I accidentally made friends with someone very famous, now what?

[CornflakeShark]

I feel a bit of a dork here but hear me out. I met Peter* at one of my regular fav haunts. It's a quiet, out-of-the-way place used by those who share a common pass-time. Peter & I must have similar schedules because we often rock-up at the same time. Over a period, we've progressed from a smile & nod at a distance, to polite small-talk, to sharing a space to do our hobby side-by-side - with the accompanying chit-chat that goes with it. I felt like we were right on the cusp of becoming quite pally. I don't have a tv & seldom read the news online apart from a quick scan of the headlines, I'm a bit out of touch really. Then a week ago I suddenly saw his pic in the news & thought 'Oh fuck'. I was shocked. I know Peter's just a bloke like any other person underneath it. He doesn't court the press like some do but now I feel a bit funny about the next time we meet up. He's never told me who he is other than first names & I suspect he likes the quiet friendship. I feel funny about it now. Do I say something? If I don't I feel a bit awkward. Wwyd?

Sorry Paul Nicholas!

He is VERY big but also really, really nice in his anonymity. I was when I realised. Thanks for your answers, I think I'll just keep to being ignorant. We do what we do together & have a jolly time & it's up to him really isn't it if he wants that changing.

Oh my god, is is pass-time not past-time? I've always thought it was the latter but OP's post is now making me doubt myself as it makes much more sense! spectacularly misses point

I'd probably say "hey, I saw you on the TV. You're quite famous, aren't you?". Otherwise I would just be thinking it, and it would make me uncomfortable.

For once I don't think that the mystery hobby is cycling.

OP what is the hobby? I'm more interested in that than the identity of the fella!

@Purpleartichoke glitter glue 😂

Just a thought but is the reason you’re feeling uncomfortable maybe that you had hopes the friendship might turn into a romance and you’re worried the fame thing changes things?

Who is it?! If it’s a famous person then they’ll know plenty of people and you won’t exactly be outed by it. Name change if you must

This reminds me of the episode in The Crown in which the widowed Queen Mother met a Scot who sold her his castle without realising who she was (although he thought her face was familiar)... I thought it was very sweet.
I probably wouldn't mention it and just carry on as usual - why upset the status quo?.

Oh my god, is is pass-time not past-time?

Neither. It’s pastime

Oh and don't mention his job. Why do you need to? If you found out he was a bookkeeper you wouldn't be desperately trying to find a way to casually drop into the conversation that you know he's good with an excel spreadsheet. Just treat it like any other job. Carry on talking about non-work related stuff as I guess you did before. He's obviously not desperately offended that you didn't know who he was initially so why try and make a point of it now?

Landscape painting?
Fishing?
Metal detecting?

I’d also like to know the hobby?
Keep the friendship as before OP. Your awkwardness will ease

Is he hot?!

I wouldn’t say anything. Clearly he likes being treated like just a normal guy. I used to work with celebs and IME they like to just be treated like normal people, and the “omg you’re famous” chat makes them really uncomfortable.

This time of year it’s either dawn chorus bird-watching walks or ‘dogging’ so the potential candidate pool could be very wide.

I did a similar thing when my dd started school. I’d just moved to another country and I just started talking to another mother as she had a younger child too. It was probably a year before I found out when she and her dh were both at assembly for their dd to get ‘star of the week’ and everyone was staring at them.

I had a similar thing when mum DS was young. I went to a baby class and another mum there was a VERY famous pop star from about 15/20 years ago

The other babies there seemed to be with nannies or mums who were either too young to remember her or weren’t from the UK so wouldn’t have been here when she was famous

We became quite friendly and I suggested we went for coffee and lunch

After a few months of going, DH came along to the class with me when he had a day off and immediately clocked who she was.

I was going to play it cool the next week but I couldn’t. So I eventually just said ‘so I was so engrossed in the baby zone that I totally didn’t even realise who you are until my star struck DH told me after last weeks class. So I’m sorry for that, you are famous enough to be treated with far more excitement than I gave you.’
She laughed, we still go for coffee, we don’t talk about life as an early noughties pop star

I'd say they are out bat-watching, waving bat detectors at the sky to listen to their squeaky little voices.

Neither. It’s pastime
Oh well that's ridiculous. Who okayed that one? Why have I literally never seen this word written down?

Are you interested in dating him OP?

I'd suspect that all his RL friendships will be 'quiet' friendships. Your friendship won't be unusual to him.
It's only become unusual to you because you've put him into a 'famous' box. You're overthinking it.

I think it’s the driving range.

So what you are saying is that you are one of 'Peter's Friends'