Have you met a celebrity villain?

[pawsies]

Someone that is controversial in the media or comes across unpleasant on TV or whatever?

What were they like in real life?

AIBU to think there might be some surprises and some of them will be a persona on TV or whatever?

Met one of the cast of coronation street many many years ago now while I was waiting for an egg retrieval operation in a fertility clinic. I know she must of been nervous or whatever herself for whatever she was there for,but she was so bloody rude to the staff. Pacing around and insisting she was seen to before me. Then made a nasty comment about lesbians aimed at me (I was actually with my sister). I was donating my eggs. Always hoped she wasn't getting any of them. Vile woman

Is there anyone on Mumsnet who hasn't met Jimmy Saville?

@OlympicProcrastinator

John Leslie. Every bit of a rapey, handsy creep creep as he later turned out to be. My friend had to literally shove him off (nightclub in the 90’s)

I’ve had the misfortune of meeting him too. Absolute sleazeball.

[quote Isla2021]@ohcaption disappointed to hear that, I have just bought her book, nooo! What makes her awful?[/quote]
@ohcaptain- tag fail !

@toddlermom

Yes! Meghan Markle. Incredibly charming to the people there who were useful, rich or powerful. And incredibly dismissive and rude to staff, drivers or anyone she deemed unworthy.

Oooh. I always thought there might be some truth behind those rumours

@BirthChoice

Wagatha Christie is the accuser but the accused is the only who looks bad in the media... so I still don’t know who the airplane story is about

Biased as I've known Colleen and Wayne Rooney and their family professionally for years but they've never been anything but lovely, even when I'd only just met them. Would be very shocked if it was her in the plane story.

@Oileoloe

Not a celebrity as such, but I met Prince Philip. I’ve never really supported the Royal Family and I’d heard so many stories I was expecting a very rude and arrogant man. I was accompanying children to meet the queen at an event, not really up for it but being polite and respectful for the kids.

The organisers were running behind so they decided to reroute the queen and avoid the school children, who had been waiting for hours. They didn’t even see her from a distance. Prince Philip though noticed them and left the group. He approached the children and spent time talking. He came across as down to earth, like a nice grandfather. He made the kids smile, feel special and showed interest in them. He then shouted to an aide that they must meet the queen as they’d waited in the sun, and went back inside to get her. He then saw her brought over (she didn’t say a word, smiled a little and watched flowers get handed to people with her). He walked down the line of people waiting and greeted many people, he made a lot of jokes and I could see how that could go wrong (he asked a guy in a mobility scooter if he’d run anyone over recently... the guy was laughing).

He made a real effort, and was bored by the official bits- talking to people instead. It seems hard to fake his down to earth manner and interest in people. He was already in his 80s and was remarkably fit and healthy, he didn’t walk or talk like someone of his age. It was quite confusing tbh after the image I had of him in my head.

I had a similar experience - I went with my boss to a work related event, PP was chairing it (think big lecture, important person, obscure topic, invited audience) He was well informed, handled the chairing of (quite niche) questions really well, and then mingled with us all afterwards. He definitely didn't just stick with the VIPs and was chatty, friendly and well informed.

It changed my view of him too.

Jeremy Paxman.

Jeffrey Archer.

Tony Parsons.

All had a reputation for being difficult: all absolutely lovely. I worked with them all over a number of days and they remained wonderful throughout.

Jezza P was perhaps the loveliest.

I had one of Katie Hopkins' children in my class when I was doing a PGCE placement and did a parents evening with her. This was before she started her horrendous right wing grift and was just known for The Apprentice. I honestly don't know how I would have coped in that situation if it was now.

Stoptextingme, why would you be very shocked if i was on a plane with the Rooneys, they are regulars on said airline, as i am. Not quite sure what you are getting at?

ijustknowitstime to go, same here. He told me to fuck off so his language choices aren't great.

@MissHoney85

I had one of Katie Hopkins' children in my class when I was doing a PGCE placement and did a parents evening with her. This was before she started her horrendous right wing grift and was just known for The Apprentice. I honestly don't know how I would have coped in that situation if it was now.

Why? You don’t have to like parents or their views in order to speak to them about their children do you?

@soberfabulous

Jeremy Paxman.

Jeffrey Archer.

Tony Parsons.

All had a reputation for being difficult: all absolutely lovely. I worked with them all over a number of days and they remained wonderful throughout.

Jezza P was perhaps the loveliest.

So pleased to hear this. Massive crush on him.

I met Katie Hopkins BEFORE the Apprentice. She was a sort of consultant and I was in the business she was consulting at. Her partner (husband?) at the time was the owner of the business. She had basically shagged the married boss. The others hated her.

She was VILE, but memorably so. We were all bemused when she turned up on the Apprentice a short while later.

We continued to work with her now ex-company and ex-partner, and he went onto shack up with a very very much younger colleague of mine. Most surprising. Think they've split up now.

I also had a friend of a friend who had a bad experience with John Leslie. I don’t want to give details as it’s 3rd hand and without proof, but I was told about it long before the rape accusations came out.

I can’t say I’ve met a “villain” myself, but a close friend had David Cameron visit their workplace. He seemed warm and genuine and very interested, and they had good impressions of him. He promised additional funding and support (the work was charity-based) but when that never came they looked back at the visit and realised that much of it was an act.

@debwong

Is there anyone on Mumsnet who hasn't met Jimmy Saville?

Me!!!

So many memories flooding back. I work in PR so have worked with/met loads of celebs.

Max Clifford: hate to say it but he was brilliant. Hosted an event for us. Hilarious stories. Professional. Down to earth.

Roy Keane: rude and nasty to small children (I worked with Manchester untied and we took kids to their Carrie from training ground)

Ruud van nistelroy (showing my age here) was absolutely lovely. Heart warming the way he interacted with the star struck kids.

Dame Judy Murray: ultra rude. Stomped around. Not a smile or pleasantry for anyone.

Andy Murray: absolutely lovely. One of the nicest most polite men ever. Ran a tennis session for disabled kids and was incredible with them. Calm and kind. Loved him.

Gordon Ramsey: lovely, polite, professional. Bit of a flirt.

David walliams: polite professional and a bit shy.

Debwong. I think we have all met Jimmy Saville unfortunately. I lived very near the park where his flat was and often saw him in the park cafe or at the cafe he used to go to with his creepy cronies near there. He always held court like he was this massive VIP and would ramble on to the staff and the customers. Once I had taken DD with my DM for lunch at the little cafe near the park. DD was about 4 and really shy. He said hello to her and she didn’t reply (not unusual for her) and he said something on the lines of it wouldn’t be long till she wanted to speak to young men 🤢. I didn’t have him down as a wicked person just a sleezy, grubby looking, weirdo who couldn’t shut up no matter where he was. He had to say something to everyone . It was cringingly awful to hear him coming out out with all his shtick. I had no idea though just how heinous he actually was at the time.

@4Mongrels of course not, but when someone makes a living out of sharing fairly abhorrent views I think that would naturally colour any interaction.

John Leslie here too. Back in the 90s he was at an event at a local University (presumably as a paid gig for him). I was with my friend/colleague (we were young, graduate trainees) and had blagged an invitation. My friend was absolutely gorgeous, and he made a beeline for her. He was very 'handsy', getting into her personal space, far too over familiar and generally inappropriate. In those days women were just generally expected to be polite and put up with it......... it was hugely uncomfortable, and we ended up walking out the first chance we got. I can't remember if this was before or after the rape allegations came out in the press (as it's all blended together in my mind now), but for certain he was an entitled and deeply creepy guy.

@CroutonsAvatar

I can add that Fearne Cotton is rude unless you’re famous, or was a few years ago.

And not a personal experience, but a long term client of mine worked closely with the Beckhams’ and apparently Victoria was lovely with a filthy sense humour and David was lacking in personality.

The Beckhams were involved with a charity thing my kids were doing, Victoria's mother phoned me and asked me to pass on a message to the kids, then her dad phoned and said he was going up to their house and would the kids like signed photos. Seemed like a lovely family.

When I was 18 on my way home from Magaluf we seen the actor who plays les in the airport bar nursing a pint. I said alright les and he told me to fuck off 😂

Sorry he played les in coronation street at the time.

I was practically stalked by John Leslie at an event also.
Never got handsy, but I never let him get close enough, he gave me the willies.

I met a fair few when I was a Prison Officer, funny how they are different when they get sent down! 🙄