INSIDE the tragic lives of TV’s forgotten quizzers the Eggheads as Chris Hughes dies – from death hoax, murder charge, assault claims and failed careers.
The tragic news of Chris’s death was confirmed via an official statement on the Eggheads social media page.
Chris Hughes was 77 when he passed away and was best known for his time on Eggheads[/caption]
Chris who was aged 77 at the time of his passing, was best known for his time on Eggheads which spanned two decades.
Starting in 2003, he became a member of the regular panel of quiz experts in the hit show.
The talented quizzer is one of only seven individuals to have won both Mastermind and Brain of Britain.
He also appeared on The Weakest Link on 24 September 2001, and was voted out in the final elimination round without answering a single question incorrectly during the whole show.
Jeremy Vine became the show’s presenter in 2008 and continued hosting duties after the programme moved to Channel 5 in 2021.
However, rumours have been rife the format had been shelved since its last episode screened in April 2023.
And Jeremy Vine has all but confirmed the axe by stating: “We last filmed an episode over a year ago. It may well be we are doing it in 30 years’ time, who knows, but no immediate plans for any more.”
So, with its future in doubt The Sun takes a look inside the tragic lives of TV’s forgotten quizzers.
CJ de Mooi’s ‘killer confession’ and assault claims
CJ de Mooi from Eggheads who’s real name is Joseph Connagh joined the show in 2003[/caption]
CJ de Mooi first appeared on Eggheads in 2003, as one of five original members of the show’s brilliant team.
In his autobiography, CJ states that he was given the names Andrew Paul at his birth, in Barnsley, Yorkshire.
On a self-recorded YouTube video, he said he had a highly abusive childhood, causing him to run away from home after his seventeenth birthday.
He confessed that while homeless, he had to turn to prostitution in a bid to stay alive.
Later in the video, CJ talked about how a chance encounter outside a gay bar in Cologne led to the beginnings of his modelling career.
He adopted the surname De Mooi when he began working as a model.
However, he shocked fans when he stated in his autobiography in 2015 that in 1988 he punched a man who was attempting to mug him and shoved him into a canal in Amsterdam.
He said: “I fully suspect I killed him. I’ve no idea what happened to him.”
In 2016, he was arrested at Heathrow Airport in connection with the claims and detained under a European Arrest Warrant issued in the Netherlands.
However, a judge at Westminster Magistrates’ Court declined the extradition request on technical grounds.
Two years later, CJ was declared bankrupt following lengthy legal proceedings in connection with the arrest.
In 2019, he posted on social media about his health and about his financial problems and a GoFundMe campaign was launched, saying he is “bankrupt, extremely ill and in imminent danger of losing his house.”
He also claimed that he was “dying from AIDS” and didn’t expect to live long.
CJ has alleged that he was sacked from Eggheads in 2016 on the same day claims he sexually assaulted a man on a night out in Glasgow were dropped.
Daphne Fowler’s death hoax
Daphne had appeared on many televised game shows including fan favourite Going For Gold[/caption]
Daphne has taken part in many televised game shows and won many titles, including winning Fifteen to One (twice), Going for Gold and Brain of Britain.
She appeared on Eggheads from 2003 until 2014, a quiz team described on the show as “arguably the most formidable quiz team in the country”.
But she had to answer her most bizarre question – are you still alive? – after a hoax obituary circulated on the internet in 2020.
Daphne became aware of a sick spoof when a neighbour asked her husband if she had died reported the Daily Express.
Daphne said: “One of my neighbours, Bob, rang the doorbell.
“Pete, my husband, answered to be told one of my other neighbours was upset to read on the internet I had died, and was it true?
“Bob was most relieved when I appeared to prove it was untrue – but it has been very upsetting, as you wonder what sort of weird person does this?
“I’m not on social media, preferring to protect my family’s privacy, but even then, whilst on Eggheads, fake ‘Daphnes’ appeared on Facebook and Twitter claiming to be me and writing all kind of nonsense about my daily life.”
The fake obituary had been sourced to a blog site called DeadDeath and had been widely circulated on social media.
Dave Rainford’s sad passing
Dave tragically died from heart disease at the young age of 51[/caption]
In March 2020, popular Eggheads star Dave Rainford died of heart disease at the age of 51.
He had been a regular on the BBC tea time quiz show since 2012 after taking over from CJ de Mooi.
He was famously once banned from entering pub quizzes in Manchester.
Dave was one of nine Eggheads alongside Kevin Ashman, Chris Hughes, Judith Keppel, Barry Simmons, Pat Gibson, David Rainford, Lisa Thiel, Steve Cooke and Beth Webster.
Olav Bjortomt’s career switch-up
Olav has had a career switch-up[/caption]
Olav finally joined the Eggheads panel after years of trying in 2021.
He had originally hoped to became an Egghead when he took part in Are You An Egghead? in 2009.
However, since the show appeared to draw to a close, for Olav, he has had to resort to taking a back seat once again.
He took up a job on rival show The Chase but not as a quizzer.
Losing his on-screen status, he was demoted to a question writer behind the scenes.
