BBC Blankety Blank fans issue tributes as winning contestant, 39, dies before episode’s broadcast
Viewers of BBC’s Blankety Blank were left stunned on Saturday night after discovering that winning contestant Nathanael Hill had died months before the episode aired.
The 39-year-old RAF veteran from Liverpool had triumphantly won the show’s main prize during the episode, which featured celebrity panellists including Rob Beckett, Lucy Beaumont, Jack Dee, Omid Djalili, Dame Kelly Holmes and Steph McGovern.
But after the credits rolled, a memorial message appeared showing Hill on horseback with the caption: “Nathanael Hill 1985 – 2025.”
The tribute revealed that Hill, who was a rugby coach and PhD student, had passed away in April, just months after filming the popular gameshow hosted by Bradley Walsh.
The cause of death was not stated in the BBC’s tribute.
Hill had served as an armour officer in the Royal Air Force, completing six tours of Iraq and four tours of Afghanistan, as well as working on Operation Red Flag.
During a deployment in south-central Asia, he was injured by shrapnel from a roadside bomb and was subsequently medically discharged.
Four years after leaving the military, Hill was diagnosed with late-onset type 1 diabetes. During the pandemic, doctors discovered a blood clot in his leg, which led to him contracting sepsis three times.
After being resuscitated twice, Hill underwent an above-knee amputation in October 2022 and had been using a prosthetic leg.
At the time of his appearance on Blankety Blank, Hill 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 Liverpool Tritons, Merseyside’s first inclusive men’s rugby union team, formed in 2016.
When the club announced his death in April, they remembered him as a “cherished” member and “formidable player on the pitch and a passionate, dedicated coach off it.”
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“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,” the club stated.
“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.”
Hill had been training for triathlons and fundraising with aspirations to represent Team GB at the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics.
During the show, he joked that his desired prize 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?”
Hill ultimately won the Blankety Blank cheque book and pen trophy.
Social media users expressed their shock and sadness after learning of Hill’s death.
“Who knew you could get sad at the end of an episode of Blankety Blank? RIP Nathanael,” one viewer wrote on X.
Another added: “RIP Nathanael. Fly high.”
“Well I wasn’t expecting that. Poor Nathaniel. RIP,” Paul shared on the platform.
One viewer commented: “Well I don’t normally bother with the credits at the end of #blanketyblank but that was a sad way to finish a jolly show.”
At the time of his death, a friend paid tribute to Hill, saying: “His friends will remember him as someone with a big heart, always willing to offer support to anyone.”
“A shining light has dimmed with the loss of Nate, we have lost a champion for inclusion and a great friend to so many.”