To think that it must be possible for celebrities to disappear from the scrutiny of the press.

[InspMorse]

AIBU to think that it is possible to avoid the press? That people who court the news are in the news?
For example, Peter Kay has disappeared off the face of the earth and there is little or no speculation as to why. He is not in the news at all since his cancelled tour announcement.
So many people just slip into the shadows so AIBU to think it's possible to avoid the gossip rags and their front page rubbish?

I think a lot of it depends how willing the press are to leave them be, how much “friends” are actually friends and won’t run to the media. Some people will automatically be more appealing to the press so they will push there more.

Some areas of the media can be down right cruel and often forget that behind the celebrity is a person.

I think it's got a lot to do with popularity. The tabloids don't care about destroying some people yet they leave others alone. Or, do you think that some celebrities use their wealth to buy silence from the press?

No it isn't even vaguely possible.

Celebrities are attention seeking, childish individuals who would cry of the media left them alone. So they hound journalists and photographers alike with their "me me me", get their friends and family to promote them and are generally unknown outside their own publicity bubble.

Famous people, on the other hand, quite often live most of their lives away from the press. They don't 'slip into the shadows' they just live their own lives. They are often really famous, for the job they do, rather than for merely existing and being loud!

Can you tell I haven't a clue who half of the celebrities are and find the ones I do recognise to be truly sodding irritating, mainly because they have invaded my private space!

Oh! Examples:

That weird fat lipped TOWIE bloke in the advert for a new series (why?)

And Kenneth Brannagh - even during his affair with HBC.

Genuine famous people can usually live quiet lives it is usually the celebs that court celebrity faces are everywhere and the less talented they are the more they Are in the papers etc look at the Towie lot or the bloody Kardashians.

There are plenty of mega famous people that are rarely in the press. Then there are the ones who tip off the paps when they are going to the toilet and complain about press intrusion. The Beckhams come to mind.

I think you are right curious!

I think peter Kay will have lawyers involved cancelling a whole tour AND filming commitments without a peep of why is unusual and a huge deal keeping his reasons private without a murmer is good going.

Totally agree, MrsJayy and Curious. You can hardly plead that you want to be left alone when you've pushed and shoved to get your face in the papers when it suits you and because you think it will help your "career".

I heard that ‘celebs’ phone paparazzi to tell them where they will be to keep getting ‘papped’ and in the news.

On the other end of the scale there is one famous person who will wear the same cap and long coat when they go out. This is so that photographs will all look like they were taken on the same day and therefore useless to sell to rags.

The ones who are hounded are usually ones who chase after it it seems.

There was actresses in America who went to Washington to get a privacy bill passed because they didn't want their children hassled and papped I thought good for them these women were taking their kids out and being followed.

It depends on the type of celebrity. Those who just want to do their work and publicise that when needed and are polite to journalists and photographers, allowing them to do their job, are usually left alone after that by the press. Those who develop a 'brand' ie exploit their name and work for extra cash are often chased by the press. I think thats fair enough really. If you use the press in that way then you have to understand it's a two way thing.

I heard that ‘celebs’ phone paparazzi to tell them where they will be to keep getting ‘papped’ and in the news.

I have an acquaintance who used to work in a private hospital which treated a number of famous people and/or celebs. She said this definitely went on - celebs would phone the press when they were about to be discharged, and sometimes went as far as telling them that they'd be leaving by a side door, so that the photographers could look like they'd really got a "scoop".

I'm intrigued. How has Peter Kay done it though? NOT a word written, not one photo taken, not one 'friend' papped. He cancelled his tour and that was that. They have left him alone totally.
There are many famous people who can get on with their lives - Paul McCartney for one. He just appears every now and then when he's working.
It's a good thing BTW. I just wonder how they do it.

I am totally intrigued why Peter Kay cancelled a whole tour it must be serious but it so Odd not a word

On a slight tangent, when you look at the gossip mags and tabloids (which I spend ages looking at the covers of in the supermarket but never buy) it's always the same people, Cheryl Cole looking miserable at a totally invented relationship drama, Katie Price apparently looking at increasingly more bizarre ways she is thinking about having more children, Clare from steps has lost / put on 5 stone etc etc. The ones that surprise me though are - Richard and Judy, their marriage has purportedly been on the rocks for the last 10 years according to various mags but they don't do anything anymore do they? why are they so keen to keep selling their lives to gossip mags when they don't do anything and have no need to be in the public eye? I really don't get it.

But then you think about all the other really famous people there are in the world that have been famous for decades that you never hear a word about. David Bowie, Victoria Wood, Alan Rickman - all seemingly passed away out of nowhere despite having been ill but just kept it to themselves.

I guess to a certain extent it comes down to effort, why would the press spend hours lurking around Rowan Atkinson's house (a man very protective of his private life despite having been hugely famous at times) on the off chance that he might do something interesting when they had a call a from a Kardashian publicist that one of them will be 'accidentally' flashing her nips at 2pm for anyone who wants to take a photo.

It’s more about who the media like, who they are currently trying to destroy, who their kids like or whose manager they went to school with.

It’s not got much to do with the celebrities themselves really.

Lots of VERY famous people are never in the tabloids and the tittle tattle magazines

Lots of microlebrities post nearly naked pictures of themselves to instagram and tag the daily fail

When you read a story from ‘friends’ of a celebrity, that usually means their agent of PR.

If celebs genuinely want to be left alone, they can opt out by not playing the media game, not employing a PR, avoiding nightclubs & red carpet events, not using social media etc etc.

A friend of mine has a son who is an actor. He is good-looking and in a well-known TV series which is seen worldwide. I imagine that his contract stipulates that he needs to do promotional interviews in relation to the series. Because the series has a great many fans, people take photos of him when he's on holiday. They take photos of him in the pub. They take photos of him when he's going to the supermarket. At heart he's quite a shy bloke, who simply likes acting. He realises that he is lucky to be in work - and to be very very well paid for what he does. But I know the fact that he can't walk down the street without somebody staring or taking a picture - or asking to take his picture, or wanting an autography - is draining for him.

Re Peter Kay - it’s not the hard to work out though is it

I used to see Charlie Dimmock (when she was on the telly every week at least once) in the supermarket regularly.
She was friendly but made it clear she was leading her private life.

After her parents died she looked like a shadow for at least a year but all of us knew WHY she looked so awful so we left her in peace.
She did not seek out the meejah so she was left alone.

Slebs have a right to privacy if they are not seeking publicity.
The once in the press are ACTIVELY seeking publicity.

@Mrsfloss What's the reason then?? I've not heard anything.

It could literally be anythingMrsfloss

(a) Physical illness
(b) Mental illness
(c) Having a laugh
either way if he wants us to know, he will say in due course.

In the mean time, watch a cat video.