UK taxi driver becomes first mummy for 3000 years

A taxi driver who wanted to be mummified for a television documentary so he could be remembered as “Tutan-Alan” has described his desire to be embalmed for future generations. Alan Billis, who had been diagnosed with terminal lung cancer, applied to take part in the controversial Channel 4 show after seeing an advert in a newspaper.

When he died in January, he became the first person to be mummified for 3,000 years, thanks to a pioneering scientist who had spent two decades trying to work out how to replicate the secret techniques of the ancient Egyptian embalmers.Mr Billis, 61, from Torquay, told the documentary team: “People have been leaving their bodies to science for years and if people don’t volunteer for anything nothing gets found out.

“Experimenting is all about trying different processes to make things work. If it doesn’t work it’s not the end of the world, is it? Don’t make any difference to me, I’m not going to feel it.”

He said his only regret was that he would not be around to see the programme, although he hoped it would give his grandchildren an insight into his personality.