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?

@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

It is about someone who is in the media who has form for being unpleasant and has in fact been mentioned on many threads for being like this in the past, end of. Air story merely an example of this. No different to any other responses.

Josef Fritzl, just as unpleasant and frightening as you’d expect. Tried to buy me a drink in a bar in Bangkok and was very aggressive when I refused.
I also got into an email confrontation with the actor Derren Nesbitt. It was over a misunderstanding and although the communication was occasionally a bit terse I have to say that he was always polite, not the villain he portrays at all.

My grandmother once shared a lift with Daphne du Maurier and started to say how much she enjoyed her books, but the author snapped at her and was really nasty.

DiL’s family had connections with the Krays. A tenuous link but all I can offer.

I met John Bercow when he was an after dinner speaker at a function I was at. He was utterly charming, very entertaining and circulated after the meal, chatting with everyone (he is very small though )

I've never met any of the current crop of villains you see on TV like Cheryl Cole, Hugh Grant, Stephen Fry or Gino D'Acampo.

Are they villains?

My only offering falls firmly into the “tv villain” category, as opposed to actual villain. Brendan Cole (from strictly) used to come into the supermarket where I worked. It was when I was in sixth form so quite a while ago, and when he was still on the show. He was always lovely, and never the more arrogant, rude, stroppy version he was on the show.

Came across Dean Gaffney on Hinge recently which was a surprise lol

Not my type so nothing else to add!

DH was a photographer at a well-known university. He was asked by the uni to take photographs at an event which Margaret Thatcher attended, she looked bored and disinterested while being shown around and introduced to the various students and academics. She noticed DH and his camera, and turned around focussing on him and suddenly totally charged her demeanour becoming interested, charming, and smiling. Although he found her quite chilling as she focussed her famously cold eyes on his lens.

@Pedallleur

Jimmy Saville. Odd, eccentric whatever. But his behaviour was accepted both at the BBC and by the public. Now he would be found out but his public life his his private one. He raised enormous amounts for charities, won the Green Beret of the Marines etc. But if you met you just thought he is odd. Bernard Manning was like his character. It wasn't a stage act. But he never poked fun at disabilities so that's alright then.

Saville visited my late MIL's home in the late 50s/early60s when he was a DJ in Leeds, he was friendly with her daughter and husband. My late husband did a Summer job with 'a nice bloke', Peter Sutcliffe!!

John Noakes was utterly vile and a bit creepy.
He told my 13 year old friend she should shave her legs

Although not villains, I’ve also met both Ed Miliband and Philip Pullman at events I’ve helped organise.
Both were an absolute delight, gave much more of their time than planned, friendly and down to earth, and totally engaged with everyone they met. Both behaved in a totally unassuming way, and you would not have been aware they were ‘celebs’ if you had never seen them before.
Philip Pullman signed children’s books for several hours (ones they brought with them, rather than making sales on the day). He chatted to each family at length and made sure each signing included a personalised message.
Ed Miliband is very attractive in person.

My nan used to work in one of the bars owned by the Krays, she went to school with Frances Shea and then years later lived in the flat above Frances Kray and used to help her with her shopping as the boys were inside by that point.
She was always looked after well by the family.

Max Clifford, when I was. Student ... he was seedy

Simon Cowell is lovely.

Neil and Christine Hamilton. He was superficially charming, she seemed genuinely nice.

Trudie Styler. I dealt with her for a few years through my then job. She was always very pleasant to me even though I was a mere minion. She once rang up when she was on the way to a meeting with my boss to say very sorry, but she had to go back home - had forgotten she’d invited local WI round for coffee and Sting had been left to entertain them!

Former racing driver and double convicted drug smuggler Vic Lee. He was quite nice in person but it was like talking to an Essex gangster from an ITV drama. He's even fat and wheezy.

A family friend worked in prisons for years and once supervised Dennis Nilsen being moved between prisons. He had met all sorts of awful people but said Nilsen was the only one who ever gave him the creeps.

@GalleryGirl

I used to be the Nanny for the child of the CEO of Nestle - he gets a huge amount of bile online; he's a genuinely lovely man.

Oh that's all right then, as long as he's nice to you, who cares if he runs a company responsible for the death of thousands upon thousands of babies by pushing formula to people who couldn't afford it, or that the same company actively fights against water as a basic human right whilst draining the aquifiers it controls with absolutely no thought to environmental concerns, or that Nestlé chocolate is produced by trafficked child slaves... you may need to recalibrate your moral compass if you can call someone like that 'lovely'.

Jim Davidson - over 30 years ago.

I worked in a 'trendy bar'. He was so rude, sexist, called me 'darling' and shouted 'oye, hurry up and serve me'. I left the bar area and went to the loo to escape serving him due to his blatant misogyny and his 'big I am' attitude.

Back then I had very little confidence. I'd definitely call him out now though

Both already been mentioned but Piers Morgan and Gordon Ramsey are both charming.

@FortunesFave

"ReverendRicketyCricket"
I've met Nigel Farage. As disgusting in real life as he comes across in the media. Also - deathbreath. Vile individual.

Rose West isn't a celebrity!! Ffs

okay, Im confused ? 🤔

A premiership footballer player is a school dad. Household name. Parks in the disabled space at school when collecting DCs.

Am I missing something?
Are EdMilliband and Philip Pullman villains?

Jim Davidson he was staying at the hotel i worked at right arrogant twat ,receptionist asked for some honey for one of his roadies took the honey out his words gordon bennet a female chef, my come back yes love and i cooked your breakfast his roadies were in stitches

Jimmy Saville at a charity day in the 90s very scratty looking and not impressed

Judith Chalmers 90s covering conservative conference very snobby didnt speak to anyone she didnt have to

Nasty Nick from eastenders really nice guy to talk to in real life

Jools Holland arrogant

@WowIlikereallyhateyou

JackieTheFart, if you are UK based and read/watch the news you will know who Wagatha Christie is!

I've UK based, listen to Radio 4 news and news analysis programmes every day. I have never heard of Wagatha Christie. I googled the case - I hadn't heard of that either. I had heard of Colleen Rooney, but not the other one. If Radio 4 news did cover it then I must have missed it.

My 18 year old nephew did work experience in TV, and said Piers Morgan was very friendly and made a point of chatting to the 18 year olds and making them feel at ease. Susanna Reid on the other hand was very frosty and stand-offish.