth and Bald Bloke, that you and Bluebottle should insert your reserve pick.

GB

Thank you!

I have added the replacements, who are:

For Bluebottle, Ann Robinson (that's the War of the Worlds actress, not Anne Robinson from the Weakest Link)

For myself, Jean-Pierre Serre (French mathematician)


I have expunged Tomiko Itooka from the records.

Icy