90s music star dies after battle with cirrhosis
Born and raised in Essex, the musician co-founded electric body music band Nitzer Ebb, who thrived throughout the 1980s and early 1990s.
The group announced his passing on their official social media channels on Thursday.
Their statement read: 'It is with a heavy heart that we regret to inform that Douglas McCarthy passed away this morning of June 11th, 2025.
'We ask everyone to please be respectful of Douglas, his wife, and family in this difficult time.
From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop.
'We appreciate your understanding and will share more information soon.'
While Douglas's cause of death is yet to be confirmed, he was forced to pull out of a European tour with Nitzer Ebb in March 2024 due to liver cirrhosis.
Douglas said at the time that the disease had been caused by 'years of alcohol abuse... for over two years I have not been drinking, but recovery is a long process.'
Nitzer Ebb was formed by McCarthy and bandmates Bon Harris and David Gooday in Chelmsford, Essex, in 1982 before the band went onto pioneer the British industrial music scene.
With a stripped down and aggressive style, the group shot to stardom by combining combined synthesizers with incredibly raw vocals.
Front man Douglas was at the forefront of his band's success, leading Nitzer Ebb with a style he described as 'shouting and pointing'.
The band released their debut album That Total Age in 1987 before going onto release a string of projects the following decade including Showtime and Ebbhead.
They broke up in 1996 but got back together in 2006 and had been touring ever since. Later this year, McCarthy and his bandmates had been set to embark on a tour of North America.
A host of supporters paid tribute to Douglas following his death this week, including co-founder Bon Harris.
The 59-year-old described his band mate as 'one of the most extraordinary people I have ever known', calling his passing a 'profound loss'.
Other tributes read: 'I hope he knew how much he was loved and appreciated by his fans',
'Just heartbreaking. Very underrated band and he was a very nice guy when I met him in 1990. RIP.',
'So sad to learn of his passing. Just saw NE (Nitzer Ebb) without him last month in Detroit and, of course, it wasn't the same without him. His voice and sound was so influential and it rocked my world in the 90s. Was lucky to get to see them perform 3 times. Was said to learn his liver was failing from alcohol abuse and he had to quit touring because of it. RIP Douglas McCarthy!',
'A true pioneer. Absolute energy and passion into every song. Really struggling to come to terms with this'.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
20 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
David Beckham cheekily grabs wife Victoria's bum during family meal with son Cruz and his girlfriend Jackie Apostel in Portofino as Brooklyn and Nicola miss out amid ongoing feud
cheekily grabbed his wife Victoria's bum during a family meal in Portofino on Friday. The couple are currently enjoying a yacht holiday with children Romeo, Cruz and Harper, while their eldest son Brooklyn and his wife Nicola Peltz miss out on the fun. David, Victoria, Cruz and his girlfriend Jackie Apostel stepped off the vessel and head to Bloody Bay for a sunset dinner. Jackie could be seen snapping candid moments of power couple David and Victoria as they cosied up for the camera. Fashion designer Victoria, 51, showed off her incredible figure in a backless black dress, while David looked stylish in a bright blue shirt with beige trousers. Jackie flaunted her toned physique in a tiny satin bra and a maxi skirt, while Cruz opted for a pale blue polo shirt. The group were seen enjoying wine, cocktails and food together before heading back to the rest of the family. It comes just hours after David appeared to extend a tentative olive branch to son Brooklyn, 26, by 'liking' his latest video on Instagram. The Beckham clan are currently in the South of France, while Brooklyn is sticking with his wife Nicola across the pond as their alleged fall-out rages on. While the majority of the Beckhams have been putting on a giddy display packed with in-jokes and relaxation, their eldest son has been sticking by his wife. Earlier this week, Brooklyn and Nicola looked happier than ever as they marked three years of marriage by reaffirming the promises they made to each other with a vow renewal. A source close to the couple confirmed the news to Daily Mail, stating: 'This is a moment to celebrate their love and commitment, and to create a meaningful memory together.' He looked to be missing out on a fun-filled trip, as the other offspring made the most of their trip together in St Tropez. Brooklyn left the south of France to return to the US, where he was spotted looking glum on an outing in New York with his wife and mother-in-law, Claudia, on Tuesday. In another update, Brooklyn embraced his billionaire father-in-law in snaps from the family getaway to St Tropez. He enjoyed a friendly beer with Nelson Peltz, 83, before packing on the PDA with wife Nicola onboard the businessman's superyacht. Amid the trip the couple enjoyed a swanky lunch with Brooklyn's godfather Elton John, who sources revealed planned the dinner in a desperate attempt to calm the family's feud. Nicola shared a slew of final holiday snaps from the couple's lavish trip before heading home to the US. Sir Elton, who has been friends with David and Victoria for over 30 years, treated Brooklyn and Nicola to food at fancy La Guerite beach club in the South of France. Brooklyn and Nicola Peltz have kept away amid an ongoing family feud, as the pair lived it up on a £85million vessel that dwarfs his parents' close by the week before. The family has been thrown into turmoil in recent months as it has been claimed Brooklyn has become increasingly estranged from his famous parents after failing to attend any of his father David's 50th birthday celebrations in May. Victoria recently gave a rare insight into her feelings about estranged son Brooklyn with a telling social media move. David liked the post in a shock move to fans The former Spice Girl has proved she is still keeping tabs on her eldest son's moves by 'liking' several of his social media posts. Notably, in the three-weeks spanning July 5 and July 26 - she liked every single one of his posts that didn't feature Nicola. All posts in which he was seen with his wife, were not acknowledged by Victoria. It is possible that these posts - four out of the 16 - were simply not seen by her. Victoria has not liked any of Nicola's posts in the same time period. Nor have the Lola actress and Brooklyn liked any of Victoria's.
Daily Mail
20 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Comedian Jimmy Carr likens Prince Harry to Kanye West, saying 'he occasionally dressed as a Nazi and he f***** up'
British stand-up comic has compared Prince Harry to Kanye West, saying both had 'dressed up' as Nazis and 'f***ed up'. The comedian and TV presenter aimed the jibe at the Duke of Sussex in his solo set, in a new clip widely shared online. Carr, 52, who is no stranger to controversy, was referring to the time Harry - then aged 20, now 40 - wore a Nazi costume to a fancy dress party in 2005. Meanwhile, multiple Grammy-winning rapper West, 48, has shared messages online suggesting pro-Nazis views - though recently insisted he ' renounced' anti-Semitism. West, previously married to reality TV star Kim Kardashian, released a track earlier this year called Heil Hitler (Hooligan Version). The newly shared gag by Carr has been shared on the star's official Instagram account, with 2.5million followers - captioned 'Prince William Vs Prince Harry'. He is seen responding to an audience member asking which of the royal brothers he preferred. Carr responds by saying: 'The royal family - well, if you can imagine, they're like our Kardashians. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jimmy Carr (@jimmycarr) 'Prince Harry is very much our Kanye. He occasionally dresses as a Nazi - and he f***ed up.' Responses have been mixed, with comments including 'Quite a smart answer, 'Harry just can't catch a break, can he', 'You lost me. Harry is a treasure'. Carr has faced controversies himself in the past, including involvement in tax avoidance schemes as well as telling jokes criticised as being in poor taste. Earlier this week his latest earnings were revealed after a string of TV deals and a tour that saw him rake in almost £5million last year. The comedian hosts shows Battle In The Box and Last One Laughing, and is set to take his stand-up comedy show to Australia. Thanks to his successes, accounts filed at Companies House have shown that his firm, R & I Futures Ltd made £4.8million in the year to September 2024. Carr set up the firm two years ago and is earning nearly £100,000 per week. The comic lives in Primrose Hill in north London with Canadian partner Karoline Copping, a former commissioning editor for Channel 5, and the couple have a six-year-old son. The Mail told last month of latest developments in a long-running feud between Carr and his estranged 80-year-old father Jim. The TV personality reached out to his father for a favour, only for him to continue the silent treatment once it was granted, a friend of Jim's revealed. The senior Carr was left feeling 'confused and distraught', the friend said, and was left bewildered as to why his son carried on his grudge and not seek a reunion. The pair fell out shortly after Jimmy's mum Nora died in 2001 from pancreatitis at the age of 57. Up until that point, the 8 Out Of 10 Cats host had a close bond with his parents with his accountant father helping to pay for his rent and food during the early days of his career as well as giving him lifts around the country to gigs. But Jimmy cooled towards Jim and cut him out of his life without ever seemingly giving him a proper explanation why. The bad-blood simmered until rising to the surface again in 2021 when Jimmy, 52, told fellow comics Rob Beckett and Josh Widdicombe on their Parenting Hell podcast: 'I haven't seen my father in 21-years. 'You know the line, "My mother's dead and my father's dead to me" – which sounds very cold until you meet the guy. I can't have that guy in my life.' The pair fell out shortly after Jimmy's mum Nora died in 2001 from pancreatitis at the age of 57 Yet a close friend of Irish-born businessman Jim told how Jimmy rang out of the blue nearly eight years ago and asked his father to 'take on a burden' for him. The source revealed: 'It was just before Christmas in 2017 and Jimmy rang his dad to ask him for some help with a problem he had. He had been supporting someone close to him but just couldn't continue doing so. 'Jim has never told me the full details preferring to keep it private but it was a big favour to ask and obviously Jimmy felt he had nowhere else to turn, given that he hadn't spoken to his dad for that last 15 or 16-years prior to that phone call. 'He wanted Jim to take on the burden – which he duly did. But while Jim hoped this good deed could rekindle their relationship, Jimmy seemed to cut him off again. 'He didn't call to thank him or anything, it was radio silence which continues to this day. It's strange because it was him who instigated that temporary thaw in relations.' Jim, who lives in Gerrards Cross in Buckinghamshire, declined to comment when approached by the Mail, saying simply: 'I don't wish to fan the flames so I'll pass'. Representatives of Jimmy Carr were approached for comment. Carr has spoken and written in the past about being 'publicly shamed' when his tax arrangements were revealed in 2012. He had been among of thousands of people using a legal off-shore scheme to pay as little as one per cent income tax. Carr was said to have been the largest beneficiary of the K2 accountancy arrangement that reportedly sheltered £168million a year from the taxman. He said in a statement at the time: 'I've been advised the K2 tax scheme is entirely legal, and has been fully disclosed to HMRC. 'I'm no longer involved in it and will in future conduct my financial affairs much more responsibly. Apologies to everyone.' Prince Harry has previously blamed Prince William and Kate for his notorious appearance at the costume party wearing his Nazi uniform in 2005. The Duke of Sussex said in his memoir Spare the other couple thought it was funny. Harry told of considering either the Nazi uniform or a pilot's outfit to wear at a 'Native and Colonial' themed event and called his brother and sister-in-law for their opinion. He wrote: 'I phoned Willy and Kate, asked what they thought. Nazi uniform, they said. 'They both howled. Worse than Willy's leotard outfit! Way more ridiculous! Which, again, was the point.' Harry - seen here with William in 2021 - has said he asked his brother and sister-in-law for advice on whether to wear a Nazi uniform or a pilot uniform to a fancy dress party in 2005 The outfit became a huge scandal when Harry, then 20, was photographed wearing the Nazi regalia. The story made global headlines after an image of Harry in the costume featured on the front page of The Sun newspaper. The Duke of Sussex wore the Nazi uniform at a party thrown by Olympic show jumper Richard Meade. The theme of the event - held to mark the birthday of Mr Meade's son Harry - was 'native and colonial'. Harry wore the desert uniform of General Erwin Rommel's Afrika Korps, having earlier in the evening donned an army-style jacket with a German flag on the arm. Harry had arrived with his brother William, who reportedly dressed in a skin-tight black leotard with a leopard skin pattern and a matching leopard skin tail and paws. One guest told the Daily Mail afterwards: 'If this was his idea of a joke then it went down like a lead balloon.' Harry said sorry shortly after the image was published, saying: 'I am very sorry if I have caused any offence or embarrassment to anyone. It was a poor choice of costume and I apologise.' Addressing the issue in a later Netflix series, Harry said dressing as a Nazi was one of the 'biggest mistakes' of his life andd said all he 'wanted to do was make it right.' He told of meeting with the then-Chief Rabbi, the late Jonathan Sacks who died in 2020, and also spoke to a Holocaust survivor as part of efforts to repair the damage done by the gaffe. More recently, Kanye West provoked a substantial backlash to his new song Heil Hitler (Hooligan Version), which he released in May this year. On the track, the former husband of Kim Kardashian and who is now married to Bianca Censori rapped: 'With all of my money and fame I still don't get to see my children. 'N*****s see my Twitter but they don't see how I be feeling / So I became a Nazi, yeah b****, I'm the villain.' A fortnight later, he insisted on X, formerly Twitter, to his 69.4million followers: 'I am done with antisemitism. 'God forgive me for the pain I've caused. I forgive those who have caused me pain. Thank you God.' The 24-time Grammy winner explained the reason behind his rejection of his Nazi persona was because he 'simply got a FaceTime from my kids and I wanna save the world again'. He had previously tweeted in 2022 that he was going 'death con 3 on Jewish people' - which got him promptly dropped by his agency CAA, production company MRC, Adidas, Gap and Balenciaga. The Yeezy designer - who has worn swastika and 'White Lives Matter' T-shirts - has repeatedly spoken about his disdain for Jewish people and his adoration of Nazi Germany dictator Adolf Hitler. But in 2023, Ye claimed watching Jonah Hill in his 2012 action comedy 21 Jump Street made him 'like Jewish people again' in a bizarre Instagram post. 'No one should take anger against one or two individuals and transform that into hatred towards millions of innocent people,' the hip-hop star wrote at the time.
Daily Mail
20 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
REVEALED: Katie Price's 'full-on rage' as she's excluded from daughter Princess's new reality TV show. Shocked insiders tell KATIE HIND: 'Katie craves fame and attention - it's sad!'
It has been a thrillingly busy week for Princess Andre as she prepares for the launch of her ITV fly-on-the-wall show. The Princess Diaries has been months in the making and there is much hope at the network that the four-part programme will be not just a hit for them, but will catapult the 18-year-old into a household name, just as ITV did for her parents when they appeared on I'm A Celebrity… together.
