Which celebs have you met in daily life?

[Loveaglassofsherry]

I just met actor Irene Marot, who played Ron Dixon’s wife DD in Brookside, when she asked me for directions on a London street corner. Happy to report that she is absolutely delightful IRL. (I told her she looked familiar and she seemed surprised and chuffed that I had recognised her.)

So, which “celebrities” (A-list or otherwise) have you met by chance in a “civilian” or daily life context. And what were they like?

I've met both of these - both lovely!

Brian May brought some friends into the (very old!) cinema I worked in to watch Independence Day (huge film @ 1995 iirc!) He came out for a smoke and chatted to the couple of us manning the desk-was very nice, but said that Independence Day was better when he saw it in Leicester Square 😂 Tbf, we only charged £2.30 per ticket so probably quite a bit cheaper too!

I think you mean Jeremy Edwards :)

I've always thought Steve Coogan would be unpleasant IRL! Might be wrong but he just gives off bad vibes 😂

Quite a few over the years and worked with a few (TV, journalism & advertising) but the most memorable was covering a charity It's a Knockout being refereed by several of the Gladiators (the originals at the height of their fame) We all took our lunch break in a room with huge windows and the whole time there were hundreds of young faces pressed up against the glass. It was quite intimidating but they all said they just got used to it.

He's lovely 😊We're going to see them in the summer - can't wait!

Ah. Rik Mayall is up there with celebs I wish I could have met.

Along with Freddie Mercury, Prince and Alan Rickman.

I’m a huge rugby fan and regularly meet some of the Scotland/Glasgow team at matches. They are mostly lovely, and will chat and take selfies etc with fans until they are forced to stop and go inside by the grounds staff! The Fagerson brothers are probably the nicest people I have ever met!
Also love musical theatre and so many of the actors are extremely down to earth and friendly. Bradley Jaden (currently alternating with Michael Ball as Javert in the Les Mis Arena tour) is extremely humble and always sounds so surprised when fans compliment him! I had a personal online concert with him during covid for my birthday (when all the theatres were dark) and he remembered me when I saw him recently and asked after my mum (an invalid who has since died 😢). I also saw the Bat Out Of Hell cast in Edinburgh last week who genuinely seemed pleased to be recognised and remembered for their other roles.
I do try to always be polite, friendly and respectful of their time.

Giovanni Piernice and Debbie McGhee used a local dance studio to train when Debbie was doing Strictly. I saw them a few times and Giovanni made an effort to smile at people but Debbie didn't. I wasn't too impressed by her until I saw her on her own one dark late afternoon, getting into a taxi with some shopping. She looked really sad and I realised she was probably a bit down about going home to an empty home, having not long lost her husband. Celebrities are allowed to have feelings too and sometimes you might see them when they are having a bad time.
( I would add I just couldn't believe Amanda Abbingdon's allegations about Giovannie because he seemed so lovely. I also heard he was amazing with the children who trained at the studios.)

I used to work in a bookies years ago and Gazza and his friend, Jimmy ‘Five Bellies’, used to come in a lot. Both were polite but also ‘characters’ once they’d had a drink.

Then I worked on the VIP line for a company and spoke to Patsy Kensit (polite), Jeremy Kyle (arsehole), Ruth Langsford (lovely) and then Jason Durr (of Heartbeat) who wasn’t actually on the VIP line but was very chatty too.

Agree re Giovanni.

To add to this, I know someone who knew Amanda Abbington and said she was absolutely awful, really entitled and stuck up. So never believed the stories that she came out with anyway!

Honestly, most famous people are just like us. They have good days and bad days and dismissing them as 'rude' due to a one off encounter is just ridiculous. I'm sure we've all been perceived as 'rude' by a stranger at some point in our lives.

I've just read a few examples of people I actually know, year in year out know, defined as 'lovely' when in actuality their core personality is not this at all.

The example of Debbie McGee not smiling at absolutely everyone when she is AT WORK doing a really hard job, head full of everything going on, is a case in point here. She is well known in her industry as a really nice grounded person but no, initially gets judged for not grinning like a Cheshire Cat.

Very true. I sat next to a female sleb I shan’t name at dinner & she seemed like a right grump. Didn’t engage in any conversation that anyone tried, or only gave one word answers. Drank quite heavily, and was quite unpleasant to some of the staff. It was the first time I’d met her, and went away thinking she was a bit of an arsehole.

I only found out a few days later that her mum had just died, but she was still required to attend the dinner (bloody unfair). I wish I’d known. She deserved a heck of a lot of slack to be given.

Glen Michaels cavalcade was fantastic, great way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Aah Glen Michael's cavalcade on a Sunday afternoon was bliss!
One of the Take the High Road lived in our village in the 80s. I think she was called Lesley and was very attractive. I wasn't too interested as I detested the programme!

Just remembered another one!
Lived in a small village in Lincolnshire for 6 years as a teenage kid. On the main road between Grimsby and Mablethorpe.
I was about 13 and a bloke pulled over in a car to ask directions to somewhere.
I knew he was famous, but I couldn't remember his name. He was absolutely lovely and polite as I told him where he needed to go to get where he wanted to be. He drove off with a toot and a wave.
I rushed home and told my mum, all excited, but she was frustrated as I didn't know his name!
He appeared on TV a few nights later and I shouted, that's him!!! It was the lovely Derek Jacobi! I wish I could remember where he wanted to go!

Agree but the same way you don’t know what’s going on in someone’s life you don’t know what happens behind closed doors. Plenty of people are smiling and friendly but behave like complete arseholes to other people.

Allison Hammond when she was a teenager. She was exactly the same then as now in that you could hear her coming a mile off

My brother (a musician) knew Keith. Great fella by all accounts.

Very sad he is no longer with us.

Never met her but love anything Alice Roberts is in. Stonehenge one was great.

Friend used to work for Peter Kay in a tradesman type of role. Bit of a do you know who I am individual. Also attended a family wedding but demanded that no one let on to him unless close family. Heard similar stories about him when his kids were taken to cub and scout gatherings.
Ex partner was not in to football but sat next to Vincent Kompany on a plane to Germany. Didn’t have a clue, was shocked by how big VKs thighs were 😂 and also how twitchy about flying he was. Got told a few times to turn off his mobile phone by the air hostesses. As they queued to get off the plane a few people said didn’t you recognise the guy next to you !
Saw Rio Ferdinand with his child at Tatton Park years ago. Keeping himself to
himself in a quiet bit of the play area. Scowled a bit at me when I followed DS over. Didn’t have a clue it was him but sensed he thought I was going to mither him. Again I wouldn’t have known if a friend hadn’t commented.
A friend once saw Evan Davies (dragons den) at a popular gay club.

I've met Meghan Markle briefly on a walkabout when she and Harry got engaged. She seemed very humble and lovely. Very beautiful. And Alan Rickman, he was a gentleman, Julie Walters and David Walliams, both very nice and David Tennant.

I told Ant McPartlin where the toilets were in a restaurant.

He has a massive forehead.

Katie Price - grim
Gillian McKeith - small
Brian May - lovely

Saw Warwick Davies in Frankie n Bennys once