The DeathList 2024

6 / 50 dead

Here you will find DeathList 2024. DeathList is a list of 50 celebrities chosen by the DeathList committee, before the year starts, for the likelihood that they may die during the year. The DeathList rules are summarised as follows: 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. DeathList 2023 had a strong run towards the end of the year, scoring 19 deaths and falling just one short of the record. We look to DeathList 2024 to continue in the same vein.

The 2024 List

Rank	Prev Year	Appear	Name	Age	Description
1	6	9	Jimmy Carter	100	Ex US President
2	1	9	Dick van Dyke	99	Actor
3	36	2	Pete Murray	99	British Radio Presenter
4	4	6	Alan Greenspan	98	Economist
5		1	Pope Francis	88	Pope
6	18	2	Ethel Kennedy	96	Kennedy Family
7	24	4	Cleo Laine	97	Jazz Singer
8	16	5	Sandy Gall	97	TV News Reporter
9		2	Noam Chomsky	96	Intellectual
10	13	2	Robert Wagner	94	Actor
11	10	5	Mel Brooks	98	Comedian / Director
12	41	2	Dennis Skinner	92	Politician
13	5	3	Nigel Starmer-Smith	80	Rugby Commentator
14		2	James Whale	73	Broadcaster
15		1	Glynis Johns	101	Actress
16	20	5	Stanley Baxter	98	Comedian
17	17	4	Joanne Woodward	94	Actor
18		1	Patricia Routledge	95	Actor
19		1	Clint Eastwood	94	Dirty Harry
20		1	Derek Draper	57	Political Adviser
21		3	Vanessa Redgrave	87	Actress
22	19	3	Desmond Morris	96	Zoologist
23		1	Gene Hackman	94	Actor
24	22	5	Jean-Marie Le Pen	96	French Neo-Nazi
25		2	Denis Law	84	Footballer
26		1	Hans Blix	96	Weapons Inspector
27		1	Julie Walters	74	Comedian
28		1	Tom Brokaw	84	News Anchor
29	47	4	Linda Nolan	65	Nolan Sister
30	37	3	Bob Newhart	95	Comedian
31		4	Louis Farrakhan	92	Nutter
32	14	3	Norman Tebbit	93	Politician
33	40	4	Willie Nelson	91	Country Singer
34		1	Daniel Barenboim	82	Conductor
35		1	Esther Rantzen	84	TV Presenter
36		1	Roberta Flack	87	Singer
37	8	6	Dick Cheney	83	Politician
38	26	8	Prunella Scales	92	Sybil Fawlty
39	32	2	Robert Duvall	93	Actor
40		1	Josef Fritzl	89	Monster
41		1	Brigitte Bardot	90	Sex Symbol
42		2	Raul Castro	93	Former Cuban Leader
43	33	4	Imelda Marcos	95	Former First Lady of the Philippines
44		1	Ted Turner	86	Media Mogul
45		1	Buzz Aldrin	94	Astronaut
46	44	2	Sonny Rollins	94	Jazz Musician
47		1	Sly Stone	81	Musician
48		1	Tom Baker	90	Dr Who
49		1	Franz Beckenbauer	79	Footballer
50		1	Joe Bugner	74	Boxer

Latest News

29th December 2024

Jimmy Carted Away

39th President of the United States, James Earl "Jimmy" Carter Jr. has passed at the grand old age of 100 to provide DeathList 2024 with its sixth, and probably last, score. Carter served in the US Navy from 1946 to 1953, when he left to take over the family peanut farming business. Carter became involved in politics in the early 1960s, becoming Governor of Georgia from 1971 to 1975, and then US President from 1977 to 1981. During his tenure, he brokered the Camp David Accords between Israel and Egypt but battled inflation, energy shortages and the Iran hostage crisis. After his presidency, he founded The Carter Center, advancing democracy, human rights, and disease prevention worldwide. In 2002 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his humanitarian work. Carter was making his 9th appearance on DeathList, being promoted to the top spot this year.

9 appearances: 2024 (1), 2023 (6), 2022 (9), 2021 (15), 2020 (18), 2019 (8), 2018 (20), 2017 (15), 2016 (23)

6th Death
Age: 100, Ex US President, Cause of death: Old Age
10th October 2024

Ethel-dead the Ready

Ethel Kennedy has passed at the age of 96 to provide DeathList 2024 with another death, ending yet another long barren spell. Kennedy was the widow of Senator Robert F. Kennedy, sister-in-law of JFK and mother to 11 children. Following her husband’s assassination in 1968, she dedicated her life to charitable and human rights activities, founding the Robert Kennedy Foundation. Kennedy was making her second appearance on DeathList, this year at number 6.

2 appearances: 2024 (6), 2023 (18)

5th Death
Age: 96, Kennedy Family, Cause of death: TBA
18th July 2024

Newhart-shaped Box

American comedian, Bob Newhart, has passed at the age of 94, bringing a long barren period for DeathList 2024 to an end. Newhart first gained fame at the start of the 1960s when his standup shows were released as albums. This led to his breakthrough into television with the first incarnation of The Bob Newhart Show in 1961. He would go on to become a regular on TV talk shows and a frequent stand-in for Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show. A second TV show also called The Bob Newhart Show ran for six seasons from 1972. He would also make many movie appearances, including Catch-22 in 1970 and Elf in 2003. Over his career, he won three Grammys, a Golden Globe and an Emmy. Newhart was making his third appearance on the list, this year at number 30.

3 appearances: 2024 (30), 2023 (37), 2021 (27)

4th Death
Age: 95, Comedian, Cause of death: TBC
8th January 2024

Got no Franz

German football legend, Franz Beckenbauer, has hit the scoresheet for DeathList 2024. Born in 1945 in Munich, Beckenbauer spent the majority of his playing career with Bayern Munich, leading the club to numerous domestic and European honours including three consecutive European Cups from 1974-1976. For the German national team, he captained West Germany to victory in the 1974 World Cup and the 1972 European Championship. He became known as "Der Kaiser," for how he transformed his traditional centre-back role into that of a modern sweeper. After retiring as a player in 1983, Beckenbauer went on to manage the West German national team, leading them to victory in the 1990 World Cup. He is one of only three men to have won the World Cup both as a player and as a manager. It was rumoured that Beckenbauer had been in poor health in recent years. He died at the age of 78, while making his first appearance on DeathList in 49th position.

1 appearance: 2024 (49)

3rd Death
Age: 79, Footballer, Cause of death: TBC
5th January 2024

Drapes Closed

British political adviser, Derek Draper, has succumbed to the long-term effects of severe Covid to clock up a second death for DeathList 2024. Draper originally gained fame as a key political strategist in the "New Labour" movement in the 1990s. However, in 1998 he became embroiled in the “lobbygate” cash-for-access scandal, which destroyed his reputation. He then reinvented himself, launching a career as a psychotherapist. In 2005 he married Kate Garraway, the host of the Good Morning Britain TV show. Draper was struck down by Covid in the very early days of the pandemic and was placed in a medically induced coma for a duration of several weeks. After 184 days in intensive care, he was ultimately released from hospital although was far from fully recovered. The duration of his survival after being placed on DeathList was much shorter – just five days. He passed at the age of 56 and was number 20 on this year’s list.

1 appearance: 2024 (20)

2nd Death
Age: 57, Political Adviser, Cause of death: Covid complications
4th January 2024

Curtains for Johns

Actress Glynis Johns has taken her final bow at the age of 100 to provide DeathList 2024 with an early success. Born in 1923, in Pretoria, South Africa, Johns’ stage and movie career started in the late 1930s. She gained international acclaim for her movie performances, earning an Oscar nomination for "The Sundowners" (1960) and landing her most well known role as the mother, Winifred Banks, in “Mary Poppins” in 1964. Her career would continue until the 1990s. With her death, she collects the accolade of being the first death of the 2024 list, although loses the title of being the oldest living academy award nominee. Johns was making her first appearance on DeathList, straight in at number 15.

1 appearance: 2024 (15)

1st Death
Age: 101, Actress, Cause of death: TBA