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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Have you met a celebrity villain?

865 replies

pawsies · 13/03/2021 13:29

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?

OP posts:
Sunny360 · 17/03/2021 09:25

He’s not a celebrity villain but I have to add my experience of Dale Winton after reading the negative ones for balance. I was sat next to him on a flight back from Florida and ended up chatting to him for hours. When we had chatted for a bit he introduced himself as Dale, so humble enough at least to not expect everyone to recognise him instantly (I said I know you are haha).

We were in those virgin upper seats where you have a stool in front so someone can come sit in front of you and he came and sat with me, we ordered drinks and chatted for hours. He was really nice and very open about surgery he had and feeling pressure to lose weight when he gained any. He also talked to me about partners he had had and seemed really unlucky in love and was very sad about never having found “the one”. I felt really sorry for him. I did get the impression that he had a lot of unresolved issues from his past and relationships. He seemed quite insecure and like the sort of person that was putting on a happy face but was a bit broken inside by it all. He spoke a lot about David Walliams and how much he absolutely adored him (as a friend). I got the impression they were best mates.

It was such a surreal experience. Strangest flight I’ve ever had and I was really sad when I read he had passed away. A few weeks before his death he had moved from his very posh expensive central London apartment to a smaller house in an outer borough and I wondered if he had come into money troubles. Pure speculation of course but it was all very quiet in the media surrounding his death and what actually happened. I hope he found peace anyway, he was a lovely guy in my experience.

WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 17/03/2021 10:00

Nasty Nick from BB was a regular in a City wine bar I worked in, in 1999, before he want into the BB house. He was perfectly normal and polite. Which is a hell of a lot more than could be said of many of the punters.

I don't think he ever really was trying to be an actual villain, was he? As I understood he saw it, he was on a gameshow and he was using strategy in order to try to win. Just like voting off the strongest player as 'the weakest link', or promising to share in Golden Balls and then stealing. Not a single person on Golden Balls who went on to steal ever admitted in advance that they were going to do it*, and none of those are widely considered as villains.

*except this brilliant piece of psychological drama, which tore up all the rule books!

WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 17/03/2021 10:04

I think poor Dale was a very troubled soul. I think he'd experienced a lot of hurt in his life and simultaneously enjoyed the fame and money whilst also finding it frightening and not knowing how to deal with it and protect his mental health.

Just my thoughts.

Sunny360 · 17/03/2021 10:12

@WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll

I think poor Dale was a very troubled soul. I think he'd experienced a lot of hurt in his life and simultaneously enjoyed the fame and money whilst also finding it frightening and not knowing how to deal with it and protect his mental health.

Just my thoughts.

I think you hit the nail on the head there. That’s the exact impression I got.
Bluesheep8 · 17/03/2021 10:29

We walked behind Steve McFadden, coming through arrivals at Gatwick a few years ago. He was shouting at his wife, Phil Mitchell style and was very red in the face.

A hot potato? Grin

WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 17/03/2021 10:40

Maybe the baggage handler had thrown his suitcase at him and screamed "Now, get out my hub!!!!"

PolloDePrimavera · 17/03/2021 10:48
Grin
thecognoscenti · 17/03/2021 11:30

@HermioneMakepeace

Also VIP airport lounges are NEVER full. There is ALWAYS room for a group.
That isn't true at all. As someone else has said, some of them really are surprisingly small - it totally depends on the airport (lounges in the Middle East are often enormous, but some European ones are tiny). It can be hard to find a seat especially for a group. So I do think it's very plausible.
tinselandlights · 17/03/2021 11:43

I have worked with quite a few celebrities, not many of them considered villains. I worked with Amanda Holden and was expecting her to be awful.

She was hilarious - funny, hardworking, didn't take herself too seriously and genuinely talented, as well as being great at presenting. Her husband is her manager (and weirdly his dad was Les Dennis' manager!) and he wasn't very nice at all.

MumsThewordw02 · 17/03/2021 11:49

[quote WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll]Nasty Nick from BB was a regular in a City wine bar I worked in, in 1999, before he want into the BB house. He was perfectly normal and polite. Which is a hell of a lot more than could be said of many of the punters.

I don't think he ever really was trying to be an actual villain, was he? As I understood he saw it, he was on a gameshow and he was using strategy in order to try to win. Just like voting off the strongest player as 'the weakest link', or promising to share in Golden Balls and then stealing. Not a single person on Golden Balls who went on to steal ever admitted in advance that they were going to do it*, and none of those are widely considered as villains.

*except this brilliant piece of psychological drama, which tore up all the rule books!

[/quote] Thanks for posting that! I really enjoyed that outcome. :)
GabsAlot · 17/03/2021 12:49

mel sykes is a bitch said to fans they were shit on her shoes

ShesMadeATwatOfMePam · 17/03/2021 12:53

My friend has worked with Meghan and says she's absolutely lovely.

This is completely untrue but threads like these are absolutely ridiculous. I can say whatever i like about whoever i like, who would ever know I'm lying?

PostcardofaBeautifulBeach · 17/03/2021 13:02

Is interesting the stories about how some of these celebrities treat 'the little people' - people who are there to serve them. That is the biggest test in my opinion. Not how they treat their peers or other famous or influential people. Or even guests at a meet and greet or some such.

James Corden comes up time and time again on threads like this (look at some of the Reddit threads on him). Story after story about how awful he is to work for or deal with if you are not a fellow celeb.

On one of his shows he told a guest to ask him anything he wanted. The guest pointed at one of his floor crew on the Late show (someone who he worked with day in day out) and said 'what is his name'? Corden couldn't answer.

MissPots · 17/03/2021 13:03

My Dad was bullied by Billy Connolly when they were kids-teenagers. Even now they have a difficult relationship in their 70s (Billy is still quite close with my Dad's sister)

COPPER3 · 17/03/2021 14:05

Appreciate this may be for a different thread..but anyone met Michael Barrymore?

LadyEloise · 17/03/2021 15:58

I agree PostcardofaBeautifulBeach -"....how some of these celebrities treat "the little people" who are there to serve them...."
It's about how they themselves were reared.
I'd be mortified and very upset if my dc became famous ( no chance Smile ) and treated people badly.

PantherPantherus · 17/03/2021 17:05

I met the animated Pink Panther many years ago. He was a bit quiet, not engaging in conversation much and just kept raising his eyebrows in response. Very, very difficult to strike up a conversation.

On the other hand, Ariel the Little Mermaid was very down to the sea bed. I know some find her a bit of a diva but she seemed nothing of the sort in real life.

Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 17/03/2021 17:48

Any insights on Simba or Fred Flintstone, @PantherPantherus? I must admit I'd be gutted if Tom or Jerry turned out to be divas.

Grin
TabithaTeacake · 17/03/2021 18:34

Minnie is ok , perhaps a little mousey .

PantherPantherus · 17/03/2021 18:36

Fred Flintstone touched my bottom and offered me sweets @Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g

Simba I have not met. But Tom and Jerry were lovely so was the Dog, really down to earth and not a bit snooty.

CatsBooksAndCoffee · 17/03/2021 20:30

@medebourne

I met Satan in B and Q. He was absolutely charming.
😂😂😂
NoraEphronsNeck · 17/03/2021 21:14

@evilharpy

All these celebrity threads and nobody ever says they have met Dwayne Johnson. I'm desperate to know whether he's as lovely in real life as he seems!
My friend's son worked with Dwayne Johnson at the end of 2019. Apparently He was very approachable and chatty to everyone on the set, no matter who they were.
CthulhuInDisguise · 17/03/2021 22:33

True story - I got groped by Tigger at Magic Kingdom. He grabbed my arse while I was posing for a photo with DH, DS and Winnie the Pooh. I realise this sounds like I'm taking the piss but I'm genuinely not.

smallandimperfectlyformed · 17/03/2021 23:14

@CthulhuInDisguise

True story - I got groped by Tigger at Magic Kingdom. He grabbed my arse while I was posing for a photo with DH, DS and Winnie the Pooh. I realise this sounds like I'm taking the piss but I'm genuinely not.
That's awful. What predatory behaviour and because you were with family in an area around children you couldn't say anything. I am sorry that happened to you.
Whenthesunshines · 18/03/2021 06:44

@WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll

I think poor Dale was a very troubled soul. I think he'd experienced a lot of hurt in his life and simultaneously enjoyed the fame and money whilst also finding it frightening and not knowing how to deal with it and protect his mental health.

Just my thoughts.

You can explain why people might behave like arseholes but there is never an excuse for being an arsehole.