Celebs where you don’t expect to see them

[Normaja]

I did a drivers awareness course today, one of the online courses where the group joins via teams or whatever it is. You only see everyone’s face and first name.
Anyway, there was one participant that after a while of thinking she was familiar, I realised she’s a TV presenter. I’m certain it was her, but if it wasn’t then this woman with the same name shares an uncanny resemblance.

I don’t spot many celebs where I live so it was quite exciting to be sharing a space with one. Even if it was that particular space. She seemed very pleasant.

Ever had any random celeb spots like that?

Major James Hewitt in a hotel reception. I didn't even think it was that posh a hotel given I could afford to stay there!

Dervla Kirwan standing next to me on the tube about 20 years ago. Alison Steadman and her husband standing next to me at a Frida Kahlo exhibition at the Tate Modern in 2005. Our Queen, or Camilla Parker-Bowles as she was then, standing next to me in a bookshop in Salisbury. I only realised who she was because she was very jumpy. I must have leaned across her to get a book, only vaguely aware of this blonde upper-class lady, when she turned around and put her collar up sharply. She was buying a book on Venice. When she walked to the till I recognised her, as did the friend I was with. She looked very wary and haunted, understandably as it was at the height of all her bad press. Having read the post up thread about her being pelted with rolls, I understand her behaviour.

Oh forgot the late Buster Merryfield (Uncle Albert in Only Fools and Horses) at a filling station.

Richard Ayoade and Linda Henry (Shirley from Eastenders) both shop in Sainsburys Dog Kennel Hill, although its grocery shopping so its not that surprising.

Holy moly! I saw her in there too! would have been early 2000s.

Yeh. GDPR, even though I no longer work for the NHS, I wont name names.
There's a fair few though. The most I'll say is one was a (I think) well-known character in Bridgerton.

Also, I remember now Kelly Brook in her heyday (circa 98-00), in massive sunglasses and on the phone on Tottenham Court Road, giving the impression she wanted to be recognised. She looked taller on the telly.

Jamie Redknapp on the phone in a phone box in Bournemouth, which gives a clue about how long ago that was.

Colin Firth in a pub in High Wycombe.

That reminded me, I was in London with my son a couple of years ago.
We were walking along Berwick St which is the street on the front of the What’s The Story album by Oasis so my son was taking pics.
When we looked at them later we saw someone who looked like Gok Wan sitting at a table outside a cafe so we looked at his Instagram and he’d posted a photo of himself sitting there earlier that day.

I used to sell T-Mobile vouchers to Frank Harper in I'm guessing 2003. My phone store on the Strand was around the corner from Covent Garden, he was in the area for a few months.
Same store, got talking to Mary Stuart Masterson, cant remember what about but we had a natter for a good ten minutes.
side: Am I the only one who cant edit previous posts?

Why?

Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson walked close towards me on London's South Bank. They were both 'tiny' in stature like children, but as they got closer I could see they had haggard smokers faces and deep wrinkles.

Wow Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson would be a top celeb spot for me! It’s amazing that Lou Reed lived into relatively old age really - that’s definitely a lifestyle that would give you wrinkles.

I'm quite tall, and we were the only people there - I think they might have been a little afraid of me as my eyes widened when I was close enough to recognize them! 😳😅

many years ago I had the same hairdresser as Samia Longchambon / Ghadie / Smith. Maria in corrie.

actually a few of the corrie girls had the same hairdresser but I saw Samia regularly.
Was always a bit odd to see people you see on TV every night sitting with foils in and hard not to be overfamiliar as if I actually knew her.

I went to a book signing by Linwood Barclay at Waterstones in Nottingham. Obviously I expected to see him at the book signing but when I went into the store I saw him getting into the lift with someone who must have been his publicist. I was proper starstruck and even though I needed to get in the lift I didn’t. Funny thing was his book was called Elevator Pitch about someone going round sabotaging lifts to kill people.

My brother was in the queue at Tesco many moons ago, turned around and saw someone he recognised and turned back to say hi, he quickly realised it was Vic Beckham and a bloke or two in close proximity ... he didn't say hello lol 😂

He makes me hoot lol - could just see him in a roller disco 🕺 🛼

Ross Kemp marching at the Cenotaph this morning.

Rod Hull (without Emu), in the late 1970's, staying in a Plymouth hotel I was doing work experience at, invited me to his show that evening and for champagne with him "afterwards" - ugh", I declined. (His proclivity for very young women didn't become public knowledge until after his death 30 years later). The England football team at the same hotel during the same work experience. Princess Diana at a fireworks display in Tetbury in the late 1980's (I was annoyed this woman had jumped the queue until I realised she was wearing a "Davey Crockett" fur head-piece - like the ones she and Fergie had worn the previous year skiing at Klosters - and she had a protection officer in tow). Peter Gabriel at Heathrow airport. Kevin Keegan (and the Newcastle Utd team) at a Southampton hotel in 1993. Chris Evans at a hotel in the New Forest 10 years ago. Steph and Dom (Gogglebox - OK, I know I'm scraping the barrel now) in Chiswick a few years ago.
I don't know if these are places I wouldn't necessarily expect to encounter well-known people, but I suppose I never expect to encounter celebrities anywhere. And yes, I know, these experiences make me sound VERY old. Because I am. 😂😂😂

I spotted Rhod Gilbert on his way into a comedy club in Cardiff as everyone was leaving back in 2011. It was my hen do, he was lovely and let me have a photo with him. Due to me being a bit tipsy I told him I loved his flaming Battenburg tattoo and nipple piercing! 🤦‍♀️
I was also on a train with Simon Weston once.

Prince Charles (as he was) drove past my brother and I and our mates messing about on our BMX bikes in the 80s and called out of the back window...."that looks like fun!"

Walked past the model Lily Cole in a London street a couple of years ago. She looked pretty miserable. Sat in the same carriage as Patrick Moore on a train to Rugby in 1986. Saw Meera Syal and Sanjeev Bhaskar at the next table in a greasy spoon in London.

Oh yes Pat Butcher from Eastenders (can't think of her real name) and Celia Imrie walked past me on the street once. Had a job not to call out "Paaaaaaat" in a Frank Butcher voice. 😀

Met Julie Walters stopping in Tesco's with her daughter, once (fair few years ago, now). Then they sat just across from us in the cafe having a bite to eat afterwards. At the end of the day, "celebs" are people. They need to do the same things everyone has to do every day 🤷🏼‍♂️

@saltandvinegarchipsticks would that have been when Colin Firth was filming The Importance of Being Ernest, do you think? 2001/2002 ish

Nigel Havers in Lakeland in Chichester. He was in a play at the CFT, and I know actors do 'other/ordinary stuff' but that seemed particularly unusual!