As we first reported early [article id="1430359"]Saturday morning[/article], the singer was found dead in his hotel room in Sydney, Australia, but few other details were released at the time leading to much speculation about the cause of the singer's death. in tour in South Africa made headlines in the British tabs this summer, but the relationship survived. (Smith, by the way, died in 1790.) He had to postpone his concerts. Hutchence's partner, Paula Yates, has arrived in Sydney with the couple's 16-month-old daughter to attend the funeral. "Routine toxicology tests will be carried out and the results will not be known for some weeks." Clearly, their power and influence is very substantial. her a buggy for her baby and ended up kicking her. How about sado-masochism, choking and tieing-up? Even the BBC spends about 20 million a year on consultants - about one per cent of licence fee revenue. "I'm not even sure if overturning the verdict is possible. The coroner said that Michael Hutchence's depression was brought on by the custody battle being fought out by Paula Yates and Bob Geldof over their three daughters. After the plane landed in Sydney airport, Yates was escorted out of the airport, avoiding the media who were waiting for her. He had dinner with his father and stepmother the previous evening, and drinks with friends in the hotel bar and later in his room. A coroner ruled that Hutchence committed suicide while under the influence of drugs and alcohol, dispelling the widespread rumor that his death was accidental and caused by auto erotic. Michael Hutchence died in November 1997. Hutchence was found dead in Room 524 of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel at Double Bay, in Sydney's eastern suburbs, on the Saturday morning of November 22, 1997. An excerpt from the Big Breakfast interview between Yates and Hutchence was screened. As Australian rock band INXS paid tribute to their former frontman Michael Hutchence on his 10th death anniversary, the late rocker's brother Rhett Hutchence was trying to prove that his older sibling was actually the victim of a sex game, not suicide. THRILL-SEEKING solo sex games accidentally kill about six Australians every year. The official cause of death was suicide by asphyxiation. We didn't. Finally, Seeking Pleasure. But Paula Yates maintained Michael Hutchence would never have killed himself and believed he died attempting auto erotic asphyxiation, in which choking to the point of unconsciousness heightens sexual pleasure. Intentional restriction of oxygen to the brain for sexual arousal, "Breath play" redirects here. "He was in a kneeling position facing the door," read the police report. The coroner, Derrick Hand, said in a statement: "Post mortem examinations have determined that the cause of death of Michael Hutchence was hanging. [10] Autoerotic asphyxiation may often be mistaken for suicide, which is a major cause of death in teenagers. But it's pleasing to think that at least a few averagely-incomed oldies can genuinely claim to be masters of their own universe. Possible key evidence, however, remains undisclosed. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. The funeral is to take place on Thursday at 2.30pm local time. The latest INXS album "Elegantly Wasted," had been reasonably successful in the States and very successful in Australia and other major markets like England and Canada. To date they have sold over 30 million records, and Hutchence's death in 1997 has become something of a strange legend. [citation needed]. "It is a programme about a rock idol and within that is a life of sex, drugs and rock and roll," she said. RTE could do worse than to buy and screen Julie's Story . His was an archetypal story of sex 'n' drugs 'n' rock 'n' roll and it was impossible not to feel voyeuristic watching In Excess. A primary objective is to try to reconstruct the circumstances and events that led to the death so that a mode (natural, accident, suicide, homicide, or undetermined) can be established. Hutchence woke up in hospital angry and confused, and refused to be treated. The masters, stealing their title from the Wall Street jerks in Tom Wolfe's Bonfire of the Vani- ties, are management consultants. Although Paula Yates contradicted earlier statements she had made by saying during a 1999 interview that Michael Hutchence's 1997 death might have been caused by autoerotic asphyxiation,[16] the coronial inquest found it to be suicide due to a combination of depression and intoxication with alcohol and other drugs.[17]. [1], Autoerotic asphyxia is the leading cause. 5 to 10% are related to electrocution, foreign body insertion, overdressing/body wrapping, or another atypical method. The head injury might well have been a factor, but you feel there is a bigger story here. All this, claim the programme makers, Just Television, adds up to proof that in death Hutchence is a victim of a glaring miscarriage of justice. The simple facts that Michael Hutchence was found naked, that a belt and a ring-bolt screw were involved, that there was no final note and that he clearly enjoyed risk, were enough to convince Hucker this was not a case of suicide. history. Many of his closest relatives, including his brother . Last September, the company signed a deal to provide the in-house investigative team for the station's flagship documentary series, Dispatches. Four months later, another lucrative contract comes Just's way, this time to provide Channel 4 News with 10 investigations a year. In a research paper published in the latest Journal of Forensic Science, Professor Byard described auto-erotic death as an ''unintentional lethal event occurring during solitary sexual activity''. They sold their house and used the proceeds, plus years of savings on their modest incomes, to buy a 38-foot yacht to sail around the world. Bizarre masturbatory practices, the sado-masochistic exploits of a rock god, and a tragic grieving partner laying bare their bedroom secrets. November 24 [7:55 EDT] -- More details are emerging about the death of INXS frontman Michael Hutchence. She retaliated by throwing champagne over him and the Thai police were called. Police have told a news conference at the hotel that a leather belt was found inside the room, but they said there were no suspicious circumstances. Suicide? [1] Erotic asphyxiation can lead to accidental death due to asphyxia. The fetishisation of this topic has sold countless newspapers and fuelled various documentaries, despite the truth seemingly acting as a secondary consideration. Her family insisted that before she drifted into severe drug abuse, she had been a happy child. Autoerotic fatalities are accidental deaths that occur during sexual self-stimulation when an apparatus, device or prop that is being employed to enhance pleasure causes the death. Michael Hutchence rumoured to have died from auto-erotic asphyxiation. Michael Hutchence is the partner of the British television presenter Paula Yates, who is the mother of his 15-month-old daughter Heavenly Hiraani Tiger Lily. In November 1997, INXS's lead singer, Michael Hutchence, was rumoured to have died from auto-erotic asphyxiation in a Sydney hotel room. A coroner ruled that Hutchence committed suicide while under the influence of drugs and alcohol, dispelling the widespread rumor that his death was accidental and caused by auto eroticasphyxiation. Michael Hutchence was an Australian singer-songwriter and the front man for the popular 80's rock band, INXS. Perhaps, but with its salacious detail and tired, tabloid subject matter, In Excess is far from the campaigning, important television upon which Just founded its reputation. This one looks at retired people - people who retire from work, not from life. The romanticised prostitution of Hollywood's vile Pretty Woman or the Playboy-style babes used in ads to market the racket are, arguably, more obscene than the core business of the trade itself. [15][16][17][18] The main age of accidental death is mid-20s,[4][19] but deaths have been reported in adolescents[20][21][22] and in men in their 70s. Singer Justin Bieber has revealed he is suffering from facial paralysis after cancelling shows this week. [8][9] Swedish police reported in 1994 that the number of autoerotic asphyxiation fatalities in the Stockholm area (c. 1.7 million inhabitants) were at least five annually, but the number of unrecorded cases was assumed to be high. And there was the evidence from eminent forensic scientists. Yates involved in scuffle What killed Michael Hutchence? But it said it would continue to invest in programmes that use the same techniques. Still, the consultants seem here to stay. In a tale concerning asphyxiation, this compounded a sense of degradation, not revelation. The US military is experiencing a "suicide epidemic" with veterans killing themselves at the rate of 120 a week, according to an investigation by US television network CBS. He and the band's members are still major celebrities in Australia. Literature from overseas records that most relatives of victims prefer the death pronounced as suicide rather than try to explain auto-erotic asphyxia to friends and family. Some British tabloids suggested auto-erotic asphyxiation - restricting air supply for sexual pleasure - was the cause. In 1998 Bob Geldof won custody of his three daughters from Yates and that combined with Hutchence's death led her into a severe state of depression. [4] In cases involving teenagers at home, families may disturb the scene by "sanitizing" it, removing evidence of paraphilic activity. We especially send our gratitude to all of . The couple's three-year relationship has drawn huge media interest in Britain and they had planned to get married on the Tahitian island of Bora Bora in January. Masters, no less . Two years later Paula Yates was found dead at her home in London; a coroner said an accidental heroin overdose was the cause of death. Wild. The suicide verdict has been consistently - and vocally - contested ever since by Yates, who insists that Hutchence was not the suicide type, and must have died as a result of a ritualistic sex experiment gone horribly wrong. Mystify: Michael Hutchence brings new information to light. It means a loss of dignity," added Paula Yates. Upon examining the studies on hypoxia he found that "abnormalities in the cerebral neurochemistry involving one or more of the interconnected neurotransmitters, dopamine, serotonin, and beta-endorphin had been reported in all the conditions associated with hallucinations. Zoom shots of rain-clogged gutters, reflections of neon-signs shimmering in the water, can produce plaintive atmospherics. But it is not yet clear whether the INXS lead singer committed suicide or died accidentally. Dangerous. Recent, controversial docs such as Surviving R Kelly or Leaving Neverland (which aired allegations of childhood abuse by Michael Jackson) upped the stakes considerably. [17] Further reading [ edit] A forensic pathologist, Professor Roger Byard, gathered the figures from the national coronial database for all cases between 2001 and 2007 in which death had been attributed to sexual asphyxia or auto-erotic death. A friend pointed out that she was upset and on sedatives because of Hutchence's death. Perhaps some re-engineering of his knee and hip joints would have produced a more efficient and economical style of movement. Suicide is an act of ending one's own life and it usually results from emotional isolations and inability to Bruce Willis, the legendary actor is diagnosed with dementia. Thank you. We met Stephen Hucker, described as "the leading expert in the world on autoerotic asphyxiation". Hand, Derrick; Fife-Yeomans, Janet (2008) [2004]. As a result, In Excess reveals far more about the fundamental dilemma facing commissioning editors today than it does about the tragic demise of the Australian rocker: is the purpose of the programme to cast light where there is darkness? Now, Monday's "Sydney Morning Herald" reports that the singer had been found Saturday, November 22 just before noon Sydney time hanging naked from the self-closing apparatus attached behind the main door of his hotel by a hotel employee who had been sent by Hutchence's handlers to check on him. Hutchence had met Yates when she interviewed him in bed for Britain's "Big Breakfast" program. The term autoerotic asphyxiation is used when the act is done by a person to themselves. We saw seaside holiday photographs of Julie as a 10- or 12-year-old girl. Sydney, NSW: Allen & Unwin. Were working to restore it. It is a very difficult subject, and we saw an opportunity to tackle it in a proper journalistic fashion.". Other factors are hinted at: a bizarre childhood separation from his brother, copious drug use, Hutchences embroilment in the Paula Yates/Bob Geldof custody saga. Too many of them follow the predictable trajectory of rise, fall and subdued middle-aged comeback. "He would have hated to be found naked. "Twosomes, threesomes, foursomes, hidden cameras - Michael was into all that," said his friend, Nick Egan. Julie Jones was murdered on a June Saturday in 1998. The funeral is to take place on Thursday at 2.30pm local time. Toxicology reports are likely weeks away. This is not the first music doc to juice up a familiar story with some apparently new piece of the puzzle. Robert R. Hazelwood, Park Elliot Dietz, Ann Wolbert Burgess: John Money, Gordon Wainwright and David Hingsburger: This page was last edited on 4 March 2023, at 02:30. Erotic asphyxiation or breath control play is the intentional restriction of oxygen to the brain for the purposes of sexual arousal. The film about the INXS frontman follows Surviving R Kelly and Leaving Neverland in upping the stakes considerably. He was the lead singer and lyricist of INXS from 1977 until his death. Other international helplines can be found at www.befrienders.org, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. Michael Hutchence, the frontman of Australian rock band INXS, was found dead in a hotel room in Sydney on November 22, 1997, aged 37. He was such a big idol and there is still enough interest in the story to do it at this point. [4] Complicated devices (such as hydraulics) are sometimes used to produce the desired effects. Olof Westerberg: "Sexlekar allt vanligare ddsorsak", Learn how and when to remove this template message, "The Highest Price For Pleasure: A Deadly Turn-On", "Behavioral treatment for a female engaging in autoerotic asphyxiation", Turvey B. Please use the information prudently. [26] [ dubious see talk page ] Kristian Etchells , British National Front party member, in 2005. It is even more difficult to think of anything his over-exposed partner Paula Yates could say on the issue which we have not heard before. Fun music facts, trivia, jokes, lyrics stuff about Michael Hutchence on amiright. Paula Yates' final years were blighted in misery as she endured a succession of heartbreaks before her untimely death, starting with the suicide of her beloved Michael Hutchence. - Slate Magazine, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Erotic_asphyxiation&oldid=1142735267, Wikipedia indefinitely move-protected pages, Wikipedia indefinitely semi-protected pages, Articles needing additional references from September 2018, All articles needing additional references, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, In the novel (and later movie adaptation), Bruce Robertson, the main character in the 1998, In the episode, "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose" of the TV series. Forensic science experts, including leading authority on auto-erotic asphyxiation Professor Stephen Hucker, have backed Paula's claim that Michael didn't take his own life. [11], Deaths often occur when the loss of consciousness caused by partial asphyxia leads to loss of control over the means of strangulation, resulting in continued asphyxia and death. "That has to be told. Last month, the station announced that Trial and Error had reached the end of its life. In Bangkok airport, Yates was asked to reboard by an apparently unsympathetic official. Paula Yates, his partner, suggested later that it was the result of autoerotic asphyxiation, but she supplied no evidence for this. Well, not quite. "He had used his snake skin belt to tie a knot on the automatic door closure at . Covid-19 inquiry should not be used to find scapegoats, Gabriel Scally says, Failure to address drone disruption issues at Dublin Airport deeply alarming, Hotels ending refugee accommodation contracts will be a problem, Minister says, Alliance may test legality of Stormonts discriminatory voting system, says Naomi Long, Thinking Anew Speaking the language of compassion, Before I would have held my husbands hand walking around the streets. Getty Images The last. That much is clear, but the cause of his death and the circumstances surrounding it remain a mystery. Many prostitutes believe that because prostitutes are widely considered to be second-class citizens, Julie's murder was met with a second-class official response. Male victims might be more likely to use a variety of devices during autoerotic behaviour than female victims. In one interview (not in the movie) Yates said she couldnt believe Hutchence would ever end his life. They were the makers of Trial and Error, who helped overturn 20 convictions in the space of seven years. With the undeniable charisma of an archetypal rock frontman, INXS's Michael Hutchence wasn't associated with the depression some peers felt -- at least not openly. Hutchence was said to be depressed because of the delays in the custody battle with Paula and her former husband, Sir Bob Geldof. Frontotemporal dementia accounts for 10 percent to 20 percent of all dementia diagnoses. It is virtually impossible to think of anything remotely connected to the INXS frontman which has not already been aired ad nauseam. Model Bella Hadid said she was stricken with eating disorders and chronic anxiety as a teen before she shot to fame as a model. Erotic asphyxiation (variously called asphyxiophilia, hypoxyphilia or breath control play) is the intentional restriction of oxygen to the brain for the purposes of sexual arousal. He further notes that no such state occurs in hypoxia brought about by sudden aircraft decompression at altitude. Apparently, by reducing or cutting-off the flow of oxygen to the brain, the Taj Mahal of sexual thrills can be experienced. He stressed that he can present new evidence that Michael was deeply into. Michael was found dead on November 22, 1997, in a room of Sydney Ritz Carlton Sydney Hotel. The coroner, Derrick Hand, said in a statement: "Post mortem examinations have determined that the cause of death . "[2], Historically, the practice of autoerotic asphyxiation has been documented since the early 17th century. It was first used as a treatment for erectile dysfunction. His death, five years later, was ruled to be suicide by hanging but, Mystify reveals, the autopsy revealed large areas of brain damage. Anyway, as investigative documentary, this one was convincing. Observers at public hangings noted that male victims developed an erection, sometimes remaining after death (a death erection), and occasionally ejaculated when being hanged. Nick Broomfields Biggie and Tupac, for example, and his recent Whitney: Can I Be Me?, the latter of which suggested Whitney Houstons bisexuality and racial displacement as missing pieces of the puzzle. Yates was involved in a scuffle with a British Airways employee during a stopover in the 21-hour flight, according to other passengers. The official refused and apparently told Yates he did not care about her loss and kicked her. A coroner in Australia recorded the death as suicide caused by depression. "Two hundred people die in this country every year from auto-erotic asphyxiation. a coroner said an accidental heroin overdose was the cause of death. Hutchence would seem an ideal candidate for the investigative treatment. According to the model Helena Christensen, his girlfriend at the time, the INXS frontman got into an altercation with a taxi driver. Michael Hutchence had a string of girlfriends, including pop star Kylie Minogue and model Helena Christensen, before he met Paula Yates. Hutchence's death was ruled a suicide, but a distraught Paula Yates refused to believe this, speculating it may have been a case of autoerotic asphyxiation gone awry. In memory of Hutchence - a fan's note We saw an austere manager with a clipboard and stopwatch standing over a female machinist sewing clothes. All very noble. As the US and increasingly, parts of western Europe, continue to corral old people in "retirement villages", it was heartening to meet David and Muriel. The court ruled that the rocker, who was 37 at the time, had committed suicide. Her solicitor, Anthony Burton, rejected suggestions in the media that Hutchence died when a sex game went wrong. MTV, EMA and all related titles, logos and characters are trademarks of Viacom International Inc. Bop Shop: Songs From J-Hope And J. Cole, Daisy Jones & The Six, And More, One trip back to the '70s, another to the future, Deem Spencer Swims Into The Deep End Of His Mind, The New York rapper adds a new layer of introspection and maturity to his trademark jovial teenage anguish with 'AdultSW!M', Diasporic Reflections: Four Black Creatives Making Art Tinged With Legacy, Joshua Renfroe, Kuukua Eshun, Aja Monet, and Mike Abrantie tell MTV News about purpose and perspective in Black communities worldwide, Bop Shop: Songs From Kelela, PinkPantheress And Ice Spice, The Boyz, And More, The boy might be a liar, but the memes simply don't lie, SZA Brings Her Fans On An Emotional Voyage On 'SOS' Tour, In Chicago, the second night of her arena showcase found the singer sailing across a sea of victory, The musician discusses how art about half-human, half-mechatronic beings alongside their gender and racial identities informs their debut album, The Exhibit: Finding the Next Great Artist. Paula's death was an accident, she overdosed. Writing in 2017 on what would have been late star's 57th birthday, his brother Rhett. With an alluring Mick Jagger-meets-Jim Morrison aura, Michael Hutchence helped turn INXS into icons of the MTV Generation. Hutchence, at the age of 37, was discovered on November 22, 1997 dead of what was officially ruled a suicide. But Paula Yates maintained Michael Hutchence would never have killed himself and believed he died attempting auto erotic asphyxiation, in which choking to the point of unconsciousness heightens sexual pleasure. Often as with the Oscar-winning Amy when the subject has died young, the examination of probable causes threatens to overshadow the music. However, In Excess: Death Of Michael Hutchence maintained that a bout of "autoerotic . "[6] Cases have also been reported in Scandinavia[7] and Germany. She first shot to . . The term autoerotic asphyxiation is used when the act is done by a person to themselves. Mr Hutchence Sr could offer no explanation as to why his son would take his own life. To hammer home how great he is, Michael charges $70,000 per "seminar". The University of New England criminologist John Scott, who has researched the sociology of sexuality, said the reported deaths were likely to be ''just the tip of the iceberg''. Paying tributes to Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away, Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi said that she will be remembered as "the stalwart of our times". But when she was asked what the programme hoped to achieve - the setting aside of the coroner's verdict and a full inquest, for example - the cracks began to appear. Interviewer: "Did Michael ever choke you, strangle you, tie you up in bed? . But the mood darkened when the cameras, accompanied by a gently wailing, city-at-night saxophone, went out on the streets. The sensational nature of erotic asphyxiation often makes it the subject of urban legends. The autopsy is designed to determine the cause of death, properly document findings, and collect evidence. A post-mortem recorded death by asphyxiation and the ruling by the New South Wales coroner was that the INXS front man committed suicide. In February last year, the New South Wales coroner recorded a verdict of suicide, pointing out that the singer had been severely depressed and had swallowed a cocktail of alcohol and drugs. "Can the media kill? The 37-year-old, who had checked into the. The paper reports that the police are so far unofficially calling it a suicide (officially, all the authorities are saying is the cause of death was from hanging), and that they have ruled out kinky sex. Hammer's hype reminds us of contemporary business culture's poverty of notions. Certainly, the dangers to fundamental freedoms from opportunistic censorship are too grave to allow this Irish solution to an Irish problem to continue. >>. Dr Scott said relatives would be likely to try to explain the death away as a suicide because of the stigma of the act to the individual involved as well as their family. The pity, however, was that the absurdly ominous tone, complete with funereal music and the teaser-warning that "this programme contains descriptions of sexual behaviour that some people may find disturbing" added marketing hype to a sad and sordid story. Some British tabloids suggested auto-erotic asphyxiation - restricting air supply for sexual pleasure - was the cause. [5] The practice can be dangerous even if performed with care and has resulted in a significant number of accidental deaths. A medicolegal autopsy differs from a hospital autopsy. He had little reason to be depressed. Please complete this form and we'll send you a personalised information that is requested. Up until Michael Hutchence's death INXS had made ten albums . This sexual practice is variously called asphyxiophilia, autoerotic asphyxia, hypoxyphilia. Were sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. But it is not yet clear whether the INXS lead singer committed suicide or died accidentally. The coroner's investigation revealed he was on a mix of drugs and was quite depressed for several specific reasons, so suicide seems likely. Another passenger told the British broadcaster that Yates was treated poorly by a Thai official who unsympathetically demanded she reboard the plane, denied. The erotic interest in asphyxiation is classified as a paraphilia in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association. "It was really only a problem for Paula because of all the other women. On the morning of 22 November 1997, Michael Hutchence, aged 37, was found dead in Room 524 at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Double Bay, Sydney. The cause of death is still under investigation, and the medical examiner of the Alameda County Sheriff's Office has convened a peer group to review the autopsy before releasing its findings. "However, a coroner's investigation is still to determine whether the death was from suicide. Clearly, Michael liked a buzz. The rhetoric of a talk-show, though most of the contributions were earnest and logical, couldn't quite match the impact of an on-location documentary. Worst of all though was, given the context, the insensitively breathless style of narration. Erotic asphyxiation (variously called asphyxiophilia, hypoxyphilia or breath control play) is the intentional restriction of oxygen to the brain for the purposes of sexual arousal. The Coroner: Investigating Sudden Death. Paula Yates was married to Sir Bob Geldof, the key figure behind Live Aid, the rock charity concert for Africa, which raised millions of pounds for starving people in Ethiopia. This site complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information. Sex? Hand's report concluded that Michael Hutchence's death was the result of asphyxiation and that no other person was involved. As vocalist for the rock band INXS, Hutchence was ideally-placed to indulge in sexual thrill-seeking and, by most accounts, he applied himself with a diligence well beyond that of the mere dilettante. A friend pointed out that she was upset and on sedatives because of Hutchence's death. "I can't say Michael had a sex problem," said one source who worked closely with Hutchence. Hutchence had met Yates when she interviewed him in bed for Britain's "Big Breakfast" program. Maybe they should have fitted him with wheels or mounted him on rails to maximise his productivity as he moved between the machinists' benches. Indeed they were but she insisted that Hutchence became besotted by her and their baby daughter Heavenly Hirani Tiger Lily. The project was expected to be released in 1998 once "Elegantly Wasted" had run its course. Anyway, between Home Ground and Questions and Answers, television pretty well proved that a more humane, albeit more regulated, official policy to prostitution seems to be about the best answer. She had knocked on the door but failed to get a response. There has been speculation the death was caused by a drugs overdose or suicide but neither illegal drugs nor a suicide note were found in the hotel room. A story of his sexual exploits while. Michael Hutchence died in a Sydney hotel room on 22 November 1997. We wish to acknowledge the kindly contributions to Michael's site by INXS, CIL, N. Kothari, R. Simpkins, and everyone else who have contributed. In the age of multi-channel pap, wall-to-wall DIY and viewer-friendly news, it was rather inevitable that the miscarriage of justice expos would be forced to endure the same populist treatment or die. Yates then asked for a buggy to transport her to the plane. Hutchence co-founded the rock band INXS, which sold over 75 million records worldwide and was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2001. The former INXS frontman's naked body was found in a hotel room. Research from the University of Adelaide shows that over a seven-year period, 44 people died while attempting auto-erotic asphyxiation. This was crucial. It would appear from the opening episode of Channel 4's new series that we are facing a serious infestation of the breed.