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Original poster

Anyone met a celebrity and they haven’t been how you expected?

628 replies

Everdeen80 · 18/09/2023 14:35

I guess from all the RB threads…a lot of people saying that they are appalled but not exactly surprised.

so I wondered - anybody met anyone well known and they were NOT how you expected? For good or bad?

I had a very strange and brief encounter with one of my favourite actresses a couple of years ago and it was not what I expected at all! Made me realise of course we don’t know these people at all. Any other stories?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
10
VeronicaFranklin · 03/10/2023 22:43

BCSurvivor · 03/10/2023 17:10

David Hockney, way back in the 1980s, when I was a 16 year old art school student.
He was supposed to be giving a talk but turned up completely drunk and could hardly stand up.
And then refused to acknowledge anyone afterwards unless they bought his book.
I was expecting someone nicer.

I mean I have never really understood his cult following for his artwork. It looks like it's been painted when pissed tbh! So this fits.

Mangofandangoo · 03/10/2023 22:46

Jeremy Clarkon is a twerp ( as we all knew) and Carol Kirkwood is very lovely

AuroraCake · 03/10/2023 22:46

2teenboys · 03/10/2023 22:41

ok I was loving this thread until someone said David Jason was rude 😫 I love him!

Lives near me. I don’t know whether he s just really private to be honest.

Katrinawaves · 03/10/2023 22:46

2teenboys · 03/10/2023 22:41

ok I was loving this thread until someone said David Jason was rude 😫 I love him!

David Jason is painfully shy and hates being approached by strangers and forced to engage on their terms. He’s not the kind of person you see out and about at glitzy restaurants courting the publicity. He very much keeps a low profile in his personal life.

girljulian · 03/10/2023 22:48

goodbyestranger · 03/10/2023 22:34

OK, this one I am green with envy

Same.

I live overlooking the Mull of Kintyre and often hope I'll bump into him when I'm walking the dogs. But I think he's given up on Scotland pretty much.

I told my DH and he said "so you'll be getting married now then" but actually it was very awkward! He seemed middle-aged at first look but this was only a couple of years ago -- he is quite elderly! I felt very guilty for letting my considerable bulk crash into him, given I probably weigh as much as he does. He is very gorgeous though.

Blogswife · 03/10/2023 22:49

A few years ago I had to spend a few hours at a Charity event in Simon Weston’s company ( he was getting paid - I wasn’t ) horrible, rude & arrogant man . Completely not what I was expecting.

CarolinaInTheMorning · 03/10/2023 22:49

Speaking of nice voices, a PP mentioned Michael York. I met him briefly when he was visiting the US, and yes, he was very nice, and oh my goodness what a lovely speaking voice.

goodbyestranger · 03/10/2023 22:52

If I can't bump into Paul McCartney I'd quite like to bump into Colin Firth, if he's ever around these parts.

zurala · 03/10/2023 22:53

Martin Lewis the moneysaving guy was a bit of a twonk unfortunately, but Martin Clunes is lovely!

PurpleWhirple · 03/10/2023 22:53

MargaritaHargitaysLittleSister · 03/10/2023 12:30

Angela Rippon....awful ...just awful. Rude and a massive sense of self importance. Olly Murs was absolutely lovely. Declan Rice is also full of his own self importance.

I also met Angela rippon and she was HORRIBLE

twilightcafe · 03/10/2023 22:54

Come on! Drop us a clue!

Leftlegwest · 03/10/2023 22:54

Victoria Beckham was lovely, gracious and very polite.

hellywelly3 · 03/10/2023 22:56

I meet Nick Faldo the golfer. A few years ago in a jewellers I worked in. Lovely guy and extremely well mannered and polite children.

GoingDownLikeBHS · 03/10/2023 22:58

Trevor McDonald and Stephen Fry - both very nervous and unassuming (and very polite).

nopuppiesallowed · 03/10/2023 22:59

Michael Morpurgo - I was at a book signing with a friend and her children. He was absolutely lovely. Talked to each child as if they were the only child in the room.

BingoDingoZingo · 03/10/2023 23:02

I’ve briefly met Angela Ripon at a charity awards event she was hosting. My colleague was acquainted with her through the charity so we got a selfie. She was nice.

30 odd years ago Lesley Joseph was doing theatre/panto in Bath and whilst shopping my mum spotted her, chasing her down the street screeching ‘Lesley, Lesley’. She pulled a photo out of her handbag and signed it, obviously well prepared. This was at the height of her birds of a feather fame I guess.

As a kid I saw Paul Daniels in a local tourist shop so got him to sign a postcard then paid for it.

I have another tale about some 90s DJ/one hit wonder types but it doesn’t reflect well on me!

Blossom4538 · 03/10/2023 23:03

Actor who played Jack Duckworth in Corrie - lovely!

Tommy Mallett and partner from Towie - really nice.

alesha dixon lovely

Gordon Ramsey v friendly

VitoCorleoneOfMNMafia · 03/10/2023 23:04

CakeInAJar · 03/10/2023 13:58

Oh and India Willoughby told me to fuck off 🤣

Fits Willoughby's Twitter use.

GoingDownLikeBHS · 03/10/2023 23:04

I’ve met Michael Rosen too and he was very uncomfortable - I don’t think he likes public engagements.

StillWantingADog · 03/10/2023 23:07

Floopyfloop · 03/10/2023 22:26

Met King Charles in the late 90s and he was very kind and present when speaking to you.

Was coming on to say exactly the same thing. He was also shorter than I expected.

as was Bill Clinton (being a random tourist in Barcelona with an entourage). Unlike Charles he definitely was not “working” but was charming.

Mylovelygreendress · 03/10/2023 23:07

PheonixAndTheCarpet · 18/09/2023 14:52

Is the tennis player Andy Murray?
Many years ago I had the misfortune of meeting Jim Davidson at an event and he was exactly what I expected!

I have met Andy Murray a couple of times and he was charming .
Lulu was a horrible and don’t mention Carol Smilie !

Lesina · 03/10/2023 23:07

WearyAuldWumman · 03/10/2023 09:00

My late husband was brought up on and around Balmoral and worked there for a while. (This was many years ago.)

Most of the Royals were lovely, he reckoned. The one that he thought rather unpleasant was someone who'd married into the family.

I finally binged The Crown earlier this year and that person was portrayed as being particularly horrible, so it tied in with what DH said.

Diana? Always thought she’d be tricky

TheFireflies · 03/10/2023 23:09

Olindia · 03/10/2023 21:44

Yes Eileen from Corrie is rude! My mum was really disappointed when I told her.

Vinnie Jones- kind of what you imagine but was very kind and generous.

frankie detori- nice but quite… aloof?

Frankie Dettori is up himself. Very arrogant.

Years ago now I met Rhod Gilbert as he was starting out in comedy, I know he’s actually quite shy and also likes an on-stage rant, but I was having an argument in the bar post-show with the headline act of the evening who had tried to stir the audience up against me for not laughing at a rape joke. After I’d had it out with that guy (and he’d apologised), Rhod Gilbert took the time to come over to me to say he’d overheard what I’d said and to ask if I was OK. We had a chat and he was absolutely lovely. And much funnier and later much more successful than that odious headliner.

PurpleWhirple · 03/10/2023 23:09

Not the point of the thread, but cliff richard was exactly as I would have expected him to be: an odious, self important, tiny little prick of a man.

Mylovelygreendress · 03/10/2023 23:09

Chris Tarrant was an arrogant pig