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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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10
BatshitCrazyWoman · 03/10/2023 20:42

Anne Diamond was very rude. Princess Anne was lovely (and I am not a monarchist at all). Charles (Prince when I met him through work) - rude, abrupt, I wasn't impressed, none of us were!

Messyhair321 · 03/10/2023 20:43

Anthony Head saw him in the local supermarket having a proper go at his DD who was probably about 12/ 13 at the time. Felt really sorry for her she looked positively miserable.
I thought that guy really doesn't want to be here.

I've met other slebs - Gerry Halliwell was very nice, also a famous wildlife photographer (forget his full name Chris something) he is detached but polite. I was also friendly with quite a few musicians but they'd be of the older generation now (think hawkwind, stranglers, Reef, Tangerine Dream). All lovely people,

MsJuniper · 03/10/2023 20:46

Darren Day was quite sweet, not at all the arrogant type I had expected.

Germaine Greer was exactly as I had imagined.

Most of them have been fairly nice (met in work context so maybe that makes a difference?)

Wolvesart · 03/10/2023 20:47

Years ago my friend had a date with Melvyn Hayes of It Ain’t Half Hot Mum fame. We had all thought he was gay as he’d played parts like that in comedies on tv, so that was a surprise

BigSwiss · 03/10/2023 20:48

Met Brian Blessed and Annika Rice (separately!) in v stressful circumstances through work and both were utterly lovely.

A friend of mine once sat next to Rowan Atkinson at a dinner party and he was probably having a shit day because he didn't say word, not a peep all evening.

mummabubs · 03/10/2023 20:48

Startingagainandagain · 03/10/2023 17:01

The celebs I have met:

Really unpleasant:

  • Tracey Emin: rude and arrogant
  • Esther Rantzen: rude, arrogant and well known by TV crews for being difficult. Also, her charitable persona is just an act...

Friendly ones:

  • Kay Burley
  • Various cast members from Holly City
  • Julian Sands (RIP)
  • Russell Tovey.

Also met Princess Anne several times and Boris Johnson. Was very impressed by her, Johnson not so much...

That's interesting as I met Esther Rantzen when I was 12 and found her pleasant enough, if a little cold.

Britt Eckland however came across as really rude and unpleasant when I met her years ago.

BigSwiss · 03/10/2023 20:50

Met Jeffrey Archer last year - that man could talk the hind legs off a donkey!

PictureConsequences · 03/10/2023 20:50

I went to La Manga in about 2007 and Andrew Castle was there. I didn't get especially close to him, but he was always looking around, checking who was watching him. He looked quite pleasant despite that but I'm a crap judge of character.

ISeeTheLight · 03/10/2023 20:52

I met quite a few in a previous job which was in the same building as a major radio station (and the receptionists always tipped us off) so we used to have celebrities in on a weekluly basis pretty much. Usher stood out as being incredibly friendly, down to earth and generous with his time. Very short too but just completely lovely. Justin Timberlake was very polite. Beyonce too. Rylan Clark was friendly but very shy (at the time, this was about 10 years ago). It was generally the less well known stars that had a total air of self importance.

One Direction - they were absolutely hounded by hordes of fans - I would hate to live like that. Never got to talk to them as they had security and a big entourage (unsurprisingly and probably needed given the fans).

I also once ran into Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon- like, full on ran into him - I was running to the toilets in between sets. He's very tall (and I'm 5'9 so not exactly short). And he apologised to me and smiled, straight away, even though it was definitely my fault running around a corner at full speed. I was quite surprised at how chill he was about it.

A friend interviewed Pippa Middleton after she'd released her infamous party book and he said she was lovely, and also insisted on helping them tidy up afterwards (photo shoot), which apparently virtually no celebrities do.

Newuser75 · 03/10/2023 20:53

Zelda93 · 03/10/2023 19:48

Met Joanna Lumley at the theatre having a smoke on the break .. she was so friendly and lovely my mum is a huge fan so totally made her year 😂

I’m so pleased to read this. I love Joanna lumley!

Pinkywoo · 03/10/2023 20:57

I met Harry Hill at the height of his TV burp fame. He was doing a musical comedy tour and I was working at one of the venues, he was nothing like I expected. Very shy, barely spoke to anyone but extremely polite when he did, and wore a wig so people didn't recognise him. Absolutely nothing like his TV personality, however one night Al Murray turned up and was exactly like he is on TV!

Cinateel · 03/10/2023 21:00

BigSwiss · Today 20:48

Met Brian Blessed and Annika Rice (separately!) in v stressful circumstances through work and both were utterly lovely.

A friend of mine once sat next to Rowan Atkinson at a dinner party and he was probably having a shit day because he didn't say word, not a peep all evening.

I met a relative of Rowan Atkinson once. They told me he's incredibly shy, and a very nice person.

saraclara · 03/10/2023 21:03

Grayson Perry clearly didn't want to engage with me and instead looked me up and down and then stood awkwardly in silence (after I'd introduced myself to him)

Nooooooo! But he always comes comes as so relaxed and engaging! I fell in love when he did his art club during Covid 😩.

Barnowlsandbluebells · 03/10/2023 21:05

mintich · 18/09/2023 15:03

Forgot the most lovely one that I thought would be horrible is Johnny Vegas. Such a kind man

Johnny Vegas is lovely and has impeccable manners. A true gentleman.

NashEnquirer · 03/10/2023 21:10

James Cracknell was exactly as you'd expect - superficially polite but very superior, and one of those men who wanted to categorise women in particular boxes according to their perceived attractiveness, IYKWIM.

Mike Ashley - funny, seemed intelligent, quite warm.

Vernon Kaye - an old flatmate of mine worked with him many years ago and said he was VERY much a ladies man, despite being married to Tess already.

HobbiddoH · 03/10/2023 21:10

Fern Britton was a rude cow, as was Eileen Grimshaw from Corrie.

lto2019 · 03/10/2023 21:11

B1rd · 03/10/2023 20:26

I am pleased about that, because I have plans to marry him...he doesn't know this though! 😂

Show quote history

I think not because I also have plans to marry him....... he also does not know this though.

SoSad44 · 03/10/2023 21:13

Met Amanda Holden a few times through work. She was lovely. So nice and friendly.

kim Cattrall was a cow.

EmpressGrey2 · 03/10/2023 21:13

I was asked to sit with Julian Clary and keep him company at the Edinburgh Festival while the person he was working with was otherwise occupied. This is about 20 years ago. I tried to engage him in conversation but he completely stonewalled me. Wouldn't respond to any of my questions. He sat there in silence and looked at me like I was something unpleasant he'd stepped in. I was really taken aback. So different to how I expected him to be.

bombastix · 03/10/2023 21:14

Lots of politicians!

What did I not expect - Michael Gove. He's rather witty and charming.

I don't agree with him but he was good company.

Hibiscrubbed · 03/10/2023 21:14

Dontcallmescarface · 18/09/2023 15:55

Aiden Turner and Russell Tovey. I don't quite know what I expected but it wasn't the side-achingly funny evening it turned out to be. Those 2 were quite the double act.

This makes me rather happy. I’m fond of both of them, glad they were wits.

My job puts me in contact with lots of ‘celebrities’ and most people are nice to be honest. Some are rather sad or shy, which is always a bit unexpected.

The most charmingly gorgeously kind one I met was James Norton. Truly lovely chap. And my god, so handsome.

Hibiscrubbed · 03/10/2023 21:16

Cinateel · 03/10/2023 21:00

BigSwiss · Today 20:48

Met Brian Blessed and Annika Rice (separately!) in v stressful circumstances through work and both were utterly lovely.

A friend of mine once sat next to Rowan Atkinson at a dinner party and he was probably having a shit day because he didn't say word, not a peep all evening.

I met a relative of Rowan Atkinson once. They told me he's incredibly shy, and a very nice person.

He is lovely but very reserved and shy.

2ndMrsdeWinter · 03/10/2023 21:23

Robbie Coltrane. He was an absolute gentleman - genuinely seemed interested in what others had to say. Rest in peace.

Howdoidoit100 · 03/10/2023 21:23

Agree. I have dealt with him through work and he couldn't have been nicer.

SurpriseItsMeHorseyNeighNeigh · 03/10/2023 21:24

An American TV personality who has the reputation to be mister nice-guy, family man, the kindest, most genuine. I really used to admire him and buy the image. I met him through work and saw quite a few times for a few months.

He did not do anything to me nor was he rude or anything but there were a few times were his mask fell for a second or 2 and once I saw it, I could not unsee it. I had the worst feeling being around him.

It might sound (extremelly overly) dramatic but if he is ever arrested for being the next Ted Bundy or for having a cabin in the wood where he keeps women to hunt them at night for fun, I would not be one bit surprised. And no one would ever believe me (nor should they, at the end of the day, I don't have any evidence and he did nothing to me).

There was just something horribly wrong about him.