So who has met a sleb properly, to speak to? and how did you meet them?

[UnquietDad]

I suppose for me it's various Doctor Who personnel due to my peripheral involvement with the "franchise" - Sophie Aldred, who was lovely, and Tom Baker, who didn't disappoint as he was mad as cheese. (My mum also taught him French for a while.) And the luuuuurvely Nicola Bryant who has a dazzling smile!

I was in the company of Will Self for a while at a book do. He didn't really say anything I remember.

Mine aren't especially stellar, so I hope for more from you lot!! No glancing encounters - proper conversations only!

Can we include people we knew before they were famous?

I thank you Lyra! At last my claim to fame has been validated

oh, and teve Lamacq once came to my house -he spent ages playing with and talking to my housemates cat in the garden (many years ago)

eh? the "S" disappeared on Steve

I share a bed with one.

I met Billy Bragg last Thursday at a gig/premiere type thing, friend and I managed to blag our way backstage and ended up having a good natter. He's incredibly charming and lovely to talk to. Met Mick Jones from the Clash at the same event who was also lovely - he bought us drinks and then gave us a lift to Notting Hill

We have met most of Iron Maiden as the brother of one of them used to work with DH.

I've met Richard Dawkins a couple of times at my Mum's parties. I've never dared talk about anything intelleckchal with him though...I'm pretty sure it would out me as a profound thickie.

I went to college with Muse, and knew Dom quite well as he went out with my friend - although I doubt he would even recognise me now.

At the same time Dom from Dick & Dom in Da Bungalow was at college too - he'd just won Young Magician of the Year. Ooh the excitement.

I said hello to Jennifer Saunders once in M&S as I did that whole "oh i know you thing" without twigging she was a celeb. I did the same thing to David James (footballer) a few years later too.

I stood between Bob Geldolf and Morgan Freeman at a baggage carousel at Heathrow. They both stared at my luggage. Flight started in Sydney but I joined it at Singapore where I'd been for the day and my luggage was the size of a large handbag!

Met Ian Wright (ex-Arsenal footballer) on a flight to Namibia.

Went through a phase of seemingly always being on the same flight as Richard Branson - very chatty.

Stood behind Rolf Harris in the queue at our local petrol station.

Accidentally flirted with John Simpson at the Ivy whilst I was sitting next to Joan Collins (she was on adjoining table). I was having dinner with friends and some man at a table a little distance away kept smiling at me. I smiled back and then put my glasses on .

I worked for a high-brow publisher, and later for the Beeb, so have met some slebs. Mostly I just said "Hello", like I would with anyone. If they were pleasant polite people, the conversation continued. OTOH some of them were arrogant unmentionables and I wouldn't be interested in chatting with them, sleb or not.

My absolute fave ever sleb was Michael Palin. The man is ugly as sin, but by god does he have charisma! Turns out he's quite shy, and was taking refuge from a slightly mad party when I ducked out to take refuge as well, and we chatted for about half an hour. Lovely lovely man.

Oh, and ds2 has been smooched, cuddled, and generally adored by 5 senior ITN newscasters [grin.

Pray tell, Arizona!!

I don't think mine really counts - it was Bridget from DIY SOS and it was at a breast cancer conference in London. I recognised her and sooooo embarrassingly was staring while I tried to work out who she was (I thought I knew her through work and in connection with the conference) and then had to go and apologise to her for staring and explain myself. She was lovely and we had a chat about her leaving DIY SOS because of the Irish bloke who was evil to her. Very nice lady.

I've met David Cameron - he was lovely

But I would love love love to meet Lewis Hamilton......and possibly give hime cuddle ;)

bluebump I am so

I have babysat Barry Norman's daughters - though they're not much younger than me - I was 14 & they were about 8 & 6. He has lived in the village where I grew up for years & his mother in law was a friend of my mum - they were both involved in running an old people's club.

I've also had lunch with Dave Benson-Phillips - I was on the committee of a playgroup that took place on a bus & he opened our new bus. He let DD carry Chester & that was her proudest moment for years - though it might have been eclipsed last year when she met Tom Baker at a Dr Who convention - and you're right, UQD, he is slightly nuts - he asked DD's name & when she said it was Amber, he said 'A lovely name - it's a tree, isn't it?'
They weren't supposed to take photos because of holding up the queue, but DD's boyfriend took a sneaky one on his phone.

Great Tom pic!

Did Barry Norman's daughters keep running downstairs saying "We want a biscuit. And some milk. And why not?"

I was at uni with the actor who played Danny Kendall in Grange Hill
Firsst day of lectures he walked in and said
'yes it is me'
He then calmed down a bit and was quite nice

No, they were very well behaved - iirc, when I arrived they were upstairs already & I didn't hear a peep out of them all evening.

Another convention pic, from one DH & I went to years ago Katy Manning not setting a very good example to young fans.

The most interesting person I've met at a DW convention though was Dick Mills from the BBC Radiophonic Workshop - that was at a very early convention, where there were hardly any people & you could chat with them for ages - he was really fascinating.

Lots of Britpop types, notably Jarvis Cocker and Russell Senior from Pulp, I used to hang around the same places as them.

Eddie Izzard, at a Pulp aftershow, said he liked the top I was wearing

Michael Sheen is a childhood friend of DH and I've met him a few times. His voice is amazing, it could melt chocolate.

all from the fast show and jonathan woss, repeatedly
zoe ball and norman cook, ditto
gok wan, ditto btw imho he hates fat people and I think perhaps women