Sick DeathList creators might have made worst movie star loss of life predictions in 30 years

A sick website that predicts the deaths of famous people each year is looking set to have its worst forecast in 30 years.

Every year deathlist.net produces a list of 50 famous faces set to meet their maker over the coming year. Last year an impressive 19 correct predictions were made, however, this year is looking set to fall well short of that mark, with just five. While there are still 42 days left of 2024, things are looking bleak for the list – or good for those on it, depending how you look at it.

There have been years where the numbers were down, in both 1996 and 2011, where only seven were correctly guessed, but not since 1993 has there been this few departures.

The names are selected by the “DeathList committee” before the year starts and there are three rules.

The website states: “Candidates must be famous enough such that their death is confidently expected to be reported by the UK media; candidates cannot be famous solely for the fact they are likely to die imminently and only 25 candidates can reappear from the previous year’s list.”

This year’s top four are all names that featured last year. Coming in first is former US President Jimmy Carter – now aged 100. He has appeared on the list nine times down the years, and has stuck it out for another 11-and-a-half-months this year.

Actor Dick van Dyke, 99, is second, again making his ninth appearance in total. Radio presenter Pete Murray OBE, 99, and American economist Alan Greenspan, 98, come third and fourth respectively.

Making his debut in fifth is Pope Francis, 88. And it’s not until you reach sixth place that the committee have their first correctly predicted demise in Ethel Kennedy, of the Kennedy Family, who died aged 86 on October 10.

The other four to cross the rainbow bridge were actress Glynis Johns, 101, political adviser Derek Draper, 57, comedian Bob Newhart, 95, and German footballing legend Franz Beckenbauer, 79.

Still going strong the major players who have been no stranger to the list over the years include jazz singer Cleo Lane, 97 (4 appearances), comedian and director Mel Brooks, 98 (5), comedian Stanley Baxter, 98 (5), politician Dick Cheney, 83 (6), and actress Prunella Scales, 92 (8).

Making his debut is someone who may not be as missed as the others, Josef Fritzl, 89, who is simply described by the list compilers as “monster”

This year’s other debutants include 93-year-old Hollywood legend Clint Eastwood (19th), 73-year-old Julie Walters (27th), 83-year-old Esther Rantzen (35th), and 93-year-old Buzz Aldrin (45th)

The full DeathList 2024, with those who have passed marked (D):

1. Jimmy Carter
2. Dick van Dyke
3. Pete Murray
4. Alan Greenspan
5. Pope Francis
6. Ethel Kennedy (D)

7. Cleo Laine

8. Sandy Gall

9. Noam Chomsky

10. Robert Wagner

11. Mel Brooks

12. Dennis Skinner

13. Nigel Starmer-Smith

14. James Whale

15. Glynis Johns (D)

16. Stanley Baxter

17. Joanne Woodward

18. Patricia Routledge

19. Clint Eastwood

20. Derek Draper (D)

21. Vanessa Redgrave

22. Desmond Morris

23. Gene Hackman

24. Jean-Marie Le Pen

25. Denis Law

26. Hans Blix

27. Julie Walters

28. Tom Brokaw

29. Linda Nolan

30. Bob Newhart (D)

31. Louis Farrakhan

32. Norman Tebbit

33. Willie Nelson

34. Daniel Barenboim

35. Esther Rantzen

36. Roberta Flack

37. Dick Cheney

38. Prunella Scales

39. Robert Duvall

40. Josef Fritzl

41. Brigitte Bardot

42. Raul Castro

43. Imelda Marcos

44. Ted Turner

45. Buzz Aldrin

46. Sonny Rollins

47. Sly Stone

48. Tom Baker

49. Franz Beckenbauer (D)

50. Joe Bugner

The DeathList has been running since 1987, where only one out of their 31 predictions took their final bow. While there was no list in 1988, the committee returned in 1989, guessing three out of 32.

Then there was three from 42 in 1990, followed by a howler in 1991 of 0 out of 40.

Both 1992 and 1993 guessed five correctly out of 37 and 56 respectively, before they changed the criteria to 50 entrants, and predictions seemingly improved, from 1994 onwards.

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