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Famous people that you’ve met: What were they like?

(202 Posts)
FannyCornforth Tue 07-Sep-21 16:45:05

Go on, spill the beans!
Nice or nasty?

(Keep it civil, or we’ll get into trouble)

(I’ve sort of nicked this idea from the ‘Fantasy Famous Friend Fread’, apologies to the op!)

Calendargirl Sat 25-Sep-21 18:33:21

Dick Emery chatted to me when he was opening a fete in our village.

Jasper Carrott came in to the bank where I worked, I tried to rush through my customer so I could serve him, but my colleague beat me to it.

I spotted Sam Torrance through the car window when we were in Jersey, there was a golf tournament going on. ?️‍♂️

Oh, and Princess Alexandra waved to our family as she drove past in her car at an event she had just opened. ?

MissAdventure Sat 25-Sep-21 18:28:36

We had a great thread about claims to fame a while back.
The more obscure, the better. smile

I also met Chico (x factor person I think?)
He was really exceptionally lovely; even all the staff said that they volunteered to work when he was around, as he is such a nice, kind man.
He was also strikingly good looking.

Germanshepherdsmum Sat 25-Sep-21 18:21:35

That’s nice, not at all how I’d imagined him. My only third hand claim to meeting someone famous is going to school with Dave Gilmour’s (Pink Floyd) sister.

MissAdventure Sat 25-Sep-21 17:22:23

I know someone who took her grown up grandaughter to a London restaurant, where Simon Cowell was at a table, with paperwork spread out, obviously in the middle of some sort of business meeting with another man.
The grandaughter has a learning disability, and ran straight up to him, talking ten to the dozen.
He was a charm itself; swept all the papers out of the way and invited her to sit down for a chat. smile

Doodles202 Sat 25-Sep-21 16:56:16

grannyactivist - having also met Bobby Charlton I have to agree with you. Horrid man!

2OldForThis Sat 11-Sep-21 00:53:43

An historical one. My mother aged 19 worked as a silver service waitress. After serving Frankie Vaughn with a fish course he unfortunately got a fishbone stuck in his throat. After much kerfuffle and back slaps he pompously and loudly berated my dear mum, blaming her for 'ruining his million dollar voice'. She was a sensitive soul and never forgot how he made her feel that day. [sad face]

GillT57 Fri 10-Sep-21 14:01:47

Vetnry what a lovely story, you have confirmed what most already suspected, that Charlie Watts was a lovely man. Thank you.

Rosycheeks Fri 10-Sep-21 13:40:18

Oh i always fancied Frank Finlay since bouquet of barbed wire.

Juno56 Fri 10-Sep-21 12:30:23

As a child/teenager I did a bit of TV and film extra work. I had a very small part in the BBC production of Casanova. I was too shy to join the other extras at their table in the canteen and went and sat at a table by myself. A man came and asked if he could sit there and it was only when he sat down with his tray that I realised it was Frank Finlay the star of the production. We had a nice conversation for a few minutes and he told me he had daughter of about my age (which was 15). A lovely man with a quite beautiful voice.

Dinahmo Fri 10-Sep-21 12:26:40

FannyCornforth

Danni Rik Mayall was absolutely bloody gorgeous ♥️
I’ve said it before on here and got laughed it.
I can’t think of any man who I find more attractive than Rik

Do you remember the short play "Dancing Queen" with him and Helena Bonham Carter? About a stripper who goes to a stag do at a London restaurant where they did pub type food. He was the groom. They end up on a train going to Scarborough and fall for each other. One of my favourites which I videoed. Unfortunately the tape was destroyed when our house was struck by lighting

JaneJudge Fri 10-Sep-21 09:47:54

Callistemon

JaneJudge

I think I've said this before but I let Ian Lavender cross the road at a zebra crossing

My brother knew his brother. I don't suppose that counts either!

grin grin I proper giggled at that

Callistemon Fri 10-Sep-21 09:44:36

JaneJudge

I think I've said this before but I let Ian Lavender cross the road at a zebra crossing

My brother knew his brother. I don't suppose that counts either!

JaneJudge Fri 10-Sep-21 09:35:30

I think I've said this before but I let Ian Lavender cross the road at a zebra crossing

Callistemon Fri 10-Sep-21 09:33:55

FannyCornforth

Callistemon

We sat and had a drink in the bar where Oliver Reed fell off his perch (but not on that day).
Does that count?

No.
That belonged on ‘The Rubbish Claims to Fame’ thread (remember that? It was a cracker - even if I say so myself!)

? oh, ok!

FannyCornforth Fri 10-Sep-21 08:19:16

Oh! I remember now you saying that technical lighting stuff would be your specialist subject on Mastermind, due to DH wanging on about it! smile

Josianne Fri 10-Sep-21 08:12:34

DH was a lighting designer.
When Dave Allen did his one man show the backstage guys used to have a sweepstake every night as to what time DA would wrap up. DA knew all about it and used to come off stage saying, " Well, who won tonight?" It could vary by about 30 minutes depending on audience participation!
Somewhere I still have his signed wedding card to us.

FannyCornforth Fri 10-Sep-21 08:03:52

How did you know Dave Allen Josianne? I’m seriously impressed

Josianne Fri 10-Sep-21 07:49:55

Dave Allen gave us a healthy cheque for our wedding present. Not that that mattered as he was the nicest man you could meet.
Christopher Reeve was super too and invited us to his opening night party.

Newatthis Fri 10-Sep-21 07:44:28

Kate Adie. Remember she was an overseas correspondent. We have to pick her up from her hotel and take her to an official dinner. She was very talkative to my husband but really wasn’t interested in entering into conversation with me. She flirts a lot and likes the attention of men and very full of her own self importance.

JaneJudge Fri 10-Sep-21 07:38:13

That's funny smile

FannyCornforth Fri 10-Sep-21 05:56:56

JaneJudge

anyway fanny I am still impressed Frank Skinner was your teacher!

And neighbour! Don’t forget that!
Frank / Chris lived in one of the little houses, whereas my parents and I lived in a big, posh one.
How the tides have turned!

I remember saying, when he moved to our street, that I wasn’t keen on the neighbourhood because you never really talked to anyone.
He said that that was what he particularly liked about it!
He also used to joke about waterskiing on the lake.

FannyCornforth Fri 10-Sep-21 05:51:53

Callistemon

We sat and had a drink in the bar where Oliver Reed fell off his perch (but not on that day).
Does that count?

No.
That belonged on ‘The Rubbish Claims to Fame’ thread (remember that? It was a cracker - even if I say so myself!)

grannyactivist Thu 09-Sep-21 23:40:30

Seabreeze I once attended a regimental ball and was seated on the same table as Prince Michael of Kent. He knocked a bottle of wine over and he had absolutely no idea what to do - he literally just sat and watched it as the wine headed towards his lap, saying in a panic, “Has anybody got a bit of cloth?”(pronounced clawth)

For years afterwards any spillage in our house resulted in cries of, “Has anybody got a clawth?” ?

Callistemon Thu 09-Sep-21 22:54:37

Yes, he was trying to out-drink some RN sailors, according to legend.
A foolish move according to DH!

Kate1949 Thu 09-Sep-21 22:51:54

We did too Callistemon. The Pub, Valletta.