Viewers of the BBC gameshow Blankety Blank have been left in shock after learning that a winning contestant died months after filming the show.
During Saturday night’s episode (15 June), Nathanael Hill, a 39-year-old RAF veteran, rugby coach and PhD student from Liverpool, was triumphant in winning the show’s main prize.
But a memorandum message appearing after the credits rolled showed that Hill had died months after filming. The tribute read: “Nathanael Hill 1985 – 2025.” The cause of death was not stated.
The episode saw Hill match his answers with those given by a panel of six celebrities, including comedians Rob Beckett, Lucy Beaumont, Jack Dee, actor Omid Djalili, former GB athlete Dame Kelly Holmes and TV host Steph McGovern.
At the beginning of the episode, Hill explained that he was studying for a PhD in neuroscience, researching chronic pain and how to cure it without the use of opioids. Hill was also a coach at the LGBT+ rugby team, Liverpool Tritons, which was formed in 2016 as Merseyside's first Inclusive men's Rugby Union team.
According to the Liverpool Echo, Hill worked as an armour officer in the Royal Air Force and completed tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. During a stint in south and central Asia, Nathanael got injured by shrapnel from a roadside bomb.
After doctors found a blood clot in his leg during the pandemic, he contracted sepsis and underwent an above-knee amputation on his leg in October 2022. He had been using a prosthetic leg.
Hill had also been involved in training for triathlons and had been fundraising with the dream of joining Team GB at the 2028 LA Paralympics.
He joked during a programme that his desired prize on the show was a running blade for his prosthetic leg, to which host Bradley Walsh quipped: “I’m not sure that’s in Blankety Blank’s remit to give you a running blade. We can give you a toaster, or a kettle?” In the end, his prize was the Blankety Blank chequebook and pen trophy.
In April, the Liverpool Tritons announced the news of Hill’s death, remembering him as a “cherished” member of the team, and a “formidable player on the pitch and a passionate, dedicated coach off it”.
They added: “More than his achievements in the game, Nate will be remembered for his kindness, sense of humour, and the unwavering support he showed to teammates, new players, and friends alike. His loss will be felt deeply across the club and far beyond.”
“Nate brought skill, heart, and a contagious enthusiasm to everything he did. His commitment to inclusive rugby and to our community helped shape the club into what it is today.”
Blankety Blank viewers paid tributes online, with one person writing on X/Twitter: “Who knew you could get sad at the end of an episode of Blankety Blank? RIP Nathanael.” Another added: “RIP Nathanael. Fly high.”
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