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?

I saw Amanda Barrie waiting for the same train as me. Very rural station.

I do love the opportunity to tell folk I met Robbie Coltrane and his family at the top of the lighthouse at Lizard Point. Yes, it was a squeeze, and he couldn't have been lovelier.

Hermione Norris in the butcher in Notting Hill. I was waiting outside with my friends dog and she said “lovely dog” and like a twat I said “oh, it’s not mine”. Like why did I say that???

We used to live next to Robbie and his family. Our children got to visit a few of the Harry Potter sets with Hagrid 🥰 He was a very kind soul.

That happened to me. It was a bloke from London burning

Liam Gallagher in M&S Hampstead.

Mel Sykes, in the Ladies’ at Fulham Broadway.
Hugh Grant, playing with his (then) toddler in the local playground.

Richard Curtis in an antique shop
Billy from Eastenders at a Champneys spa

Billie Piper at soft play

Prime opportunity to slap him with a wet fish.

I walked past Dexter Fletcher just last week, I was walking down Southampton Row on my way from Euston. Reggie Yates once tried to a jump the queue in front of me at Euston (spotting a theme here). Stood behind Jarvis Cocker in Waitrose and bumped into Joseph Fiennes as I was leaving a Claire’s Accessories…Also once I spotted Richard Madeley at a kid’s playground in Looe. I am the Queen of bumping into low level celebs.

When I lived in Chiswick I often saw John Thaw shopping and in Fulham I several times saw Leslie Grantham plus kids (also shopping). Even successful actors spend a lot of time twiddling their thumbs.

Tamsin Greig was sat a few metres away from us on a beach in Cornwall a few years ago.

I was mowing the front lawn one afternoon and glanced at the queuing traffic to see Princess Anne watching me. That certainly took a few moments to register.

Regularly see Andy Whyment (Royle Family and Corrie) at Old Trafford.

Colleen and Wayne Rooney in the Nike store in NYC - before they were married.

Robert Bathurst (Cold Feet) pushing his bike through Covent Garden.

Dionne Warwick shopping on Bond Street in a baseball cap.

Hairy Bikers filming in a car park (where we'd parked our car) on Isle of Wight - very pleasant!

Kate Thornton clubbing in Cheltenham - years ago. She's from there.

Clive Owen (Chancer!) Clubbing in Nottingham in the 90s.

Shiela Hancock at a neighbouring table in a restaurant in London.

Peter Ustinov on a train in Paddington.

Pink in the toilets of a hotel restaurant in Cardiff - early 00s. She was on a neighbouring table with Jo Whiley and Craig from Bros (who I'm guessing was her manager then - think he's been massively successful in management).

Others will come to me.....I've got a beady eye for celebs in the wild!

I saw Mo Farah when his kids and my kids were both competing at the same sports event. I kept thinking how awkward it must be for this person to look so much like Mo Farah. It didn't occur to me it might actually be him, something I blame on me remembering his children at London 2012, London 2012 obviously only being a couple of years ago and therefore his kids couldn't possibly be old enough to compete in this competition. It wasn't until we were leaving and I overheard one of the officials saying something about him that I realised it actually was him.
I'm generally pretty useless with celebs. DC2 attended a toddler class with the child of someone in a soap. I knew I recognised the dad from somewhere and guessed I must have met him at another toddler group, perhaps with DC1 so went and chatted with him. I did this for the next few weeks. Then one week he wasn't there and one of the other parents made some comment about how he seemed really down to earth and asked how long I'd known him for. It was only then that I realised I recognised him off the TV. What is even more embarassing, is that even now I can't remember his name or what soap he was in.
It's not just celebs. I was in the queue at the supermarket the other weekend, realised I'd forgotten something and sent DC2 off to get it. Another person joins the queue, I recognise them so start chatting to them. It was only when DC2 appears that I realised it was their headteacher.

He used to use the same newsagents/corner shop as my mum when I was growing up in Glasgow in the 80s so I met him a few times then. He scared me as I thought he was a giant. 🙈

Also many years later stood beside Kevin Bridges in a pub in the West End. Probably not that rare for him but I'm not in Glasgow much anymore.

Also had to get out the way for the now King driving quite quickly through the Angus Glens when I was a teenager. My mum is adamant that one of the women who said hi to us as we walked past her that same day was Camilla, this was before they were official but everyone knew they were together.

Rob Beckett in Waterstones. He was asking for book recommendations. I heard the conversation and about to chip in but then realised who it was so stopped myself. I also saw him on the train (he's local), he was getting grief from some passengers so he moved carriage.
The older police chief from Hunted watching his grandson playing cricket.
The Vardy's on holiday. Rebecca did a lot of pouting and preening at breakfast.
Teddy Sherigham getting out of the lift on holiday. I said hi as I thought I knew him!

Once I saw one of the Cheeky Girls at a National Trust property tea room in Kent 😂😂

Russell Kane at a rollarskate disco in the local leisure centre.

I saw Ronnie Corbett in Fortnum and Mason. He looked very cross.

Many years ago (I was 18 so it was many years ago!), my mother and I were crossing Covent Garden, looking for a particular theatre. It was utterly deserted but we saw a chap rushing towards us and thought we would ask him for directions. It turned out to be Richard Briers! Not only did he give us directions but he also apologised profusely for having to rush off as he was late for curtain up.

Oh lots. We live in the sort of area where lots of celebrities live.

I served Anna Friel and Marc Bannerman in woolworths and Angelina Jolie popped in once when she had Maddox as a toddler.

I saw Nicholas Cage in Bath once, in a shop selling kids gifts.

And Paul McCartney in a north West sainsburys with 2 discreet bodyguards.

No word of a lie but I have seen Guy Pierce and Jason Donovan (on separate occasions), shopping in my local Sainsburys. If only Kylie would turn up lol.

I was shopping in central London at Christmas about 10 years ago and saw Will Young and Adele within 5 minutes of each other.. my husband saw Warwick Davis at the airport pushing a huge luggage trolley.

When I lived and worked in London (Kensington) I saw many (Princes Diana, Richard Branson, Liz Hurley, the Current Queen, Elton John) but was not good at recognising them unless someone else pointed them out.

I Live in rural countryside now and never see (or recognise) anyone.