The astrologer and clairvoyant Mystic Meg has died aged 80 after a short illness, her agent has confirmed.
She passed away at 3.45am on Thursday after being admitted to St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, London, last month with the flu.
Despite her fame, she lived alone in a three-bedroom flat in Notting Hill, which she shared with her seven cats, who she claimed had “found her and moved in”.
Her agent of 34 years, Dave Shapland, told the The Sun: “Without any question, she was Britain’s most famous astrologer by a million miles.
“Nobody came close to Meg in that respect. She was followed by millions in this country and also around the world.
“She even became part of the English language – if a politician, somebody from showbiz or ordinary people in the street are asked a tricky question they will say ‘’Who do you think I am, Mystic Meg?’’... It shows what an impact she made.”
Here’s what you need to know about Mystic Meg.
What programme was Mystic Meg on?
After reading English at the University of Leeds, Mystic Meg joined the News of the World as a sub-editor, becoming the paper’s regular astrologer in the 1980s.
But she shot to fame in the 1990s with her weekly National Lottery predictions on BBC One.
Her segment, Mystic Meg Predicts, would see her attempt to predict facts about the future winner.
She also pioneered phone-in horoscopes, and launched a dedicated phone line in 1989 that broke BT records.
Alongside a regular column in the Sun and the now-defunct News of the World, she released several books, including Mystic Meg’s Astrolife and Mystic Meg’s Lucky Numbers for Love Life and the Lottery.
What was Mystic Meg’s real name?
Mystic Meg’s real name was Margaret Lake.
She was taught astrology by her grandmother, and was born on 27 July 1942 in Accrington, Lancashire, making her star sign Leo.
What things did Mystic Meg predict?
A previous Lotto roll-over winner credited Mystic Meg with prompting her to check her ticket after she had hidden it in a biscuit tin next to her bed.
After mother-of-four Mary Jones from Gwynedd, North Wales, won £9.3 million in 2004 she said: “I read Mystic Meg in The Sun and it said don’t forget to check your lottery ticket. I couldn’t believe it when I realised it had come true.”
Her horoscopes and psychic messages captured the imagination of members of the public, who frequently wrote to her.
One time, angry Manchester United fans got in touch with Mystic Meg after she predicted their team would lose to Everton in the FA Cup final in 1995.
