Former James Bond bombshell Angela Scoular has died after drinking chemical fluid in the form of drain cleaner and pouring it over her body, an inquest in London heard on Wednesday.

The 65-year-old had reportedly been battling with alcoholism, bowel cancer and worries over debt from shopping sprees caused by bipolar disorder for years.  She suffered 40% burns to her body, throat and dietary tract after ingesting One Shot Instant Drain Cleaner with the mixture containing 91% sulphuric acid.

Angela Scoular was a Bond girl

Scoular, who played Buttercup in the 1966 spoof “Casino Royale” and Ruby Bartlett in “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” in 1969, had not been drinking on the morning she died and did not leave a suicide note, the inquest heard. She was pronounced dead at 5.34pm in hospital on April 11, just over two hours after drinking the chemicals.

The depression and anxiety was made worse by drinking between 150 and 210 units and having manic episodes.

On the morning of April 11, when the actress died, her husband and British comedy actor Leslie Phillips was said to have brought her a cup of tea and a banana to bed. Shortly afterwards, Scoular got out of bed and went to fetch the bottle of drain cleaner. She immediately drank from it and then ran outside the house and poured the remains of the liquid all over her body. After this, she also slipped down the stairs to their house, fracturing her spine.

Angela Scoular with husband Leslie Phillips

Phillips, 87, had heard a noise at the door but thought nothing of it until he heard a passer-by outside and looked out of the window and saw his wife lying next to the white plastic bottle with blood on her face. He ran outside to help her before calling an ambulance. He then tried to help her with water and towels.

The elderly actor was too unwell to attend the inquest, but maintained that the couple’s 35-year life together was a happy one. He said in a statement:

”The only exception was her alcoholism. Angela had been an alcoholic since I met her. She did stop drinking from time to time but would return to drinking.She was a nervous type of person, not confident. But she was a kind, generous person who would help me with my work and I would help with hers. ‘She was lovely when she was sober.”

[adsense]Phillips said his wife had not mentioned suicide recently. She has, however, attempted it before, when she tried to kill herself in 1992 by cutting her wrists with a knife.

Other celebrities who have battled bipolar disorder include Superman actress Margot Kidder, actor Ben Stiller and singer Sinead O’Connor. It is also thought that Mel Gibson may suffer from the condition.

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Oscar winning composer Joseph Brooks, most noted for the song You Light Up My Life, popular in the 70s, was found dead in his Manhattan home by a friend on Sunday afternoon.

With a son facing trial for murder, the imminent repossession of his home, and about to go on trial for the rape of 11 young women and on 82 accounts of sexual abuse, it’s not difficult to understand why the 73-year-old musician might have stuck his head in a plastic dry cleaning bag, connected it to a helium tank with a tube, breathed in a few times and quietly bowed out. Such poltroonary is quite sickening. It’s bad enough subjecting these women to such a despicable act, but being too cowardly to take responsibility for what you have done, well, that just rankles me a little.

Joseph Brooks collecting his award for 'Biggest Rapist'.

Harsh words you might say, don’t speak ill of the dead blah blah blah, but I think it’s pretty hard to feel anything other than relief that the old pervert is dead. He clearly used his status as a lure for foolish actresses eager for their big break, not realising that the only things that would be broken were their hymen, their ability to trust another human being, and possibly the idea of forming a healthy relationship for the rest or most of their lives. Rape does that to a kid, I’m told.

Of course, he might not have been guilty of these nefarious crimes and sexual peccadilloes, but killing yourself is generally tantamount to an admission of guilt. Or he might have been so disappointed by the bogus non-event that was Judgement Day that he decided to go to hell anyway.

Police have said that he did leave a suicide note. Probably something in ‘A’ minor, but the contents have yet to be divulged.

The only sympathy that I have goes to the young women who not only suffered the horror and indignity of being raped, but who are also robbed of their right to see their abuser rightly punished. The stigma that his close family must now carry also warrants sympathy. What a legacy to leave your children!

Help is at hand for rape and sexual abuse victims.

According to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN), someone is sexually assaulted in the US every two minutes. Sadly, 60% of these attacks go unreported to the police due to the stigma attached to being a rape victim and because rape trials are notoriously long, insensitive and intrusive, which means that 15 out of 16 rapists will never spend a day in jail, which almost makes it too easy.

Victims – please don’t let these crimes go unreported.

Other celebrities who have been accused of sexual offenses include: Woody Allen, Michael Jackson, Julian Assange and Mike Tyson. Famous people seem to think their status instantly grants them immunity to law and punishment.

I’d say rest in peace Joseph Brooks, but my words might lack sincerity. We lost another rapist. I just felt the world get lighter. C’est la vie.

Say the words ‘Death Race’ and most of us probably imagine the 1975 classic high speed, macho, sci-fi romp starring Sylvester Stallone and David Carradine as a bunch of futuristic, Wacky Racer-esque petrol heads trying to kill each other in between bouts of shambolic,naked 70‘s style gratuity.

Big bushes and hefty helmets ruled the day back then, and despite a very poor remake (as most remakes are) starring Jason Statham (he of ugly, cockney, balding, high-testosterone, ridiculous muscle definition and tedious dialogue fame) which tried to bring the film up to date, the classic remains just that.

Dick Dastardly and David Carradine won't be lining up for the Pittsfield Death Race

Today however the term Death Race applies to a new real life event in which insanely determined super freaks attempt to complete a gruelling set of challenges that only an egotistical, narcissistic masochist would contemplate, let alone enjoy. Dick Dastardly need not apply.

Two such maniacs preparing for this moderately new craze are Norwich based duo Ryan Davis and Philip Brown.

“It’s a crazy race, so we are doing a lot of crazy stuff to train and prepare,” exclaims an almost hyperactive Ryan Davis. “We work out six days a week, two times a day.”

“We are pretty hyped for this race, I know it sounds crazy, but we like to do crazy things!”

The 21-year-old athlete and college major studying psychology is hoping to add his name to a list of few who have completed the 24 hour death race. With six weeks to go until the challenge (June 24th in Pittsfield) in which participants must sign a mortality waiver to relinquish organisers ‘Peak Races’ of any responsibility, the pair are stepping up the workout.

Somehow I doubt this will be the scene in the Pittsfield Death Race

And workout to the nth degree they must if they stand any chance of completing the ridiculously gruelling trials that await them. Crawling through heavy mud filled with barbed wire, running for several miles against the current in flowing rivers and climbing hills while carrying tree stumps or bike frames are just a few elements of madness they must overcome to reach the goal.

“We heard about it from a couple of friends on campus, who completed the race,” said Brown, also 21-years-old and studying history. “They said it is a big challenge, and we like challenges so we want to see how we do.”

The boys are hoping to maintain a Norwich tradition, given that every contestant from there has completed the race.

“We believe that it’s really overrated with the fatality waiver,” added Brown. “With right training and a strong mentality, we know we can finish the race.”

Their fitness regime includes swimming, weight-lifting, snow running and plyometrics, a system of explosive exercises designed to improve flexibility and nervous system response times.

“We use other challenges, like Bulldog Challenge, Levy Challenge and Best Ranger, only to prepare along with other workouts,” said Davis.

Mental strength or just plain mental? We'll know in six weeks time.

I’m not sure if the dynamic duo should be awarded medals for bravery or slipped into white, buckled jackets, but according to Brown their mental state plays a big part in the overall game.

“It’s real mental, because some parts of the race is set-up to where your body can’t really take it, unless you stop and think about what you are doing,” he explained. “Otherwise you’ll give out, and it’s long so you have to keep going and not let your mind give out on your body.”

Other aspects to the event include memory games involving former US presidents which must be remembered in the correct order and Lego bricks that require rebuilding correctly.

“You have to have a goal or drive to really complete the race,” stated Philip Brown. “You have to have a mind-set that if you are going to work out hard and determination then you’ll finish.”

Perhaps the tag Death Race is a little over the top but it certainly doesn’t sound like fun to me; still, best of luck to both participants as it sounds like they’ll need it.

Tell us what you think of this insane sounding Death Race by leaving a comment.

Read about other Iron Men such as Clayton Treska; Lance Armstrong; Craig Alexander; Matt Cutts; Chris Hemsworth and Iron Man.

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Neil Young said, “It’s better to burn out than fade away.”

Ironically the ‘Grungefather’ is still rocking in the free world while most of his grunge progeny have faded away. Pearl Jam remain at the top of their game and are still as vibrant as the day they burst onto the Seattle scene, Soundgarden have reformed to less than glorious response while the iconic Nirvana died the day their talismanic front man, Kurt Cobain, injected lead into his cranium through a 12-guage syringe after shooting up what Bill Hicks would call a ‘heroic dose’ of heroin.

Cobain was a known bi-polar sufferer and his lyrics painted the picture of a man completely at odds with himself. While their live shows were often hit or miss due to Cobain’s state of mind on the day, they nonetheless forged a huge following thanks to their catchy songs delivered through the medium of a raucous, chaotic three-piece.

Dying was probably the best thing that could have happened for Cobain’s career as it instantly elevated him to legendary status. Even now kids born after his death are proudly sporting Nirvana tops and talking about their troubled singer as if they knew him personally.

In truth he was no martyr; just a desperately unhappy man who hated the celebrity status heaped on him by his band’s success. He wasn’t prepared for the waves of attention that flooded his life after they sold out to a major label and Nevermind was really the beginning of the end for the crest-fallen drug addict.

His misery was further fuelled by his relationship with Courtney Love who was a proponent of the original punk movement and the second most famous groupie to the Sex Pistols.

[adsense]After previous suicide attempts, most notably a year prior to his death through a massive heroin overdose, Kurt Cobain opted out of life. Nobody was particularly surprised by his death at the time – shocked, yes. As a musician he was nothing exceptional, not outstanding ability wise, and although he penned catchy songs his poetry was too self-indulgent to be anything other than obscure ramblings to any outsiders.

Cobain never changed the world and probably never saved anyone’s life; least of all his own, so the elevation to saint is baffling. Like Sid Vicious before him, all he was really famous for was excess and suicide.

Love him or hate him, he did at least follow Neil Young’s philosophy, and in burning out he has never faded away.

Please share your thoughts on Kurt Cobain by leaving a comment.

Read about other untimely deaths including Jimi Hnedrix; River Phoenix; Heath Ledger; Brittany Murphy and Brad Renfro.

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