Meeting Your Idols and Being Disappointed

[strawberrisc]

Today I almost met somebody who has been a big figure in my life. It took ages to pluck up the courage to speak to them and I was totally dismissed. I wasn’t being a “gushing fan” and it was a setting that was laid back. Everyone else was lovely. Have tou ever met someone you admire and wish you hadn’t?

@mydogishot when the Rugby World Cup was on in SA in 1995, Jonah and two other teammates walked my 13 year old sister a fair way home from the stadium as it had gotten dark while she'd waited for their training to finish so she could get an autograph (we lived a 15min walk away maybe). A gentle giant.

I also loved the relationship he developed with Joost van der Westhuizen when he was so ill with ALS and before they both passed away. Sad to see such strong athletes gone so young.

Gutted to hear about Jinkx @Opheliasgoldenwine - just finished watching series 5 for like the 100th time and she was so sweet. Who knows what goes on though. I live for Alyssa Edwards, think I'd die if I ever met her 😂

I've met Rolf Harris - obviously super controversial now considering his criminal acts but I met him in 2002 and made his coffee (he was signing books in store) and he was super friendly. I was so surprised when it all came out.

Also met Dave Gorman at same place, was a while before he became proper famous. Was quite shy but friendly.

I met Rupert Everett and Celia Imrie together, they were as fun ,warm and friendly as you could imagine, I have some great photos somewhere of them pissing about together

ButtMuncher I’ve met Rolf Harris as well, thought he was very pleasant.

Nicola Walker and Peter Egan both filmed locally to me. Very friendly and approachable.

Yes knew Bill Oddie was not a well man, no excuse for being rude though. Chris Packham on the other hand, total gent.

@JustLetMeStapleTheVicar

I'm so excited to hear that the singer is lovely as he's my favourite. It took me a minute to get, probably because I've always thought of them as industrial rather than metal

@AnastasiaVonBeaverhausen

My son was on Only Connect a number of times and said that both Victoria Coren and David Mitchell were absolutely lovely and very friendly.

I was witness to Lulu being rude to a shop assistant. Assistant clearly had no clue who she was but was polite and not rude to Lulu. Young man with Lulu tried to keep the peace and discreetly apologise.

Another good report of Kit Harrington, lovely bloke by all accounts!

The Troughtons as in David and Patrick used to live locally and come into where I worked. Both very ‘dontcha know who I am’ and could be extremely rude. Bonnie Langford, very sweet. (Remember her in shops with long ringlets and a white coat and muff when she was little). Someone who was distantly related to Dirk Bogarde was the biggest dick in town and used to throw his weight around.

At my Mum’s 21st birthday party Flanagan and Allen were at the next table. Very jolly gentlemen she said.

Do you mean the senior Patrick Troughton who was the second Dr Who? If so disappointed to hear that.

Indeed was the second Dr. David was worse though.

Jon Pertwee was lovely. Opened a local school fete and turned up in the yellow Dr Who car he used. Tom Baker also lovely. Sent one of his scarfs to a neighbour’s son.

The Troughtons as in David and Patrick used to live locally and come into where I worked. Both very ‘dontcha know who I am’ and could be extremely rude

Yes well I have never forgiven David and his son William for muscling in on The Tony and Tom Archer act. I know the original Tony Archer wanted to leave but the original Tom didn't and I just thought the fact that real life father and son took over at the same time was really rather unpleasant.

I went to school with one of Esther Rantzen’s step children. The stories they told.............

I went to school with one of Esther Rantzen’s step children

Yothe Pussy this alerts me that you probably live in London, For some reason I thought it was Ambridge or Felpersham!!

I wonder why we have this perception that famous people should be anything other than pleasant. They’re just people like us, except they got a bit of fame. Why shouldn’t they be nice. I expect the majority are nice just like most of us are. I’d never be in awe of any of them.

A colleague of mine who is the most patient, lovely and kind man who never has a bad word to say about anyone had to work with Lulu and described her as 'quite hard work on occasion' which given his gift for seeing the best in people and tendency for understatement must mean she is horrendous.

Carol Ann Duffy is a nightmare, i was working an event where she was speaking and she made a younger member of staff cry after she had ordered her out to buy a refil for her ecig and had a tanty when this poor young woman came back with the wrong type. Always thought her poetry was shite GCSE fodder anyway.

Met Taylor Swift about 7 years ago and she was lovely. She was really sweet with my little sister who was totally starstruck.

I listen to two British podcasters and one of them told a story of how awful Lulu was when they worked in retail.

Oriobnooo indeed, London gel.

Remember the Kilroy morning chat show? (Robert Kilroy-Silk). Used to be in the audience of that sometimes. The studio used to send a car to collect me, quite often Kilroy’s own car. Not part of the mass audience, I used to get breakfast as part of the expereince. When the cameras went off at the end of filming he always used to tell the audience to bugger off. Was quite nice when not on show.

Best of the Kilroys was the one when a man dropped his trousers on live TV. Camera panned round to shocked faces, got to me who was laughing like a drain.

My list is quite random:

Boris - total flirt and hilarious
Jude law - strangggggge. Although he was only in Families at the time and desperate for success
Tom Selleck - literally as handsome and charming as you’d expect
Gwyneth Paltrow - really down to earth and New York direct at the same time
Ryan giggs - pervy sleaze
Robert winston - miserable bastard
Alastair Campbell - good fun and self-deprecating!
Jamie Redknapp - annoyingly handsome but patient but possibly a bit dim
Des Barnes - nice but possibly a coke fiend
Jason Orange - my gaydar went off but must be faulty. Energetic type
Chris Grayling - massively professional, quick minded and just mega smart
David Beckham - early days Man U pre posh. Came across as thick but ignorant and uncaring of this! (Aka arrogant?)
Nicky Campbell - proper nice and again, super quick and perceptive

There’s more somewhere in my mind but too tired to access them 😳

Oh yeah just remembered the biggest celebrity twat was Kirsty Allsop

Jonathan Ross was surprisingly nice despite me disliking his tv persona

If people have met celebs at events where they are meant to be "on" (especially if people have queued for hours or paid to be there) it not unreasonable to expect a certain level of interaction /behaviour from them. If people have come across celebs in a work environment again being civil is a minimum requirement but if you approach someone in a street/bar etc you have no idea what you are disturbing, they could be late for the dentist, on the way to have the dog put to sleep or trying to celebrate their child's birthday.

Pete Doherty is lovely. Ridiculously charismatic and also very kind.

You'll probably have read this story from me before, DD was serving coffee on a Eurostar train a few years ago, and realised it was Paul McCartney sitting there. In confusion, she spilt some of the coffee all over the coat next to him on the seat. She was devastated, but he helped her clear it up, saying "Don't worry, love, this coat's nearly as old as me!" All our family have loved him ever since!