Have you met a celebrity? What were they like?

[StrictlyProfessional]

Following on from the ' have you met abs infamous criminal' thread. Has anyone met a celebrity (bonus points for really famous) and were they nice?

Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens) walked into my office one afternoon to get some information on the product we supplied (music biz thing). Absolutely lovely, chatted for a bit and left. My colleague who had ignored him (this was probably 2000 or 2001 and he wasn't recognisable) nearly died when I said who it was.

Ioan Gruffudd, again absolutely lovely and so handsome up close - I used to email our invoices to him and he'd respond with "thanks Flakey x". Dishy.

Ramin Karmiloo - hey to the lady who'd seen Su Pollard in Pirates of Penzance - did you know that Ramin played the Lead Policeman on that tour? I'm a big fan of musicals and follow Ramin's career, met him a couple of times, stage door and meet and greets, and he's an absolute sweetheart. Going through my old progammes and stunned to see there he was (I think it was 2002 for Pirates). Big in theatre circles, possibly better known as the bloke on Holby City.

Donny Osmond, many times, always lovely. My first (and at this rate my last) love. David Essex, also lovely and when asked politely (by my friend) posed for pics with us, but seemed irritated with people putting cameras in his face and taking photos without asking first. Les McEwan (ex Bay City Rollers and now ex life) - such a lovely guy, we were outside a hotel bar after a concert he was part of, and he kind of drifted over joined us for a chat and a laugh. Very sweet - sad to see he died.

Meet and greet with Michael Ball and Alfie Boe - Michael was very jolly and chatty and Alfie seemed - well, kind of stunned through the whole thing (I think it was their first time performing together and the first concert and probably the first meet and greet and of course I had to be the first called ... ),

Briefly met Koo Stark who has beautiful eyes and was lovely. And Stephen Fry. And Meg Ryan who was very smiley. Bryan Cranston at a book signing, watching him engage with a whole queue of people, seemed like a good bloke.

Nearly forgot. Spoke to Sean Connery on the phone once, who was looking for my then boss. Unmistakable voice (and also very nice). Accidently hung up on Claudia Schiffer (didn't know how the phone system worked).

I don't recall any famous faces that were memorable as being dicks. Thankfully.

@cavalier Danniella Westbrook?

Marc Bolan of T Rex bought me a drink and chatted to me during the interval of his gig at our tiny local venue in 1969. A lovely, lovely man, gone way too soon.

Aggie, from How Clean Is Your House, was very friendly and asked me where we were going instead when we arrived at Yo Sushi together to find it closed. Then she went somewhere else.

The author Ann Fine. Came to the school I worked at regularly. Very modest, travelled by train, wore a distinctive hat so that shy children would speak to her to ask about it. Wonderful.

Whitesnake. I objected when they got served before me at a hotel bar (I’d no idea who they were). They apologised profusely and were so polite. Didn’t offer me a drink though.

Cilla again. I was brought up not to speak ill of the dead, so I won’t.

DH's cousin is on the comedy circuit and we've met a few comedians. Most aren't interested in you once they know you're not in the business but Alan Carr is a rare exception. Lovely guy! Joe Lycett is also very well thought of. Peter Kay is fairly loathed. He's pissed off a lot of people committing the cardinal sin of stealing other people's jokes.

Brian Blessed is a family friend of my best friend from school. I went to Brownies with his daughter and had Sunday lunch with him. He was terrifying but only because he was so big and so loud. Otherwise he was just like anyone else. Talked a lot too.

About 18years ago DH and I met David Beckham in Foot Locker in the Trafford Centre. He was on his own looking just looking at the trainers.
We’d just bought our DS some of his clothing from his new line of kids clothing in Marks & Spencer. What we’d bought was in a large M&S paper bag with his face & 07 logo on it and he signed the bag for us.
I still have the bag folded up in a drawer somewhere.

He was absolutely lovely and very, very good looking.

I don’t normally approach celebrities but my husband noticed Noel Fielding chilling out on Santa Monica Pier with a few friends/entourage. Stopped for a little chat and he helped me get a nice photo of them together from the right angle! This was in the Mighty Boosh days before he popped up on Bake Off. He was soooo nice.

Ah - I forgot about Hank Azaria! Spamalot preview performance in New York, at Stage Door Hank Azaria (played Sir Lancelot) was an absolute darling, signed all the programmes shoved at him and did Simpsons voices when asked from members of the big crowd waiting to see him.

Robbie Williams once recorded a voicemail for my phone after I had a car accident.

Norman Wisdom used to come into the cafe i worked in when I was 15. It was odd as i lived in Newcastle but his best friend from his army years lived across the road and he would visit often. Most lovely, kind, polite man you could imagine. Would carry his own plate into the kitchen and wash it :) left HUGE tips. The Newcastle United football team used to come into that cafe too. This was late 80s when the team included Gazza and Kevin Keegan. Again, lovely and suprsingly quiet and respectful .
My workplace in the 90s looked out over the Newcastle training ground. All the girls used to camp out on the grass bank at lunchtime to watch the very gorgeous David Ginola. He would always come over and chat. Was super lovely and stunningly beautiful !
Met Mark Addy at a kids play park in Northumberland. His kids were playing with mine. Him and his wife were really friendly and chatty.
Was in the same nightclub as Keith Flint a couple of years before he sadly passed. It was just a grotty rock nightclub in Newcastle, but he was just sat by the dancefloor and talking to everyone who came up to him. A friend said he was very smiley, chatty and laid back.
Only horrible celeb i ever met was Paula Yates. My uncle was a security guard for Tyne Tees TV in the days of the Tube. I was too young to go, but if I visited my uncle with my cousin she would flounce past and stare at us( we were about 12) like we were something the dog had just pooped out. You would then hear her screaming abuse at the make up girls and stylists from down the corridor. Horrible woman.

I met Prince Andrew as young chorister. He spoke to me and complimented me on my solo. However he didn't try to have sex with me, which makes me think I was quite an ugly child

My ex worked at Yorkshire Television, and he told me that the crew lads on a programme James Martin was recording were ribbing him (JM). He must have got sick of it, and shouted "Have you got a fucking Ferrari?" at them.

Back in the day my best friend and l were in a very nice restaurant in London with her older brother. David and Angie Bowie came into the restaurant, my friend's brother knew them (can't say in what capacity). They spotted him and came over to talk to us and invited us to join them for a drink. My friend and l were still teenagers at the time, and we were totally star struck, but they were lovely. David was so charismatic and friendly, and Angie was a hoot, so funny, and very kind to us.

@VanCleefArpels

Prince Andrew. I was 15 and at a private social event. He was a letchy creep.

Prince Phillip, at an event at my university. He was very funny and shorter than you’d think

Piers Morgan, at a fundraising event. Extremely lovely and engaging. Phil Tufnell at the same event, entitled and rude

I would have guessed that about Tufnell, he always gives that impression. Never met him, never want to.

Tom Kerridge was so lovely, chatted and laughed with the kids, called my other half a BBQ nerd! Thoroughly nice chap x

Jake Wood and Linda Robson at two separate events. Really approachable and happy to chat. David Mitchell was lovely and bumbling as you might expect. Natalie Cassidy was really down to earth - I told her I’d tried her workout video and she said “Ah, I worked my bollocks off for that!” Used to serve James Corden in a local shop when he was in Hollyoaks - bit grumpy from what I remember but maybe he just didn’t like queuing!

@LadyCatStark

Gordon Ramsey when I worked at one of his Kitchen Nightmares restaurants as a student. He was lovely to me and asked me questions about Uni etc but he was (rightly) pissed off at the owners who were total dicks.

DH seems to bump into famous people all the time somehow. He says the worst was Scarlet Moffat.

My brother has met Gordon Ramsay a few times and always says how lovely he is. Very friendly and down to earth.

He doesn’t have the same opinion about other celebrity chefs!

Rik Mayall - hilarious and very silly.
Noel Edmonds - helpful (held our ponies while we went off to get ice-cream at a horse show).
Amy Winehouse - quiet and seemed sad.
Prince Edward - chatty.
Keith Chegwin and Maggie Philbin - energetic.
Victor Lownes - polite and a good host.
Rick Wakeman - very tall with massive hands.
Bob Harris - Ditto.
Seasick Steve - great fun.
John Bly - amazing garden parties.
Matt Dillon - took the piss out of my 'posh' accent (it isn't).
Gary Numan - shy (or bored, not sure which).
Johnny Morris - terrifying (to a small child anyway!).
Paul McGann - don't know, was overcome with shyness.
Adam Faith - doing his shopping in Iceland (or somewhere like that).
The Queen - smiley and genuinely happy.
Robbie Coltrane - dick.
Sheila Hancock - polite.
Darcey Bussell - had a lovely chat with DD (she still talks about it years later).

I was talking to my mum about this thread and asked her if she's ever met anyone famous. She said noddy from slade - she sat on his lap!

She also said (and mega jealous) Tom Selleck!!!! She met him in the plaza in NY when she was having afternoon tea. When she finished, her and my dad got up to leave and she almost walked into him. She said he was so kind and charming! She never told me that (was only a couple of years ago!!)

And here's me getting Alan Carr to speak to her on the phone when he was sat in the bar at Edinburgh airport pissed as a fart!! Actually love that guy!

Quite a few,
Princess Anne - an absolute hoot and very good at sinking booze.
George Michael - Gentle, quiet and very unassuming. Very kind and sweet man.

Oh and one cute story - when my nephew was little he was out for a family meal and Peter Jones was at a table near them. Someone in the family said oh look one of the dragons and nephew piped up I don’t see any dragons! Peter Jones and the group he was with burst out laughing and took it all in good humour 😆

I've met Brooke Shields(nice, humble) Emma Thompson (very sweet with sense of humour) Liam Callagher (shy, introverted) with his wife Ms Applegate (polite) Uma Thurman and Arpad Bousson when they were still together (they used to have a French manny who was super hot 😉). Both were quite flamboyant..

@Fizzgigg

Loads but standouts are Sinead O'Connor (very sweet and friendly) and Nina Simone (total diva but polite - and fair enough as she'l was a legend)

You got off lightly - she once shot a postman!

John Lithgow was really lovely, kind and sweet.

Timmy Mallett was an absolute dick head and extremely rude!

My friend used to live on the same street as Adam Woodyat (Ian Beale) and he is a complete arse

I though he lived in the old zoo behind the greek restaurant? ive seen him in another local town a couple of times, but had nothing to do with him

@RugCarpet22

I've met Brooke Shields(nice, humble) Emma Thompson (very sweet with sense of humour) Liam Callagher (shy, introverted) with his wife Ms Applegate (polite) Uma Thurman and Arpad Bousson when they were still together (they used to have a French manny who was super hot 😉). Both were quite flamboyant..

Did you mean Liam Gallagher and Nicole Appleton?

Bill Clinton, Ronald Reagan, Jane Asher, Rick Stein, Richard E Grant, Edwina Currie, Mikhail Gorbachev, Lesley Joseph all spring to mind. All pleasant except Lesley Joseph. Paula Yates was a regular in the shop I worked in.