To think I was targeted as a child at a tv show

[mademewonder]

This has only dawned on me as a possibility last night around 30 years or so down the line. I don't know if I'm BU to think it was anything but innocent or if others might've had similar experiences.

Background:

As a child (11/12 years old) I went with 2 friends and one of their parents to watch a live filming of a very popular prime time show. There were gaps in filming and we were allowed by friends parents to go for a wander round the arena and I suppose, buy souvenirs and drinks etc in the breaks.

Me and my two friends were approached inside the arena concourse by two men and they asked if we were there just the three of us. My friend lied and said yes we were (pretending to be all grown up).

At this point he gave us 3 backstage passes to meet the stars of the show and said to give a message to one of them. He claimed he was the flatmate of this man and to pass a message on that he couldn't make it.

After the show we went to the backstage area and a bit of a row ensued because friends mum and young sibling were with us. Friends mum demanded to be let in with us and she was.

I can't help wondering if something more sinister was going on though. The man we took the message to seemed quite irritated in general and what are the chances that we actually did bump into a "flatmate" inside the arena dishing out backstage passes? Surely he'd just give him a message himself?

Does this sound dodgy?

Whoa. Long. Sorry

Yup! Sounds very odd! What show was it? Who was the star?

Yes, dodgy. Good on your friend's mum for insisting she went with you.

I dont really get it sorry. So you were asked if it was 3 of you and you said yes and were given 3 backstage passes that worked and you got backstage and your friends mom didnt have a pass and was eventually also allowed in? Im not sure if that itself sounds dodgy unless theres more to the story.

Sounds very dodgy to me!

Thank God you were with friends mum. I imagine there were others that weren't so lucky.

Definitely dodgy

But surely backstage there was loads of production people milling about everywhere? Unless he was trying to take you away from people then thats very suss.

Yep. Mum busted them. Perverts.

RyanBergarasTeeth

Saville. Open secret. Lots of open secrets.

Obviously it was dodgy but I don't know what their aim was. Upon discovering you were there alone the answer should have been, oh shame, I heed to speak to an adult to arrange for you to go backstage, and he should have looked for children with adults. The story about him needing a message passed to his flatmate when he had backstage passes is absurd. The fact your friend's mum had to fight to accompany you backstage is also ridiculous. Please don't say it was a recording of Jim'll Fix It?

@PicsInRed thats a fair point i didnt think of it like that. I just thought of it as a busy film set and an odd man.

Yes, I agree, they were particularly looking for kids with no escorts, and the message you were to pass over was that you were alone and vulnerable, or nice pickings for them.

Oh, the message must have been a code for something. Which irritated the presenter

Definitely sounds dodgey. Mayne the 'message' was code for they are on their own with no parent
In wich case maybe that's why he was 'irritated' when u relayed the message realising that was wrong

I'm just amazed you could remember something so specific that happened so long ago. I only have vague memories of that age.

Sounds dodgy, not sure of Jim'll Fix It was on after mid 80s. I'm 46 and I remember writing to him when I was 10 so very glad I didn't get a reply.

Was it Gladiators?

arethereanyleftatall

Kids remember weird stuff like that.
It makes an impression. They remember.

Think it would have sounded dodger if you all got turned away once they saw there was an adult with you.

I remember when I was about 14, a couple of friends from school went to see a band, who were quite big at the time. They ended up being invited backstage and at the time loads of us at school were jealous (it definitely happened, as they had photos taken) but with hindsight I'm horrified because I remember them coming back saying that the guys in the band had 'joked' saying they should be giving them blowjobs and that sort of thing. These were men who were in their late 20s at the time. I can't believe how blatant people were even within my lifetime. Grown men trying to have sex with very young females was apparently just a bit of a laugh.

And we think we're so grown up and invincible when we hit 12 or so... Enough to make your blood run cold.

Don't know what to make of it as the man who distributed the passes was not backstage himself and it sounds like the person himself from your description wasn't expecting you

It was possibly dodgy but your friends mum was on the ball. Honestly I wouldn't give it much headspace other than to think ' that was close, I'll make sure neither I or anyone I'm involved with ends up in the same position'

Amazing how you can remember such vivid detail from over 30 years ago!

I can remember some things very vividly from decades ago. It's not unusual.