Peter Kay, that jovial, nice, chubby northern chap has a lot to answer for.
While Half Man Half Biscuit have been quietly presaging the deaths of the Great and Good for decades, Peter went ahead and caused devastation amongst the celebrity community with just two videos.
We shall take them in turn…
0:29 Anne Kirkbride (19 January 2015) – Best known as Dierdre Barlow on Coronation Street.
0:37 Keith Harris (28 April 2015) – Best known for having his hand up a green duck’s arsehole.
1:05 Jimmy Saville (29 October 2011) – Best known for historic sex offences.
1:33 Jim Bowen (14 March 2018) – Best known for Bullseye.
1:56 Geoffrey Hayes (30 September 2018) – Best known for Rainbow.
2:02 Ronnie Corbett (31 March 2016) – Best known for being about 5/16ths of The Two Ronnies by mass.
You have six there in about three and a half minutes, but that wasn’t enough.
0:37 Eddie Large (2 April 2020) – Best known as the good one in Little and Large.
0:37 June Whitfield (29 December 2018) – Best known for Terry and June.
0:45 Willie Thorne (17 June 2020) – Best known for snooker.
01:06 Freddie Marks (20 May 2021) – Of Rod, Jane and Freddie fame.
1:15 Kathy Staff (13 December 2008) – Best known as Nora Batty in Last of the Summer Wine.
1:23 Frank Sidebottom (21 June 2010) – Best known as the alter-ego of Chris Sievey, having a giant head, and being a fucking genius.
1:28 Bobby Ball (28 October 2020) – Best known as the better half of Cannon and Ball. The second nicest celebrity that I’ve ever met.
1:31 Burt Kwouk (24 May 2016) – Probably best known these days for being in Last of The Summer “Not now, Kato!” Wine,
1:47 Kenny Lynch (18 December 2019) – Best known for The Commedians.
2:43 David Bellamy (11 December 2019) – Environmental campaigner, TV personality, and orangutan lookalike.
2:50 Keith Chegwin (11 December 2017) – Noted sidekick of Noel Edmonds, did a naked TV show and was married to a reality show judge.
3:00 Rick Parfitt (24 December 2016) – Best known for co-starring in the film Bula Quo!
3:29 Terry Nutkins (6 September 2012) – Best known for having his fingers bitten off by otters.
So, in four and a quarter minutes, that was thirteen cursings.
In total, 19 cursed celebrities in the space of less that 8 minutes.
As time passes, I’m sure these numbers will go up.