I actually don't think I've ever really met a famous person. Seen a few out and about over the years (Dennis Wise at Gatwick, Michael Caine in a restaurant in Chelsea and Jenson Button at a triathlon spring to mind) but never actually spoke to any of them.
Random Famous People You Met
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I think he might have overestimated the amount of prestige earned by being on Emmerdale
Weak, really really weak.
Sat in the next booth to Paul Daniels in Pizza Hut in Scunthorpe, he was with his Mrs Debbie MgGee and his son Martin Daniels and his family. He made a Quattro Formaggi disappear in front of my very eyes. Took him the best part of half an hour to do it, but impressive magic none the less.
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How about spending two weeks in Fuerteventura and I went to a local bar to watch Premiere Football for the two weeks (yes I do this for an odd couple of hours 'me time', flame me).
A bloke came to sit with me and we ended up watching quite a few games over the next two weeks getting each other drunk.
On the last match we said our farewells and I said "I do know you're Keith Duffy but I'm not a fan of Boyzone or Coronation Street"
He invited me and my family to have a meal with them on the last Friday and my wife & kids stood there in shock because I hadn't told them who we were going to eat with.
One evening I went to pick one of my daughter's up from her workplace and next to it is an hotel.
It was really bad snowy weather and a couple were having difficulty getting their car off the car park so I went over to help.
It was Katherine Jenkinson and her husband but she didn't offer me a 3 way.
Gisburn Forest? Didn't know he ventured over here, I know a few people who spend a lot of time up there. GM likes his privacy though, so I assume he keeps a low profile.
I picked up Ricky Gervais on a BBC account once in Bedford Way, Holborn, just as he was beginning to get known.
We got to BBC White City and the security guy stepped out his office and raised his eyebrows at me, I aimed my thumb at the back seat.
I expected him to say, “Go ahead”, but he just stood there so I lowered the rear window.
Gervais said, “Studio whatever.”
Guy said, “Name sir?”
After the guy raised the gate, Gervais said, “How are the mighty fallen!”
We got to BBC White City and the security guy stepped out his office and raised his eyebrows at me, I aimed my thumb at the back seat.
I expected him to say, “Go ahead”, but he just stood there so I lowered the rear window.
Gervais said, “Studio whatever.”
Guy said, “Name sir?”
After the guy raised the gate, Gervais said, “How are the mighty fallen!”
did you start walking with a limp after
I worked in an f/x setting at an airport for a while and we often had well-known people at the bureaux; musicians, tv actors, footballers and other assorted persons of varying fame: Robert Plant, Krept & Konan, Danny Dyer, Kara Tointon, Douglas Henshall, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Kieran Gibbs, John Torode, Steve Beaton (darts) are a few that I remember. Kara Tointon in particular was memorable, really sweet girl and a great personality.
The oddest was Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, purely because I had to do a KYC. 4am, as an Arsenal fan, knowing exactly who he was and what he must be earning, grilling him about his travel plans with Gibbs looking bemused in the background. An exercise in futility.
The most surreal encounter was Britney Spears. Late 2006, end of a world trip and the final leg was Los Angeles and Vegas. Touched down at LAX and got settled in our hotel. Other half decided to stay behind and rest, but I headed out with a friend, Chris, to find a place to eat. Decided to take a stroll down Sunset Strip as it was nearby and chanced upon a bar with a bunch of paparazzi lurking outside. I have zero interest in 'celeb' culture and was about to walk on by, but Chris convinced me to stop for a moment and he asked the paps who they were waiting for - it was Spears' 25th birthday party. This was thereabouts the peak of her fame, shortly before she went haywire. A couple of minutes later she arrived in a stretch black hummer and exited about 5ft from where I was standing, before the paps all charged in to get their money shots, scuffling with her bodyguards. Hung around for a short while and a few other Hollywood notables turned up - Chris Rock, the Hiltons, Stephen Dorff. Amusingly also watched the guy who played Nick Smith in Home and Away turn up with a couple of females on his arm and try and blag his way in, getting absolutely nowhere.
That was an interesting first couple of hours.
The oddest was Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, purely because I had to do a KYC. 4am, as an Arsenal fan, knowing exactly who he was and what he must be earning, grilling him about his travel plans with Gibbs looking bemused in the background. An exercise in futility.
The most surreal encounter was Britney Spears. Late 2006, end of a world trip and the final leg was Los Angeles and Vegas. Touched down at LAX and got settled in our hotel. Other half decided to stay behind and rest, but I headed out with a friend, Chris, to find a place to eat. Decided to take a stroll down Sunset Strip as it was nearby and chanced upon a bar with a bunch of paparazzi lurking outside. I have zero interest in 'celeb' culture and was about to walk on by, but Chris convinced me to stop for a moment and he asked the paps who they were waiting for - it was Spears' 25th birthday party. This was thereabouts the peak of her fame, shortly before she went haywire. A couple of minutes later she arrived in a stretch black hummer and exited about 5ft from where I was standing, before the paps all charged in to get their money shots, scuffling with her bodyguards. Hung around for a short while and a few other Hollywood notables turned up - Chris Rock, the Hiltons, Stephen Dorff. Amusingly also watched the guy who played Nick Smith in Home and Away turn up with a couple of females on his arm and try and blag his way in, getting absolutely nowhere.
That was an interesting first couple of hours.
Through my wife's work with Government and charities I got to meet with lots of interesting people like Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, Prince Charles and countless sports stars.
But the two weirdest 'meetings' were firstly in the gents at the Houses of Parliament on New Year's Eve 1999. I was at a urinal when Michael Hesaltine and Robin Cook strode in having a full blown argument. They took a urinal either side of me each and continued arguing over me. I got stage fright and it was all very awkward! My odd behaviour continued when we exited the houses to make our way to the, then not open, Jubilee line to take a private tube to the Millennium dome. I was walking behind William and Ffion Hague and as we passed through the outside area of the grounds what seemed like a million flash bulbs went off from the crowds pressed up against the railings surrounding the HoP. The Hagues started waving to the cameras and I instinctively did so too. After 10 seconds I realised what a moron I was being and scurried off back out of sight.
The second one was my old office which was in a repurposed London warehouse that had lots of interesting small businesses taking up the space. One was a custom guitar shop and I was working late one night when leaving the office I saw what I thought in the dusk was two doddery old women trying to find the release button for the locked gate of the court yard. I noticed there was a fancy limo outside the gates that looked to be waiting for them. I went over to help and turns out one of the frail old ladies was in fact Ronnie Wood who had been having a private viewing of the guitar shop he told me.
But the two weirdest 'meetings' were firstly in the gents at the Houses of Parliament on New Year's Eve 1999. I was at a urinal when Michael Hesaltine and Robin Cook strode in having a full blown argument. They took a urinal either side of me each and continued arguing over me. I got stage fright and it was all very awkward! My odd behaviour continued when we exited the houses to make our way to the, then not open, Jubilee line to take a private tube to the Millennium dome. I was walking behind William and Ffion Hague and as we passed through the outside area of the grounds what seemed like a million flash bulbs went off from the crowds pressed up against the railings surrounding the HoP. The Hagues started waving to the cameras and I instinctively did so too. After 10 seconds I realised what a moron I was being and scurried off back out of sight.
The second one was my old office which was in a repurposed London warehouse that had lots of interesting small businesses taking up the space. One was a custom guitar shop and I was working late one night when leaving the office I saw what I thought in the dusk was two doddery old women trying to find the release button for the locked gate of the court yard. I noticed there was a fancy limo outside the gates that looked to be waiting for them. I went over to help and turns out one of the frail old ladies was in fact Ronnie Wood who had been having a private viewing of the guitar shop he told me.
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also met timmy mallet and fred the weather man
I just remembered the nicest celebrity I met, albeit virtually, and that was Alex Horne. I got him to do a taskmaster night for my teams and he carried on way beyond his contractual commitment after the event to hang around on zoom chatting about anything and everything. Definitely someone I'd like to have a pint with.
Damn Feek scores AGAIN
I met Prince Michael of Kent when he presented me a prize at my school. We had to spend book tokens and get presented the books. All the other kids got presented books on their subjects, I got a pile of Science Fiction titles and a strange stare from the Prince. LOL. I'm glad I chose something I would enjoy!
"Been within 2m of when they've visited my work place or they've passed me by in the street/festival etc, maybe said Hi at most" - Maybe 30-ish inc Clarkson, lots of Zoo/Nuts models, Katherine Jenkins etc but, to be fair, it's at the very bottom of my "meeting people" idea.
"Actually spoken to for more than 5 minutes" - very few, my most famous would be Boris Johnson when he was still my local Oxfordshire MP back before he swapped to London's Mayor (say 2007-ish). I was invited to a "farmers lunch" by a farmer/mate that I did a lot of amateur pest control for and Boris was also there (only about 15 people IIRC) and, as I'd just got back from yet another Iraq tour he wanted a quick chat which turned into us (well, me mainly) talking about Life, the Universe and Everything for nearly 20 mins before he was introduced to someone else. He seemed to be a nice guy but also utterly bonkers, however how much of that is "Real vs done for effect because that's his persona" I've no idea.
"Actually spoken to for more than 5 minutes" - very few, my most famous would be Boris Johnson when he was still my local Oxfordshire MP back before he swapped to London's Mayor (say 2007-ish). I was invited to a "farmers lunch" by a farmer/mate that I did a lot of amateur pest control for and Boris was also there (only about 15 people IIRC) and, as I'd just got back from yet another Iraq tour he wanted a quick chat which turned into us (well, me mainly
) talking about Life, the Universe and Everything for nearly 20 mins before he was introduced to someone else. He seemed to be a nice guy but also utterly bonkers, however how much of that is "Real vs done for effect because that's his persona" I've no idea.