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?

Come on OP at least give us a clue- are any of us close?

The op just wants us all to fall over ourselves trying to guess who it is and what the hobby is, nothing more than that.

Plus, op "doesn't have a tv" "seldom reads the news on line" yet is happy to court opinions on MN. It's made up.

He is just a person like every other human being.
Just treat him like one.

@MyMymDimensionJumps Louis Theroux was on desert Island discs. He did mention he likes jigsaws and Jesus christ superstar?

@Bullshitdetectionservice that made me laugh! 😂

When dawn French met her current husband, he didn't know who she was. He didn't have a TV.

Hollow even Stevie Wonder knows who DF is

Dawn French said to him 'well you must have not watched TV for the past 30 years not to know who I am' and he replied he didn't even have a TV. They met at a charity her mother works for.

I can take Stevie Wonder out of the running as I do know that he likes mini trampolining. I used to work at a top London hotel and when he was a guest he always ask that he have a room with a high enough ceiling to allow for it!

mini-trampolining with Stevie Wonder - an actual verified niche sleb hobby - that's a result even if OP never returns @LadyOfThe Canyon

Line dancing with Ronan Keating?
Book club with Joey Essex?

Trout-tickling with Noel Edmonds?

Snake Taming with David Coulthard?

Horse Rustling with Graham Norton?

Is the OP Alan Partridge in disguise? I think this is a crafty way of getting ideas for new TV shows to suggest to the BBC guy.

I saw Pete waterman once at a rail exhibition. But it was one of those where I thought nah It is not him, but oh actually it was when I read the leaflets and companies/people that were there.

People giving the OP a hard time about not having a TV: we didn't have one for a decade. now we have for over two decades, but I have never redeveloped the habit of watching TV by default. I went through a phase when I had a newborn of watching ALL the home decorating and remodeling shows. but then we moved to the states and I didn't watch the equivalent shows, nor did I pick them up again when we returned. actually, I think a lot of them went off the air when the economy tanked. so, yes. some people really do not know enough about current TV to recognize people.

and I read the news online, but as with most people who do so, outside of stuff relating to government and elections (which I should probably read more of, but it makes me so ), I only look for the news about topics I already find interesting, meaning I am out of touch with current faces on current shows. I like looking at photos from award show red carpets, but I recognize fewer and fewer people every year. I probably don't recognize anyone under the age of 40 or not in GoT. and not even all of them, GoT has a cast of hundreds at this point.

My friend hasn’t had a TV since leaving home (she’s now 35). She has two DCs and they watch a bit of CBeebies on the iPad, so she knows who Bing and Mr Tumble are, but adult celebrities? Not a clue. I don’t think it’s that unusual.

Apoligies for mentioning Ronnie Corbett, had forgotten that he was no longer with us. No offence intended.

@tsteele937 did you just register here for this post on how to treat famous people?!

I don't think so - I frequent the site to get ideas for my show. There is a treasure trove of info on here, but this is the first that I felt qualified to respond to in some way - best I can recall.

It is possible that I was browsing without an account and then created one when I tried to respond to it. But it wasn't the way it sounds from your post.

Like... I didn't create an account so I could come here and respond. I was just reading the AIBU section and thought that I had a relevant comment and had to register to make it?

I hope that explains it. I tried to make it clear that I don't consider myself to be a "big time celebrity" - just that my experience has given me a different perspective on this than the average person who is guessing what it might be like. I have some small degree of insight on it. I'm fairly regularly recognized, I'm approached to take pictures with in public (as long as I stay in Greenville SC) and it is mostly a blessing and only rarely a curse. I consider it far more of a good thing than an annoyance - which is probably different than the big-time celebs who can't turn it off when they want.

Cheers!

Tsteele937 how kind of you to advise us how to treat celebrities such as yourself. You do realise MN is a huge forum with lots and lots of members who might actually be quite famous themselves, or have famous friends or families or even work in those industries? But how good of you to give us the benefit of your experience grin I'm not clicking on that address in your post btw.

Yes, I realize that. I also put on my thick skin since I have read enough to know that MN also has its fair share of people who feel the need to try and find the worst in people and overlook the parts where I EMPHASIZED that I did not consider myself to be a "big celebrity" but thought that I might have a perspective that might offer OP some different views.

I have ZERO to gain on a UK website by "bragging" about myself. I merely hoped to offer information that might be useful to OP who asked a question I was able to answer.

Have a great day! :-)

But how good of you to give us the benefit of your experience: I'm not clicking on that address in your post btw.

Tom Steele also gives advice on reddit where he talks about content for his show...for example, trying to get 'crazy moms' to call in to berate him for giving his kids pop.
www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/drgwr/i_am_a_morning_show_host_on_a_radio_station_ama/
I know you've been doing it for years now so I guess it must be hard to think up new things but trawling for content on here makes you as bad as the daily mail journos - and you must be aware that half the threads are made up/trolls in any case.
The link you posted comes up as malicious incidentally so won't work for promoting your show (although only weirdos like me would probably bother to look it up. Hey ho. It's a slow rage day). I found you making 'hilarious' content on youtube though. Just....why?

@RageAgainstTheVendingMachine (Great screen name btw) Thank you for your kind words. The reddit AMA was 8 years ago, and I tried to answer questions about things like how to get into the business and other useful things. I like to think maybe I helped someone find their way into the business. We have had a surprising number of interns throughout the years who have gone on to be successful in radio.

I'm not sure where you got the idea that it is hard to think up new things after doing a job for years. Really it is just the opposite - like many jobs, you often become better at it with experience.

But the world does change, so a topic that would have made sense 20 years ago (my husband's pager is always going off) does need updating so it is good to keep your finger on the pulse of how things are changing in the world.

I find it odd that you come here yourself if you think the posts are largely trolls? Why bother then?

Thank you for finding some of my stuff on the web. Not sure why the link to our radio station web page comes up as malicious. I'll have our it department look into it. Or more likely, I'll tell them about it and they will say, "We can't replicate that problem, we are closing the ticket. LOL)

In answer to your question of "Just... why?" We basically aim to entertain. We realize we won't entertain everyone, and we understand that some people will find our entertainment to be beneath them and that's ok.

I hope you have a great day!

-TS

I find it odd that you come here yourself if you think the posts are largely trolls? Why bother then?

Because it's roughly half (there is a list of known troll types that come on here regularly. Some are harmless and people just take the piss, some are pervs and should seek therapy).
The rest of the community - woolly hugs for the bereaved, special needs support, word association gamers, telly addict pwbs - are a complete delight.

I may have judged you unfairly regarding your content as I have not heard your output (I would have done to be fair had the link worked) but the crazy moms example you gave in reddit did sound like you troll for reactions on your show...picking out listeners to froth at the mouth as opposed to someone who just wants a request seems like something the Jeremy Kyle producers would do. I guess it makes for better radio if that's what you are aiming for.

The 'torture Tuesday' content probably sounds better on the radio? Aren't you on early in the morning? It sounds a bit hyper for that time but I have short tolerance at stupid o'clock. Yes it is a matter of taste, I don't listen to DJs who chat loads/prank/have a posse so I probably won't be your demographic

It's nice to know that you were genuine though in terms of giving advice. even if the OP was winding people up and letting them go
I'm just here for the sarcasm - book club with Joey Essex made me loose and Is it Elton John? he likes to be anonymous

Have a good day yourself Tom