Have you ever had a celebrity encounter or near miss?

[BiscoffCheesecakeAndCream]

Have you ever had any celebrity encounters or near misses? There's a radio DJ who I snogged years ago and shouldn't have. He was far too principled to take it further and I really admired that, funnily enough though I was upset. He's still on the radio now and I think about it a fair bit if I hear him.

I was riding my bike in Windsor Great Park as a child, and as I approached an unmarked crossroads and stopped, an estate car being driven by a woman on her own also stopped as neither of us had right of way.
It was The Queen and she waved me across.

There is 5 years between them, not twins.

Pavement tango in Oxford circa 2000.
I looked up and saw Jeremy Paxman and thought, “Oh shit! It’s Paxman!” because he is proper stern and strict, like.
He went one way, I went his way, desperately trying to get past. We both reversed directions, again obscuring one another from safe pavement passage.
On it went, until scowling, he swept past on his way.
It was the Paxman panic that made it go on for so long. Anyone else and I would have made it past them in seconds, but he froze me into idiocy .

Rebecca Vardy opened a door in the sports hall bit of Center Parcs for me as she could see me struggling with my pram.

As a parent at a club hockey match, a tall, dark haired chap stood next to me. We chatted about the game, asked about each others sons. I was just about to say "forgive me, I know we've met before, I can't remember your name" - when I realised it was Sebastian Coe.

What was Andrew Ridgeley like?

My 20 month old son spent an entire domestic flight playing peekaboo with the man behind him. I was very apologetic but the man said it was fine for him to continue and he had a son the same age.
When we got off the plane my husband said to me you do realise that was Teddy Sheringham. He was incredibly friendly, although if it had been a flight longer than 45 minutes his patience may have worn thin!

Lovely story 🐟 about a lovely man.
My husband delivered something to him at his home from our business, and he got stuck in helping to unload. Hard dirty work too, and he didn’t need to.

This is probably for the oldies among you....my mother ran a rather lovely antique, jewellery and gift shop which was within walking distance of (at the time) a large new luxury hotel. Visiting performers who stayed there would often have a wander around the locality during the day, before their evening shows.

So I met Nana Mouskouri and her husband George Petsilas, (they bought a huge Chippendale cabinet they had shipped over to Switzerland) Lovelace Watkins, Dave Allen and a couple of RC cardinals who were staying there for a big religious conference. Also we had several local "celebrities" who shopped with her for Christmas and birthday presents, including Peter Stringfellow, Dave Berry, Bobby Knutt and Herol "Bomber" Graham.

I also had the misfortune to sit next to Lulu and her entourage at a big city centre hotel at dinner one evening. So loud and irritating, like being next to a flock of shrieking hens.

He used to train running round the roads locally, often saw him trotting along, the locals got used to him.

I was working in a shop and Tilda Swinton came in. I was sorting out paperwork. She apologised for disturbing me. She was lovely! You know someone is a good person when they treat minions with respect.

It went sort of like this.

Standing in the queue for the food. Didn't realise who he was at first.

Me: (sort of to myself) Ooo those sausages look good.
AR: hope there's some left by the time we get there.
Me: I hope so too as I'm starving.
AR: I'll grab 2 I think.

Then someone else came over and drunkenly started to say they were his #1 fan. He did roll his eyes at me tho as he started to talk to the other person.
Apparently though according to the mutual friend he was great. And liked being anonymous.

When I was growing up we had a hotel in the lake district and had film crews staying a few times. Julie Walters was there for about 3 months doing what turned out to be a truly forgettable film but she was an absolute joy, so much fun!
Whilst she was there I put phone calls through to her from both Vanessa Redgrave and Victoria Wood.
Later in life a well known to the area footballer helped me load a mirror in to my car boot outside a superstore.

I made friends with a mum at school, as we had both had infertility problems, and our DS were in the same class. I went to their house a few times. I commented to DH, it was a bit strange that they had framed football shirts in the hall. DH told me, that’s because her husband was David Bardsley, a professional footballer! He got transferred shortly after that!

DS was in the same class, as Lee Dixon’s DS. He and his first wife used to pick DC up from primary school every day. (I wouldn’t have known who he was either, if DH hadn’t told me!). All through DS’ school life, DS complained that DS Dixon got new trainers practically every week from the sponsors! Sigh!

She wouldn't be the first or the last!!

My patience would have been very thin after about 5 minutes!!

Lots. My favourite encounter was in a Waitrose car park on Christmas Eve with Dame Mary Berry just before her fame resurged with GBBO. I started chatting to her because she was wearing wonderful gorgeous pony skin ankle boots, I was chatting away with her. Then my mum appeared and couldn't speak properly and she went all fan girl on Mary. I realised who she was at that moment and Mary said, ' I think your mum and I cook alike'. She was utterly gorgeous and totally lived up to her national treasure status.

Saw Helen Mirren in Sainsbury's. Eyes met over the skimmed milk. She legged it.

Oh quite a few!
I very drunkenly told Jarvis Cocker I loved him and had woodchip on my walls!
snogged a footballer who was a goalie.
Had a short fling with a presenter.
John Leslie slapped me on the bottom, it was the 90’s and I was too shocked to react.
Met Vickie McClure at a conference (she is lovely).
My friends and I in a bar shouted ‘what’s on the end of your stick, Vic’ at Vic and Bob.
I did used to work in TV so many more but the ones above are not related to that.

Long long time ago - 40 years + - I very nearly ran Sebastian Coe over. I was reversing really slowly and he ran straight past the back of my car.

Seb Coe is only about 5.8, 5.9 so maybe not him !

You missed nothing.
Sadly he was a very miserable old bugger and made me cry as 6/7 year old when he shouted at me for asking for an autograph.
Luckily for me, my dad was there, and Jonny DID sign the poster when my dad took me over and told him to 😂

Our choir sang with Aled Jones last year and he was absolutely lovely. Really nice chap, very self-deprecating.

When I was about 3 years of age my parents took us to a local pub where you could sit in your car with drinks and there was a small kids play area.

I was a proper daddy’s girl and would never leave him out of my sight. I saw him go into the pub so I followed him. As I was going into a door a tall man coming out looked down and smiled at me and I asked ‘do you know where my daddy is?’ My mother, who had seen me toddling off to find my father was following up behind and she said ‘oh my god its Gary Glitter!!’

The man picked me up and passed me to my mother who at this point was awestruck.

Turns out he was playing in a nearby club and him and his entourage had called into this local small pub.

50 years later yeah that was probably a near miss 😅

Met Iain Glen in an amusement arcade during his time in Game of thrones. He wasn't sure how one of the machines worked so I showed him.
Jennifer Coolage asked me and my husband for directions.
Peter Andre came to my work to do a signing. It was carnage. We had barriers up for the queue and fans pushed them over and security had to take him away. I didn't realise how short he actually is !