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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:
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CatMattress · 04/10/2023 15:47

I have a relative who's an actor and when we go and see them in a play we often get introduced to other actors. I was not hugely surprised by most of the stuck up and unpleasant actors, but I did meet Charles Dance and Jessica Lange and was struck by their pleasant attitude and friendliness. It was in stark contrast with, dare I say, younger actors.

girlmeetsboy · 04/10/2023 15:52

I worked in a London department store in the noughties and I served Charles Dance who was lovely, Sian Phillips however was very offhand and self Important. Belinda Carlisle was polite too without being over friendly.

TotalOverhaul · 04/10/2023 15:59

Thally · 04/10/2023 14:32

So glad Delia is nice. I think she seems nice and is a really interesting person.

Show quote history

DH met Delia a few times through work and had to have dinner with her a few times. He adored her. Said she was so friendly and really down to earth. Think he developed a bit of a crush on her.

Theonethatdidntgetaway · 04/10/2023 16:04

Not so 'celebrity' but journalist Ann Pickles used to regularly get drunk during the day at a restaurant I worked in as a teen. She was snobby and impolite. I picked my nose and put it in her ceaser salad once and have no regrets.

Kunt from KATG is adorably lovely and helpful.

TotalOverhaul · 04/10/2023 16:04

DysonSpheres · 04/10/2023 12:40

Met Jude Law.

I didn't recognise him at first and denied him access to the specialist VIP area at a concert. In fairness it was hot and I have a chromic illness and brain fog was high. I wasn't even meant to have been working that day at all but there was a shortage of staff.

Anyway, he showed me his wrist pass and everything and it had to have a certain colour code but I got mixed up on the colours. I also didn't twig because he was so dressed down. I refused point blank to let him in and told him to walk halfway around the stadium park area to another place. Kept repeating no.

Recognition only dawned on me (along with a creeping sense of wanting the ground to swallow me whole) towards the end of the exchange when his friends burst out laughing (clearly finding it amusing that he wasn't recognised and dismissed) and I looked at his face more closely. But by then I was a bit bamboozled at this unexpected turn of event, so couldn't speak anymore and just looked at him dumbly for a few seconds trying to work out how to backtrack.

But he was absolutely cool about it! Didn't say 'Do you know who I am?!' Or report me, or talk down to me, or throw his weight around. In fact he meekly complied, said thank you and walked around to the main entrance even though he would have been going to the wrong place.

My boss was later unimpressed when I related the story and I was ribbed mercilessly by staff later.

But I was super impressed by him. Lovely guy! People with far lesser status have treated me like shit at work and for doing my job correctly at that.

Here I did the wrong thing and he was just super amused by it and humble. The good looks complement his good manners for sure!

There's a great song by Paul Simon about getting locked out of the stage door when he goes out for a fag or to make a phone call, and then he's not allowed back in by security because he doesn't have a wristband to prove he's paid!

Paul Simon - Wristband

Best of PaulSimon: https://goo.gl/j3WY2ZSubscribe here: https://goo.gl/XFhtQp"Wristband" is the first single off Paul Simon's new album "Stranger To Stranger...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lJHVpH5v8Q

Elderflower14 · 04/10/2023 16:09

My late husbands very good friend did the catering on Robin Hood Prince Of Thieves. One of the catering staff working with him didn't recognise Kevin Costner who wanted food after they had finished service. She refused to serve him. DH friend got hauled in front of producer and had to apologise to KC.

MouseMinge · 04/10/2023 16:13

I love Greg Davies but I'd stand at the end of the queue because if he and I ever went on a date together we'd look like a freak show.

Puzzledandpissedoff · 04/10/2023 16:21

Not me this time, but a school musical group who were on the same tour in Austria

We were in Salzburg at festival time and they bumped into Andre Previn, who apparently spent ages with each youngster talking about their chosen instrument and just being massively encouraging

Really heartwarming ...

GonnaGetGoingReturns · 04/10/2023 16:25

Forgot about these. SIL used to manage William Morris Gallery and met Grayson Perry and other modern artists, all seemed fine even when I’ve been at previews. She also writes books on Pre-Raphaelites and has met Andrew Lloyd-Webber, fine. Her cousin met and had a few dates with David Walliams and flew her over to his LA home whereon she found out he was seeing other women and flew straight home.

In mid 00s I used to do dancing in Marylebone (church hall), one night after it we went to a fish n chip shop locally there and Noel Gallagher was hiding behind the counter, we weren’t interested at all as he came across as a twat for doing this.

Stepdad used to work for National Maritime Museum and met Prince Philip many times giving speeches and at dinners and said he was very nice and funny.

fungibletoken · 04/10/2023 16:25

Michael McIntyre - very ratty. Snapping at his assistants when his microphone kept coming untaped from his cheek, before eventually storming off the stage. Also hated when the tables were turned and someone made a joke about him.

IncognitoMam · 04/10/2023 16:31

Linda Robson was very gracious to my star struck friend. I had to get friend to wait until Linda had finished her meal in the restaurant.

Sat in front of Nick Moran when seeing his play Telstar the Joe Meek story. I had a high hair do and have a long back anyway, so was spoiling hia view. He was muttering to people he was with about me. Changed my hair in the loo. Saw him at the pub and mentioned it he had a laugh. Think he found me a bit bolshy tbh. Was ok though. I don't wear that style now anyway 😄

plantingandpotting · 04/10/2023 16:32

Beverley Knight always stands out in my memory - super kind to me when I was a depressed shop assistant on Bond St about 15 years ago.

Sarah Harding during that same stint. Didn't really acknowledge that she was being served and stayed on the phone at the cash register.

Nigel Slater through work, who I loved at the time. Signed my book and had a photo but with very little interaction.

Dawn O'Porter whilst working in ad land. So real and down to earth. Kind to everyone from the lowest to the highest on the team.

Out and about I've seen Graham Norton and Kit Harrington, both seemed very private and had friends to shield them from being approached, totally understandable.

Cat Deeley was very sweet when I met her as a teenager. She invited the contestants individually to her dressing room to chat and get to know us a bit before recording, which felt above and beyond.

momtoboys · 04/10/2023 16:35

This actor is older now but was very popular in his day...I rode in a chairlift with Robert Redford while skiing once in US. I also stood on line with Dame Judy Dench in a cafe. Both were personable and lovely and wanted to know more about me than talk about themselves.

Thewizardbinbag · 04/10/2023 16:41

Anne Robinson and she was so kind and lovely and chatty. Very polite and just a joy to chat to. I was working on a book shop and we were super busy but she wasn’t at all self important or arrogant like a lot of celebs when it’s busy in a shop and they expect to jump to the front and won’t speak to you etc.

Frankie Boyle as well. He was a regular in the shop and always funny and very kind. Asked how you were getting on etc.

The dude who played the hound on game of thrones; he was a sweetheart.

Thewizardbinbag · 04/10/2023 16:45

Oh and Lee Evans. He was amazing. We saw him in Glasgow and a couple walked in half way through the show, right down at the front, and he asked why they were so late as they’d missed half the show. The motorway had been closed due to a lorry spilling something and they couldn’t get through and were already running late (which is why most people got through before the spill happened). He went away and came back telling them he had sorted tickets for them in Aberdeen for the weekend as it was the last night in Glasgow and told them to come over at the end to speak to his manager guy to sort them out somewhere to stay etc.

Then at the end of the show, he went down to the front of the stage and shook hands with anyone who went up and chatted. And this was the SEC in Glasgow so huge capacity but he was happy to stay as long as needed to shake hands and chat. Absolutely lovely.

FatherJackHackettsUnderpantsHamper · 04/10/2023 17:07

Not surprised to hear how lovely Andy Murray is - the man has his head screwed on (see his cutting remarks to journalists who ignore the achievements of female tennis players) and has a wicked sense of humour judging by his turn on “Rob and Romesh”.

He was also a guest in the audience of Mock The Week once, and the panellists continually made jokes at his expense - he and Kim were absolutely howling.

Inthebitterend · 04/10/2023 17:07

Thewizardbinbag · 04/10/2023 16:45

Oh and Lee Evans. He was amazing. We saw him in Glasgow and a couple walked in half way through the show, right down at the front, and he asked why they were so late as they’d missed half the show. The motorway had been closed due to a lorry spilling something and they couldn’t get through and were already running late (which is why most people got through before the spill happened). He went away and came back telling them he had sorted tickets for them in Aberdeen for the weekend as it was the last night in Glasgow and told them to come over at the end to speak to his manager guy to sort them out somewhere to stay etc.

Then at the end of the show, he went down to the front of the stage and shook hands with anyone who went up and chatted. And this was the SEC in Glasgow so huge capacity but he was happy to stay as long as needed to shake hands and chat. Absolutely lovely.

This is so nice it made me a bit emotional 😂

FatherJackHackettsUnderpantsHamper · 04/10/2023 17:08

journalist Ann Pickles used to regularly get drunk during the day at a restaurant I worked in as a teen.

Is that nominative determinism in action?!

iamwhatiam23 · 04/10/2023 17:08

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.

This doesn't shock me at all! He massively gives me the creeps! I don't know how people think he's so lovely.

JaneJeffer · 04/10/2023 17:09

Is that nominative determinism in action?!
😂

queenofthewild · 04/10/2023 17:19

Paul O'Grady was so rude. Communicated via an assistant "tell her to do this. Ask her why..". I have no idea why he felt the need for an interpreter/intermediary. Totally bizarre.

Marchitectmummy · 04/10/2023 17:21

I lived in the same building as Barbara Windsor, so lovely and so friendly. She made the community. A pub nearby often had Donna Air in always with different men, always significantly older men. Can't say what she was like always kept herself to herself and sat out of the way.

Later moved and lived near Jimmy Carr, had lots of interaction and he is pretty much his on screen persona without the humour and wit, highly opinionated, very negative and argumentative. The things that are funny about him on screen are tricky to like off screen.

Boris seemed to be to his word always on a bike, really relaxed person and likes a discussion. Other than drawing in a lot of press activity he was really liked in the neighbourhood, not politically but as a neighbour.

Rod Stewart was often in a pub we went to and is totally amazing, so down to earth, friendly and happy.

Have seen lots of others passing but don't know enough to judge.

nationallampoons · 04/10/2023 17:23

@NameChangePoP no it's KK. Don't believe everything she says about George

Thewizardbinbag · 04/10/2023 17:26

@Marchitectmummy

I’m surprised about Jimmy Carr. When I was at uni, we were in Starbucks and he came in. It was really busy so he asked if he could sit at a spare chair at our table and he was lovely. Asked us all about our uni courses and everything. Just chatted. He seemed really personable and without any of the attitude he has on screen.

girljulian · 04/10/2023 17:30

Inthebitterend · 04/10/2023 15:01

I put a wrist band on Ross Kemp at a Robbie Williams concert once. He was very friendly and funny, seemed like a lovely person.

I met Paul McCartney at a book signing for his children's book. I absolutely love him and I was nervous as hell. He was so very kind, he asked me about my daughter and how old she was. He called me darling and I think I nearly died. He also made a point of telling me to go and meet the illustrator of the book who was signing on a table near him. Not in a shitty way but like, saying she is brilliant and I should go and meet her. I thought that was such a nice thing to do. He was also very nice to the people ahead of me in the queue from what I could see/hear.

One of my friends was about 16/17 (and she looked it) and met Marilyn Manson at a signing in London. She was wearing an oversized t-shirt with his face on it. He purposefully asked her to pull it tight then signed directly across her breasts (on the tshirt obviously). It creeped her out for ages, understandably.

Macca converts unite! I was amused to see someone in this thread say Phil Collins was a knob, as I think the only person I've ever seen say anything bad about Paul McCartney is in fact Phil Collins.