TV and newspaper astrologer Margaret Lake, best known as Mystic Meg, has died at the age of 80.
She became a household name in the 1990s with her prediction segment on the National Lottery in the UK and wrote a horoscope column for The Sun for nearly 23 years.
On Thursday, the newspaper reported that she had died earlier that morning after being admitted to hospital suffering from flu.
Her agent, Dave Shapland, told 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."
Born in Lancashire in 1942, she rose to prominence through her weekly appearances on the National Lottery draw in the UK where she attempted to predict facts about the future winner.
Her regular spot was dropped by the BBC in a programme shake-up in 1997 but the following year she made a comeback for a sketch alongside presenter Bradley Walsh.
In the sketch, Walsh’s brother Del, who runs a market stall, tries to convince Meg of his own fortune-telling method – frying sausages.
She was also an astrologer for the News of the World until its demise, and her predictions also featured in publications in Australia and the US.
Source: Press Association
