Vic Reeves isn't actually Vic Reeves!

[Crankley]

I've just started watching an old Celebrity Masterchef on Netflix which I hadn't seen and Vic Reeves was one of the celebs except they kept calling him Jim which made me very confused. Apparently his real name is Jim Moir. Am I alone in not knowing this?

@ElizabethMainwaring-Wow! I was at Halesowen College when Chris Collins taught there-he was also my English and Theatre Studies lecturer! I worked for 'XXXX Caberet' when he began his standup career-another Drama lecturer was his agent. I also went to his first wedding and I can honestly say he was, hands down, the funniest off the cuff person I have ever met (sadly not so good with a script!)

Maybe but Winona Ryder and Natalie Portman both changed theirs and they are much more recent.

I'm actually surprised at how many their are who changed their names - lots just using their middle name instead of the first but also huge amounts who changed their whole name. I wonder how many are called their stage/changed name by everyone now? Does Sigourney Weavers mum call her Susan for example?

DH works quite close to the village where Jim Moir lives. DH thinks that Jim once cut him up pulling out of a petrol station without looking properly.

[quote CuddlyDudley71]@ElizabethMainwaring-Wow! I was at Halesowen College when Chris Collins taught there-he was also my English and Theatre Studies lecturer! I worked for 'XXXX Caberet' when he began his standup career-another Drama lecturer was his agent. I also went to his first wedding and I can honestly say he was, hands down, the funniest off the cuff person I have ever met (sadly not so good with a script!)[/quote]
Hi CuddlyDudley71! smile]Are your initials KB?

Sorry @CuddlyDudley71
I've been experimenting with name changing!

UK PMs Ramsey MacDonald, Harold Wilson and Gordon Brown all actually have/had the first name James, but chose to be known by their middle names. By contrast, Leonard Callaghan also chose to go by his middle name - which was, of course, James.

Can you imagine James (Gordon) Brown whooping and gyrating on stage and beseeching everybody to get on up like a sex machine? As Mrs Doyle would have said, "Go on - get a good mental picture of it!" Best psychological dieting aid known to humankind

@Confusedpixo

Andrew Lincoln from The Walking Dead (Teachers if you're from my generation) is actually Andrew Clutterbuck which is the best name ever.

He'll always be Egg in This Life if you're from my generation. Doesn't it mean shit shoveller or is that an urban myth.

Does Sigourney Weavers mum call her Susan for example?

I think some famous people change their names across the board, and everybody then calls them that, whereas others only ever use their stage names professionally and nobody ever calls them that in private life.

I'd love to think that some of the musicians, who don't just swap one plausible-sounding name for a different one (albeit more glam-sounding) but go for something more abstract, have mums who now call them by their stage name.

"Badly, your dinner's ready!"
"50, we need to walk out of that door in 10 minutes!"
"Vanilla, did you remember to put some petrol in the car?!"
"Ol' Dirty, don't forget it's your Nan's birthday in two weeks' time!"

Possibly surprisingly, Meat Loaf (born Marvin Aday) has always (since changing his name) been called Meat by everybody, even in private. It's two distinct words: first name Meat, surname Loaf. His ex-wife went by the name Lesley Loaf, but their daughters both use Aday.

Freddie Mercury’s (Farrokh Bulsara) mum does refer to him as Freddie in interviews but I wonder what she used to call him at home.

Freddie Mercury’s (Farrokh Bulsara) mum does refer to him as Freddie in interviews but I wonder what she used to call him at home.

Yes, it's an interesting ponder, isn't it? Referring to him as Farrokh when talking about somebody only known as Freddie would be pointless, as you'd just have to keep clarifying it - a little like when parents just call their spouse 'Mum' or 'Dad' when talking to their kids, as to them (especially when little), that is the person's name.

At least Farrokh and Freddie are both normal first names, though - I can imagine Big Narstie's mum seriously blanching at being expected to refer to her baby as 'Narstie'

@SkepticalCat,
I used to live in the village where Jim lives. Nancy was often seen in the local shop. She'd just been the face of Ann Summers & the guy who ran the shop was always delighted to see her...
Jim used to turn on the village Christmas lights. Rumour had it that the house he bought was owned by Tom Baker.

Yes!! My maiden name and married initial are the same!! First time I've ever been recognised on here!! What are your initials?

Shania Twain is Eileen Edwards
EILEEN

Oh, come on

@Judashascomeintosomemoney

Shania Twain is Eileen Edwards EILEEN

Oh, come on

[quote ChinookPilotsGoVertical]@SkepticalCat,
I used to live in the village where Jim lives. Nancy was often seen in the local shop. She'd just been the face of Ann Summers & the guy who ran the shop was always delighted to see her...
Jim used to turn on the village Christmas lights. Rumour had it that the house he bought was owned by Tom Baker.[/quote]
Brilliant.

I'd heard about the Christmas lights, and doing other things for the community.

Not sure if he still lives there? When we Googled to see if it possibly was him, an article came up to say he'd bought a house elsewhere.

Nancy was often seen in the local shop. She'd just been the face of Ann Summers

Is that a euphemism they use when recruiting a new poster girl? Do any of their customers actually take any notice of faces when making purchasing decisions?!

I knew this year's ago!

One of the more recent ones I learned was Anton du Beke actually being Anthony Beak (or maybe it's just spelled as Beke, I can't remember now.) His name change isn't a huge one but does seem to sound better for dancing.

I didn't know about Frank Skinner though, think that's the only one I didn't know was a stage name from the ones on here so far (couldn't have told you them all off the top of my head though.).

@CuddlyDudley71

Yes!! My maiden name and married initial are the same!! First time I've ever been recognised on here!! What are your initials?

@CuddlyDudley71 Aha! I will personally message you!

@CuddlyDudley71
Bugger! I've done the name change thing again