Why don't I like John Barrowman?

[MyGhastIsFlabbered]

Catching up on Dancing On Ice and John Barrowman just gives me the heebie jeebies but I don't understand why? Can anyone explain?

I met him in real life and he was totally up himself. He actually said "don't, you know who I am?"

As it turns out I didn't, someone later told me!

Also having previously worked in theatre, I know he is unpopular amongst people who work back stage and front of house.

He actually said "don't, you know who I am?"

Urgh, I cant believe he said that- such a cringeworthy and arrogant thing to say

It's because he looks (and sounds) like a cross between Tom Cruise and John Travolta. 2 × creepy american dudes = creepiness squared.

*""What I found really bizarre was when he was doing a documentary and was on the phone to his parents. He sounded completely different - Scottish accent."

Nothing bizarre about it: he was born in Scotland to Scottish parents: they emigrated when he was a child and he was educated in the US where he had his first breakthrough. Of course he speaks the family dialect in his own family."*

I do understand that it principle - it just came across as really odd when he drifted between the two accents sentence by sentence as his attention adjusted. And that he never uses that accent in his normal persona.

Ive seen the accent switching thing before. Went to uni with a girl who had a really thick Scottish accent when calling her family but no accent at all day to day. But none of my fiancé’s (Scottish) family do it. Since they are the only 2 people (Barrowman and uni halls mate) I’ve known to do it I often wonder how common it is.

I like him but I found it weird and annoying when he changed his accent to Scottish when he was presenting that animal programme. It was obviously put on. But I know someone who has met him and they said he was very down to earth and friendly.

Its the grey hair

He's just like an over excited child
Loved him in the jungle

He is largely reported as a nice bloke in real life.
However there are persistent rumours of off-colour high jinks when performing musical theatre I believe...

However there are persistent rumours of off-colour high jinks when performing musical theatre I believe...

If you’re talking about that panto at the SECC with The Crankies, I suspect that’ll have been more them than him...

Ive seen the accent switching thing before. Went to uni with a girl who had a really thick Scottish accent when calling her family but no accent at all day to day. But none of my fiancé’s (Scottish) family do it. Since they are the only 2 people (Barrowman and uni halls mate) I’ve known to do it I often wonder how common it is.

My db does it: local accent with the people he works with (and has known all his life), "educated accent" with his family, which was used at home when he was a child . I don't find it any stranger than the fact that I and my bilingual children constantly code-switch depending on who we are talking to but also what we are talking about.

In some countries it is really, really common. Known as diglossia. People have an educated accent for use at work and use the local accent at home. Doesn't make millions of e.g. rural Italians creepy.

Lol @Butchyrestingface I hadn't heard that one!

Accent-switching really isn't that unusual. Do you find Gillian Anderson sinister on the same grounds?

Aw what? I love John Barrowman! Relieved to hear the stories on the thread who have met him and say he's nice too - phew

Saw JB in concert earlier this year. What a talent - superb singing voice. His mum has a gorgeous singing voice as well.

Yes, he was camp and show biz-y during the night, but he was also warm and friendly. Even my reluctant dh enjoyed the concert.

also, I’ve known people to switch or moderate their accent depending who they are with.

I find him impossible to read. As though he has 'damped down' any body language or facial expressions that don't say what he is saying verbally. Maybe something he's learned to do for some reason?

Never heard anything bad about him irl though. He's probably lovely at home.

Mark Ronson also does the accent switch and everyone says he's the nicest man in pop (if only he'd stop collaborating with men who write misogynistic lyrics)

I do find the John Barrowman on tv a bit much, however I have seen him a number of times in his live shows and he is lovely. He often brings his family on stage and you can see how much he really loves them and they have a great banter.