Strong reactions and discussions have been triggered by the publication of the so-called “DeathList” for 2026, a controversial and macabre list compiled annually that includes 50 famous people who, according to the estimations of its editors, will not be alive in 2027. This year’s edition features people who have appeared on the list for years, such as actor Dick Van Dyke, who has reached 101 years old, director and comedian Mel Brooks, 100 years old, as well as the particularly beloved presenter and naturalist David Attenborough, also 100 years old.
2026, however, also marks the entry of several new names. Among them are former US President Joe Biden, Star Trek legend William Shatner, award-winning actress Dame Judi Dench, former “James Bond” George Lazenby, and iconic comedian Billy Connolly.
DeathList for 2026: The complete list of 50 people
The list is not simply a record of names, but ranks the people according to how “close” they are considered to be to the end of their lives. In first place for 2026 is TV presenter Esther Rantzen, who displaces Dick Van Dyke from the top. In 50th and last place remains former TV presenter and convicted sexual offender Stuart Hall.
Joe Biden’s first appearance on the list is connected, according to its editors, with an announcement last October, according to which the former president is undergoing radiation therapy for prostate cancer. His office had disclosed that the diagnosis concerns cancer with a Gleason score of 9 (Grade Group 5) and bone metastases. Although it is an aggressive form of the disease, it was clarified that it is hormone-sensitive, which allows for effective therapeutic management.
Below is the complete list of the 50 people included in the 2026 “DeathList,” with their age and profession, from first to last place.
The 2026 list
Esther Rantzen – 86 years old, TV presenter
Dick Van Dyke – 101 years old, actor
Eva Marie Saint – 102 years old, actress
Pete Murray – 101 years old, British radio producer
Buzz Aldrin – 96 years old, astronaut
Sonny Rollins – 96 years old, jazz musician
Alan Greenspan – 100 years old, economist
Mel Brooks – 100 years old, comedian and director
Noam Chomsky – 98 years old, intellectual
Jesse Jackson – 85 years old, civil rights activist
Emperor Akihito – 93 years old, former Emperor of Japan
Tippi Hedren – 96 years old, actress
Len Deighton – 97 years old, author
Imelda Marcos – 97 years old, former First Lady of the Philippines
David Attenborough – 100 years old, presenter and naturalist
Desmond Morris – 98 years old, zoologist
Isabel Perón – 95 years old, former President of Argentina
Joanne Woodward – 96 years old, actress
Robert Wagner – 96 years old, actor
Eric Dane – 54 years old, actor
David Irving – 88 years old, Holocaust denier
Ben Sasse – 54 years old, former US Senator
Dennis Skinner – 94 years old, politician
Eileen Derbyshire – 95 years old, actress (Emily Bishop on Coronation Street)
Joe Biden – 84 years old, former US President
George Lazenby – 87 years old, actor (James Bond)
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei – 87 years old, Supreme Leader of Iran
Clint Eastwood – 96 years old, actor and director
Nigel Starmer-Smith – 82 years old, rugby commentator
John Williams – 94 years old, composer
Sidney Cooke – 99 years old, convicted pedophile
Björn Borg – 70 years old, tennis player
Raúl Castro – 95 years old, former leader of Cuba
Ian Smith – 88 years old, actor
Ted Turner – 88 years old, media mogul
Lech Wałęsa – 83 years old, Polish politician
Prince Edward, Duke of Kent – 91 years old, member of the British Royal Family
Louis Farrakhan – 94 years old, religious leader
Linda Ronstadt – 80 years old, singer and songwriter
Julie Goodyear – 84 years old, actress
Geoffrey Boycott – 86 years old, former cricket player
Vanessa Redgrave – 89 years old, actress
Tom Baker – 92 years old, actor (Doctor Who)
Dame Judi Dench – 92 years old, actress
David Hockney – 89 years old, painter
William Shatner – 95 years old, actor (Captain Kirk)
Michael Bolton – 73 years old, singer
Douglas Hurd – 96 years old, politician
Billy Connolly – 84 years old, comedian
Stuart Hall – 97 years old, convicted sexual offender
