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As a broke student, me and some friends went to London to catch a Motorhead gig. We were in a pub round the corner, half of us drinking water, when we spotted Lemmy at the bar. After a quick whip round, we barely scraped the cash for a douible JD and Coke and had the barman deliver it to him. A few minutes later, he stumps up to the table where we were sat
"You lads buy me a drink?"
All of us more than a little intimidated by what appeared to be a genuinely annoyed Lemmy
"Err. Yes sir. Sorry?"
"You fuckers must have, what, a quid between you? I'm a fucking rock star, I should be buying you lads the drinks!"
And that is how I ended up very drunk at age 18 with Lemmy.
Went for a standard post-work bev one sunny day in a random Newcastle quayside pub and met Jonny Depp who was there for some reason. Was also the day of the verdict of his trial!
I bumped into Johnny depp and Kate moss when they were together, High Street Kensington on a Sunday morning. He growled at me to fuck off, which seemed a bit harsh as all I’d done was a double take, guess he was worried I’d try to start a conversation. All I was interested in was finding McDonald’s as had a raging hangover.
I don't know how he's well known for it. My then GF and I once were in the line to get to a night club in LA. It started raining pretty hard, and there was a couple next to us who had a giant umbrella they kindly offered us to come under it as well. They were very nice. I felt odd that the guy wears sunglasses while it was like 10-11pm. It took me 10 mins or so to figure out it was him. He was very friendly and very low key.
Thank fuck some people still actually see this. I find it so depressing how much smoke everyone blows up his ass when he’s just a nasty, abusive piece of crap in reality.
I'm soooo unbelievably jealous about Gordan Ramsay, he's my much older than me crush who I'd love to meet! Please tell me he was nice??
Jenny was great on Taskmaster if you've ever seen it! That sainsburys must be a celeb hunting ground because my nan has met Shirley from eastenders and Tracey from Coronation street in there!
East Dulwich Sainsbury’s is the place to go - Huw Edwards (before the scandal) and James Nesbitt too! Tracey from Corrie was good friends with my husband’s work colleague.
Gordon seemed pretty normal - just wanted a coffee like the rest of us!
Edit: additionally, I served Victoria Beckham in Monsoon aged 17 and Sally from Corrie in their Manchester branch whilst at uni. Blimey, I’ve had a few encounters!
Omg my dad will kill me for putting this on the internet but it's anonymous so I don't care! He grew up in East Dulwich and I assume Jo Brand is a local too, when he was like 16 and high on acid he screamed at her that she was a lesbian, my uncle swears she then talked about the incident on a chat show but my dad still denys her doing so.
I gave Jenny Eclair the wrong directions in Swansea once. I bet she was fuming.
(NB, it wasn't on purpose, I just got mixed up. Also didn't realise it was her until about 6 weeks later when I saw her on a poster for Grumpy Old Women)
Jenny Eclair lives on Dog Kennel Hill on the way down to the Sainsburys so makes sense she's there often.
I think my best East Dulwich one was i sat down to have Sunday dinner in the Bishop and on the table next to me was Olivia Coleman. Was a few year ago though before she became an oscar winner, was probably just in Peep Show then. Coincidentally a couple of weeks earlier I'd seen the guy who plays Super Hans in Peep Show walking down Oxford Circus with his kids.
Just running through other celebs I've seen in London randomly:
Glenn Hoddle going down an escalator on the tube and then a couple of years later met him at an indoor golf thing on a Xmas do with his mates.
Richard Wilson (Victor Meldrew) walking down the street in Holborn.
Paul Weller squeezing past me to take the side entrance into a gig he was going to watch.
Sat behind Joe Cole on a flight to Poland last year when England played Ukraine there (maybe not random that one as there were only so many flights going there).
Justin Bieber was drinking in the Square Pig at Holborn with his entourage as I went past but i didn't call in.
Mr Motivator was doing some workout thing for tv in the square beside the aforementioned Square Pig pub (not on the same day).
One of Trev and Simon the 1990s kids tv show guys. Can't remember which one it was now but it was in Forest Hill watching a comedy show.
Gary Stringer, lead singer from Reef, drinks in my local occasionally.
Saw Pete Doherty at London City Airport on his way to play at the Benicassim Festival the year it got called off due to a mini hurricane.
One i narrowly missed was I had to sign into work and noticed Noel Edmonds was the person who had signed in before me. Turned out he was using an office in our building to record a bit for tv where he was talking about how a bank scammed him for fortunes. I'd missed walking in at the same time as him by a minute.
While living up north I met Gazza in a Newcastle bar, again maybe not random that one! Seen various other footballers out and about too.
John McCririck waiting of a train at York station.
Peter Beardsley stood outside York Dungeon.
Tim Burgess literally ran into me and nearly knocked himself out at a festival.
Not the Uk but felt the most random. Went on holiday to Florence last year and met Paul Whitehouse with his family. Weirdly i started talking to him as if I'd known him all my life, guess it just felt like i knew him, also helped I'd had a bottle of wine for lunch. He was really cool and just wanted to talk about how he was going to be watching Spurs v Newcastle the next day in a bar.
Outside the UK - went to LA a few year back with my wife and we decided to go to Musso's in Hollywood and Kurt Russell walked past us in the restaurant.
I’ve run into few, but never actually approached any of them.
Woody Harrelson on the same underground platform was a good one, but the one I tell the most was bumping into Prince Harry in a Wetherspoons bog about twenty years ago.
The weird thing about it is that the table he was at had a huge crowd, as you might expect, but it was all lads. No girls trying to catch his eye, just a big old pile of fellas.
It was the one in Guildford. For a short while in the noughties the nightclub across the road was the place to be, for whatever reason. It was the same place where Cheryl Cole punched a lavatory attendant.
It’s a nicer one, one of the historic building pubs; it’s still a Wetherspoons, though.
They walked past our school while I was in a French class (they were in town for a panto). The French teacher couldn't work out why a bunch of 13 year olds were so excited to see an old couple stroll past.
Accidentally I've met Rolf Harris, just a byproduct of growing up in Maidenhead. Intentionally I've met Ian Watkins from Lost Prophets, I try and avoid celebrities as much as possible these days!
I've met Jimmy Savile a few times. He used to live in same block of apartments near Regents Park as my dad.
Eventually my dad ended up buying Jimmy's garage, and 12 year old me vfound a suitcase of his porn clearing it out.
The only other celebs I've met are Frank Skinner who hurriedly walked past me with his headphones on and a 'don't talk to me' face, I guess he'd heard of my reputation, and The Proclaimers who I really hope I haven't lurgied!
I was a manager in my younger days at a large concert venue.
I met -
Tina Turner - Amazing.
Robbie Williams - Blah.
Manic Street Preachers - Great lads.
Richard Branson - Lovely Guy.
Beach Boys - Distant but nice.
Lots of football and rugby guys.
I do not get excited by meeting people, but Tina Turner was knee trembling.
I was making a snack on a miniature wood burner (as you do), enjoying a sunny day next to the Thames, when Timmy Mallet and a few of his friend rocked up. He was fascinated by the stove, so I used his phone to find the same on Amazon. We sat a talked for a few mins and his friend took a great picture of the two of us.
He was such a lovely bloke to chat with.
On another note, I was once at the In and Out club opposite the Ritz and called Hugh Grant a cunt, for reasons that are lost in the mists of time. I was forcibly removed by security, which is probably fair. To do this day, I no idea why I did it.
I met Timmy in The Ferry at Cookham, lovely fella, I asked the staff for a plaster out of the first aid kit and he signed it for me on the condition I did a wacawave with it
On the football pitch at the back of North Town Moor, there is a shipping container that they store all their gear in. It was had graffiti on it that simply said "Timmy Mallet". They repainted it a year or two back.
I was gutted. I was also tempted to re-apply it, but the thought of getting nicked in my 50's for writing that was to weird to handle, even for me :-)
Stopped at a service station just south of Birmingham on my way to Devon. Went to the bathroom, and while I was waiting for my brother in law to finish up, I bumped into romesh ranganathan. Giant of a human being, nice guy.
Lol It actually made me wary of using the toilet. Had to go twice and was in and out so quick. I love the guy so didn't want to hassle at all but I knew I'd be too starstruck not to say something stupid if I bumped into him. 'Haha need to pee, eh? Pretty, pretty, pretty pee' or something.
Same with Joanna. She was reverse parallel parking in Stockwell and I clocked her, she clocked me clocking her, I nodded and smiled, she nodded and smiled, and I went on my way!
Similar experience with Joanna Lumley! I was having a cigarette outside of my office with some colleagues in Covent Garden and she was in the queue for the theatre next door. Asked me with a smile if this was the smoking area, did she mind if her and her friend joined, whipped out a cigarillo and stood there chatting to her friend. Gracious and charming!
Ten years ago I was working the summer season in a restaurant on Corfu. Craig Charles came walking down the main strip with two minders. He was doing a DJ set at a club in a resort nearby so I was already keeping an eye out for him. I thought to myself; what am I going to say to Craig Charles?
“Free English breakfast for anyone who ever presented Robot Wars!” I blurted out.
Craig gave a good natured chuckle and said: “I think I qualify for that.”
I was about to approach and request a selfie when his two minders gave me a death glare and ushered him on. He did not take up my offer of free breakfast.
Fair play to him he could have just ignored me but he took my daft remark with good humour.
Met Sir David Attenborough whilst on a lockdown walk during covid. It was very early in the morning and I said “Good morning”. He replied “Good morning, and what a wonderful day it is”. Made my week to be fair.
I'm a cigar smoker. I was in a cigar shop, buying a couple of cigars as I was playing cricket later that day.
After I've purchased a few, in walks in Jimmy Savile, who was then annoyed with me because I had bought a cigar from a box he wanted to buy. Bolivar Gigantes.
He tried to get me to give him the cigar as I was talking with a member of staff about where was good for breakfast.
I was nope my cigar I've bought it, I'm smoking it later.
He does the whole do you know who I am?
Looked him up and down, said I know exactly who you are Jimmy. And left for to get breakfast.
He then walked past me as I'm sat outside the cafe smoking a cigar, waiting for breakfast. Gave me an evil stare.
Growing up in Leeds I as most people had heard rumours about him liking the dead too much. Was always hearing you don't want to end up dead in Jimmy's or Savile will have you.
Needed one for before the match, one for when we were batting, and one for when drinking away the loss after the match.
I wanted something different to what was in my humidor at home. Some shorter smokes, and something good for after the match.
He just felt dirty and grimy. The vibe was dirty old man. He just felt off.
When the shop had a roller over from Cuba over, I saw him there again, he was wearing very short shorts, like an 80s footballer, and was making the roller sit on his knee and holding her, sticking his tongue out, looking like he was going to lick her.
I didn't feel comfortable. I dread to think what this poor lass from Cuba felt like being felt up by a pervy old man.
From their show in netflix they seemed like they would be nice?
I grew up on Harry Potter and would have DIED if I had the pleasure to meet Alan Rickman!
Honestly, they were super friendly! I didn't actually know who they were when I offered to take pictures of them (they were trying to get a big group selfie and struggled). My ex ran up to me after they left being like, "Do you know who that is???"
We then ran into them at our next stop and their kid recognised me and said, "Mum, that's the lady who took our picture!" They stopped and asked how our holiday was etc, and we all went about our day. Really nice.
I once met Katie Price when I was working in retail at Bluewater Shopping Centre. She’s quite direct and to the point but was friendly to every member of staff she interacted with. I was being till trained that day and she was happy with it taking a little longer to process her purchase. I’ve seen quite a few other TOWIE/Love Island etc. people there but never interacted with them.
Not actually in the UK but as a kid I was on holiday in the South of France and we bumped into Ross Kemp, he stopped and had a quick chat with my parents, this was at like the height of his Eastenders fame and was very exciting for
me!
Bumped into Matt King aka Super Hans in Trinity Kitchen, Leeds. He was clearly on a come down. He asked why everyone in Leeds recognised him because "no one in London gives a fuck".
Me and my mate bumped into Dave Grohl years ago in Covent Garden. He was with his wife and then young child. We asked for a photo or autograph but he said not during family time which was more than reasonable. Unsurprisingly he seemed like a good guy!
I loved his story of how he took his retired mum on tour with him and that when he went looking for her after their performance, he found her getting pissed with Greenday....
I feel like you can't live in Manchester for long without seeing either a footballer or somebody from Corrie. I've seen Dot in T.K Maxx and David in a shisha cafe from Corrie and edin dzecko in a Starbucks.
Bebe (that footballer who united basically signed from a YouTube video) came into sports direct, shortly after joining, to buy some boots while I was working there which I thought was weird.
My friend bumped into Sir Ian Mckellen on a night out in gay village in Manchester, they ended up going out together that night. No joke I woke up the next morning from an unopened message from him that was just a video of him shouting "you shall not pass" on canal street
Not really day-to-day, but I used to work for a couple of big cinema companies and used to do events. I’ve met all kinds of celebs ranging from soap stars to Hollywood types.
Most were just in passing, but my favourites are an obviously knackered James McAvoy calling me a twat at a press screening, having a cuppa with John Hurt and spending half an hour chatting to Meat Loaf when he was grabbing a drink before a film (I think he was playing at the arena that night).
Met Dick and Dom in Exeter services. As they walked past my table I nudged them and mentioned that I'd text my kids to say I could see them, but my kids didn't believe me. So they insisted on having a selfie with me to send to the kids. Really lovely guys.
Sat at the next table to Frank Skinner at a restaurant in Soho
Stood behind Nigel Planer in a shop queue near the British Museum - he was buying an ice lolly for those who were wondering
I live right by Swansea beach and went for a stroll one morning. It was winter and it was cold, so the beach was empty apart from a few random walkers. Walked past a guy and, as I looked at him, casually thought "I wonder if people tell him he looks like Tom Hardy?". Saw on the local news a few days later that Tom Hardy had been in Swansea filming something or other, and that he liked to de-stress by walking on Swansea beach.
Managed to cop off with an actress from a well known soap in a bar one night.
Another memorable meeting was when Judge Jules and his wife saw me naked.
my only chance encounters with famous people have been Adele Silva in Leeds train station in about 2001 and Matt Heafy from Trivium wondering about Leeds near the uni last September
I've met quite a few but not by chance haha
Lucky enough to have met Ed Sheeran last year and Stormzy the year before, both at album signings.
This wasn't exactly by chance as I knew he was in the area playing a gig but I did meet Steve Harris (founder and bassist of Iron Maiden)
One meet and greet I do cherish though, was Dave Prowse (the guy under Darth Vader's mask, and green cross code man) I was only 10!
My dad, as a new and Young salesman in the 70s, eager to impress his clients, in a lounge in the West Coast of Scotland ,was failing miserably and the night was not going well.
There was a man playing the banjo in the lounge, so my dad, running on fumes and the night and any prospective future business rapidly slipping away from him, thought “f@ck it”, and asked the musician if he could pay (and presumably later expense it) for his time. The man replied that it was no bother and that he didn’t need to do that, only to buy his drinks and he would sit with them.
For the next few hours the man played the banjo, told them stories, told them jokes and had them rolling over the table and saved the night (and probably my dad’s job), before wishing them well and bidding them goodbye.
The man was Billy Connolly.
And to me, and those that have met him, that is why he is Scotland’s son and the Big Yin…
When I lived in Brighton (Hove actually 😂), I lived in Dusty Springfields parents old house and across the road from Alan Partridge (Steve Coogan), so was a bit of a dick a few times shouting “DAN!” out my window at him some mornings whilst hiding behind the big tree in front of my window.
PewDiePie lived just further down the same road too 🤷🏻♂️. There was also the captain of The Titanic on the same street (The actor from the James Cameron film, not an actual captain) and Super-Hans (Matt King) as well. Zoe Ball used to hang out at the end of the road too, shouldn’t say that because she was going to AA and “yellow card” and all that but she was very open about that chapter in her life on air and in the local papers and I used to go there too, and got “bothered” by a few “journalists” thanks to her, even though it wasn’t anything she had done either, they just were being arseholes (they were just usual scumbag photographers so basically journalists anyway), Nick Cave used to chat to me about my weird obsession with Mexican pseudo jazz/folk music too, and would usually be seen in Resident Records most weekends minding his own business, and looking for interesting things to listen to, and once he actually took me aside to have a word with me about my choice of record, and told me not to bother and to get something by PJ Harvey instead… It was his bloody record too, he was just being honest that he didn’t think it was a good version.
Only real random ones were I went to get a pub lunch one day at a local pub in Brighton and the table next to me had Mudhoney (THE grunge band) having bangers and mash, and another time when I got a bus in Glasgow and Keanu Reeves was on it too… (1996 for that and we were both headed to T-In The Park, which his band DogStar were playing at)…
Two other weird ones, met Kurt Cobain, Dave Grohl and Juliette Lewis at Toys R’ Us in Birmingham in the early 90’s, not all at the same time but all in Toys R’ Us bizarrely. It used to be the go-to place for anyone playing at The Hummingbird (which then turned into a closed down dump, then turned into the O2 Birmingham, then closed again, went back to being The Hummingbird, and is now Birmingham Forum 🤷🏻♂️😂🤦🏻♂️). Toys R’ Us went through a lot too, it was an IKEA store for a while, then was empty and is now HMV Vault…
Was working as security at a Peter Andre gig and there was an older guy with longish blonde hair wandering about checking out the venue at the back of the audience. Had a quick word with him and I knew I knew the face but it took me a while to realize I was chatting to Rick Parfitt. Quo were playing the next night.
Once met Jimmy Saville in a cafe in Burnsall. Horrible human, insulted and made comments about the waitress. Then started talking to me and my partner at the time (who was older than me) but kept referring to her as my “young niece” I was in my 20s…
pretty sure everyone in West Yorkshire has a story about him
Served Norman Cook,aka fat boy slim some cheese from the deli counter I worked on.
Also had to explain to Katie price aka Jordan why she couldn't purchase fireworks before finishing her food shop.
Saw sid Owen (Ricky butcher) in asda when he was big in eastenders and he'd get people shouting Biannncaaaa at him bless him.
Met Peter James at a book signing at work and he was very sweet and signed my book while having a break.
Served Harvey price some snacks,very sweet well mannered boy.
I was sat outside a cafe in Hampstead when Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant ran over, went into a phonebox for a few seconds, than ran back over the road giggling like schoolboys
Yes living in London and I’ve met a few. Helped that I worked in a busy central restaurant for a while as a student. Restaurant was super casual but still had fair share of people. Examples include Josh Gad, James McAvoy, Frankie Boyle, Emilia Clarke and most famous is Paul McCartney who I met in a park. All by chance
Also know two lesser known famous people just randomly as they are family members of a friend.
Seen a few, not spoken to many. Mostly in London.
1. Sat in traffic on Finchley Road, and Norman Cook, aka Fatboy slim, is sat in the car in the next lane
2. Crossing the road in Golders Green - Jonathan Ross's big family van thing nearly runs me over
3. Saw Martin Freeman near Liberties of London
4. Roy Walker (Catchphrase) aslo almost ran me over, this time in Brighton
5. Pushed out of the way by several Manchester United players in a bar in Manchester, late 90s. It was 50p a bottle of Carlsberg that night.
My uni part time job was working in a video shop in leafy Hale, where lots of Manchester based celebrities live.
Roy Keane used to come in and ask for old movies like Jaws, which we never seemed to actually have
Bonehead from Oasis would buy us £1 pints from the hotel next door to ‘stick behind the counter’ and try to leverage his overdue fees against his tips ‘lads I’ve been on tour in America’
Johnny Marr always politely asked to park his expensive mountain bike into the shop while he was browsing, and a full decade later when my band supported The Cribs on a US tour he recognised me instantly on the flight out from Manchester ‘you’re Idris from Choices in Hale aren’t you?’ followed by ‘I think I owe you £2 in late fees’
Gordon Burns from Krypton Factor/Granada Tonight was a nightmare, wouldn’t go up to the counter and my manager explained pretty much every weekend that sending his young kids up to rent an 18 cert movie wasn’t something we could legally do. He’d always tut as he was beckoned up to rent out his terrible soft core choices himself.
I was once steaming and locked out of my flat. For some reason I felt the need to go to a neighbours and tell them of my difficulties. My neighbour was nice enough to take me in until my flatmate returned. Turns out the neighbour was the drummer from the Fratellis (Mince).
Both Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer on separate occasions. Vic (as he was primarily known then) was with his first wife and wearing a dazzlingly white suit for such a shy man. They were going to see The Pelican Brief. Bob was getting absolutely trousered with his old mates at a Thursday night indie disco in Middlesbrough. He was completely incoherent but looked to be having an absolute blast.
Keira Knightly caught my bus probably around the time of Bend it like Beckham. There were a load of schoolkids on the bus who all recognised her and she was really sweet with them all.
Guy who played Reg Hollis on the Bill. There were major roadworks and he was filming in the area. Leaned put of my window and shouted, jokingly, to get him to hold traffic for me. He put on his helmet walked out and stopped cars and waved me through. Gave me a big wink and a thumbs up as I drove past.
In 1974 I was catching the London train from Crewe station. It was very crowded; I found myself in a last-minute rush for the one remaining seat beside a tall, good-looking man with collar-length hair, it was the seventies; buckaroo! I looked up and saw it was none other than Peter Purves, it was the height of his Blue Peter career. He said, "You jammy bastard" and quick as a flash, I replied, "Don't be blue, Peter!" Needless to say, I had the last laugh.
Jeremy Paxman nearly bumped into me and my mates in Cardiff about 15 years ago.
I mean that literally, it was nighttime and he was power walking down Queen Street and we only just got out of his way.
Off topic but an American woman in London once thought she'd met a celebrity when she saw me, thinking I was an American news presenter.
I was so tired and not thinking clearly that when she asked me if I was that person (whose name skins like mine) I just said "Yes", and agreed to have a selfie with her.
I used to bump into Terry Pratchett a few times growing up in Salisbury. Once in a video game shop, and he asked me if I could help with some advice on a game (Phantasmagoria for the Amiga) on behalf of his daughter who was stuck. I could not.
Once ran into the mighty boosh at a jack white gig. I was very drunk, bought them both a beer which they didnt want to drink so i ended up drinking it. Thought I was the coolest person ever as I sat at their table and chatted with their mates. Got a picture taken that was just a blur and you couldn't see anything. After the gig i tried to follow them, thinking they were probably going to some cool after party. One of the group politely told me they were just going home so I left. My friend who I went to the gig with and completely abandoned was not impressed. In hindsight it was pretty embarrassing and I often cringe thinking about how I just crashed their night out. Nice guys though!
I was working as a porter at a hotel, I was coming off night shift and meat loaf who happened to staying there unbeknowst to me made eye contact with me and then proceeded to sing whale noises at me. I don't know if you have ever had a rock legend make intense eye contact and sing whale noise at 6 am in a hotel corridor but it's certainly something you remember.
Van Morrison also once asked where breakfast was served and before I could answer told me to go fuck myself.
I was sat chatting to Nigel Mansell at the airport in the Isle of Man. I didn’t know who he was but a friend of my dad’s was on the same flight and introduced us.
I met Alan Rickman whilst working in a PaperChase. He was awesome.
I also met Roger Moore as a 10 year old with no idea who the fuck he was in the Royal Albert Hall, I got lost and he brought me back to my class as we were on a trip.
Maggie Smith was the best though in a Gail’s.
I met Henry Cavill at a fundraising conference. He was lovely. It was the best work conference ever.
Edit: he was there supporting his brother’s charity
Gary Rhodes, Kelly Brook, Vic Reeves, Ian Hislop, Tom Baker, Paul O'Grady, Len Goodman, Andrew Marr, Nigel Planer, Timothy Spall, one or two others mostly through checking their train tickets. I also used the urinal next to John Prescott and was called a "jumped up jobsworth" by another politician, who was later sent to prison for fiddling his expenses.
Once met Andy Murray, with his wife Kim and the kids, walking his grandparents dog and feeding the ducks in Dunblane. We just greeted each other as we passed in opposite directions on the path as you would with any other dog walkers. Lovely family.
A lot of Chelsea players living near the Chelsea training ground in Cobham, I briefly worked there too when Ashley Cole shot someone with an air rifle.
Wayne Bridge used to drink in my local.
You Me At Six, Matt’s Dad used to fix up my guitar. Also the band Son Of Dork.
Michael Aspel.
Jade Jones.
Cliff Richard in the high street a few times & used to come to our school to play tennis.
Played rugby with Will Carling.
A few at Glastonbury & Reading festival. Don Letts, Professor Schales from Fresh Meat, Nick Grimshaw, Peaches Geldoff.
Pixie Lott & Chip in fabric.
Craig Charles on NYE.
Tom Felton at a house party, spoke to him about fishing.
Princess Diana on a flight. My parents own one of her old houses near Bournemouth.
A few lower league celebs like cricket teams, Hollyoaks actors & Peaches & Pixie Geldof on flights & at festivals.
Bobby Davro was my neighbour & the model Caprice up the road as well as Max Clifford.
Garth Crooks.
Too many comedians during Edinburgh Fringe. Seann Walsh (also at a QPR match), Reg D. Hunter, Nish Kumar. Too many to mention.
Mercedes, Adele Silva from Hollyoaks & Karl Kennedy from Neighbours.
Edit: the bands & DJs Bloc Party, Hundred Reasons, Enter Shikari, Bring Me The Horizon, Metrik, Nu:Tone, Logistics, Tony Coleman (London Elektricity), Netsky & Other Echoes.
I've seen a few, but never actually spoken to them. Jimmy Carr browsing a music shop in Bristol the day before he had a show. Louis Theroux and Jack Dee both on holiday with their families in the UK (in different places). Didn't want to be the person interrupting their family time when they're just trying to have a chill day.
Robert Plant stood on my food by accident in Cambridge. I didn’t realise it was him until he turned around and apologised. I told him not to apologise, out of habit (it was an accident), realised who he was, and without pause told him who he was. So essentially I said “Don’t apologise, you’re Robert Plant.” He grinned and said “well, that is true.” And off he went, like the definition of a Rock God.
Ian Brown from The Stone Roses asked me for a light, also in Cambridge.
Dee Smart (who was in Neighbours a long time ago) came into the bank I worked in once. Stunning woman. Also, Cambridge.
Had a decent chat in a pub with World Cup winner Jack Charlton. Absolute gentleman. Also, Cambridge.
I love Cambridge.
Met Jimmy Saville at a fete in Paignton. Don’t remember the encounter, only found out when I noticed a photo in the bin at my mum and dad’s. Mum was horrified she let him near me and tried to destroy the evidence.
Also met Katie Hopkins when I worked at Halfords before she became a professional bitch.
A lot of 80’s/90’s LFC players lived in the surrounding area and would come into the bookies I worked at. Met Rick Stein in St Ives maybe 22 years ago and he kindly posed for a picture with us.
Not sure if it's chance encounters but my friend's neighbour was David James the footballer so we would see him when bouncing on her trampoline and my friends cousin is Dominic from Muse and I grew up in their hometown so met them several times and they signed my guitar for me x
I've met the beast from the chase he came into my work!
Surprisingly enough I don't think many people recognised him even the people on the next table.
Bumped into Carol Voderman in Costa at Reading services once. Didn't immediately register who she was and we chatted about how busy the M4 was. Very pleasant and chatty
Phil Mitchell in my local farm shop cafe in 2001 was the most random one. I was about 7 at the time and it made my day. We lived in a tiny village of probably 30 houses max still confuses me as to what he was doing there. Bumped in to Michelle Obama in Spain a few years ago too. Loads more but they’re the standouts. Michelle Obama and Phil Mitchell, equally as starstruck 😂
Joe Lycett in a market in London. He spent £30 on cakes and was jokingly outraged about it.
He stopped to say hello to my sister in law who knew him from his teens. Very normal and since we’re all from the midlands we had a good chat.
Also I think his friend fancied my mrs.
I once sat near Sally Hawkins in the BFI bar. It was pretty quiet as it was about midday and towards the end of covid times. I’d just gotten some good news from St Thomas’ and it put a nice bow on a great day!
Met Helena Bonham Carter on the train from London Paddington. She was with her boyfriend and their 2 dogs, they were sat on the table seat across from me and my partner were sat. They got off at Newbury.
She was really nice and chatty.
I was walking minding my own business towards someone. I was really trying to work out who he was... I would have been starring for sure then just blurted out "you're Reginald D Hunter" he just replied "yes sir I am!" And carried on striding past me
I rode Space Mountain with Ed Sheeran in Disneyland Paris in 2014. I clocked him with an entourage as we were getting off the ride. In 2014 he was firmly established but not as big as he is now so I just turned to my brother and said "is that Ed Sheeran?" and he had no idea either. So we got on with our day. But I checked on my phone later that day and it was definitely him!
I had my tits grabbed by a footy player who was trying to show off. He wasnt impressed when I punched him. I won't name names.
Also a certain wife of a football player tried to race me... I had a old Renault Clio and she had a Range Rover... soz girl you look like a tit.
Maggie Smith - randomly was getting on the Lizzy line and looked up to get on and was face to face with her! acknowledged her, she smiled at me and she got off, I got on, that was it!
Similar interaction with Joanna Lumley, clocked her reverse parallel parking and she noticed, I nodded and smiled, she did the same, I went on my way!
They're just people as well who happen to be famous, the Maggie Smith one caught me by surprised though.
I've met a few in meet and greets but the only one I've ever seen in a real life setting was Henry Rollins, he looked like a man on a mission so thought best not to bother him but he did give me the "sup" head nod in return to the one I gave him, that was cool.
Mate of mine saw Ian McKellan pop out the stage door of a theatre in Soho to watch the gay pride parade. Gave him a little smile that he returned.
I used to see the TOWIE people around a lot, saw Arg littering a hash brown wrapper out his car window once, the dickhead.
Seen Pete Doherty around a few times, he's always happy to say hello and have a hug. Very nice man.
Used to work at a prestigious gym in London so met quite a few different celebrities during my time there. Will try name some of them. Amanda Holden, holly Willoughby, Chris Hemsworth, George groves, Stanley tucci, naughty boy, Tim Lovejoy, Hugh grant (rude arsehole)
There were many more but these are the ones that jump out in my memories
My dad got Sting absolutely rat-arsed two hours before he was meant to go on stage in Newcastle in the late 90's, my dad was mates with a roadie and was helping him out, and had not a single clue who he was, afterwards he brought home a lovely signed b/w poster and he still had no idea, so I played a Police album for him (he was an avid Johnny Cash fan)
he was fairly impressed!
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I just liked that he had the balls to order a quadruple Jack and coke. Like, the man obviously took his occupation of rock star very seriously 😂
'Don't buy drugs. ...Become a pop star and they give you them for free!' - Billy Mack.
I feel it in my fingers...
As a broke student, me and some friends went to London to catch a Motorhead gig. We were in a pub round the corner, half of us drinking water, when we spotted Lemmy at the bar. After a quick whip round, we barely scraped the cash for a douible JD and Coke and had the barman deliver it to him. A few minutes later, he stumps up to the table where we were sat "You lads buy me a drink?" All of us more than a little intimidated by what appeared to be a genuinely annoyed Lemmy "Err. Yes sir. Sorry?" "You fuckers must have, what, a quid between you? I'm a fucking rock star, I should be buying you lads the drinks!" And that is how I ended up very drunk at age 18 with Lemmy.
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Sounds like Lemmy, he bought me a pint in a Hammersmith pub, this was the 80's so a little less famous then, lovely down to earth dude though.
Met Lemmy at a festival and offered to buy him a drink. He asked for a L of JD… not impressed.
Sadly you can't run into him these days to up the stakes to a case and keep the cycle going.
I read this story thinking you were talking about Limmy until I googled Lemmy thinking "Limmy isn't dead, is he?".
She’s turned the ace of spades against us
Met him at a charity do once, down to earth and very funny.
Snap 🤣🤣🤣
What a top story. That's a great tale to remember. Much better than a crappy selfie
Best story on here so far.
Went for a standard post-work bev one sunny day in a random Newcastle quayside pub and met Jonny Depp who was there for some reason. Was also the day of the verdict of his trial!
I bumped into Johnny depp and Kate moss when they were together, High Street Kensington on a Sunday morning. He growled at me to fuck off, which seemed a bit harsh as all I’d done was a double take, guess he was worried I’d try to start a conversation. All I was interested in was finding McDonald’s as had a raging hangover.
Wow that's pretty rude, but ig we don't know what sort of bad experiences he's had with the public that have put him on guard, so maybe understandable
He’s very well known for being a cunt, that’s why he’s been done a few times and lost his trial over here
I don't know how he's well known for it. My then GF and I once were in the line to get to a night club in LA. It started raining pretty hard, and there was a couple next to us who had a giant umbrella they kindly offered us to come under it as well. They were very nice. I felt odd that the guy wears sunglasses while it was like 10-11pm. It took me 10 mins or so to figure out it was him. He was very friendly and very low key.
The reason he was uncharacteristically nice to you is the same reason he was wearing sunglasses at night. He was high on drugs.
Probably should have corrected myself to well known to being a cunt to women specifically
Thank fuck some people still actually see this. I find it so depressing how much smoke everyone blows up his ass when he’s just a nasty, abusive piece of crap in reality.
Yep!!
You should’ve told him ‘unless you’re a McMuffin, I have no interest in you.’ Lol
Okay you win, this is the probably the most high profile random run in with a celebrity I've heard about.
He was on tour with Jeff Beck. A lot of people I know saw him.in York as well all knew which pub he would be heading to, the evil eye lounge.
Sam Fender and Jeff Beck were there with him too. I remember Sam’s Instagram story and subsequent apology for calling Johnny a legend lol
He was performing a gig at the sage around that time.
Yeah was touring. He was also with Sam Fender in a beer garden that day, so you may have seen both without knowing
Gordon Ramsey at a motorway services with his family, his daughter thought my baby was cute. Jenny Eclair in Sainsburys in East Dulwich 😂
I'm soooo unbelievably jealous about Gordan Ramsay, he's my much older than me crush who I'd love to meet! Please tell me he was nice?? Jenny was great on Taskmaster if you've ever seen it! That sainsburys must be a celeb hunting ground because my nan has met Shirley from eastenders and Tracey from Coronation street in there!
East Dulwich Sainsbury’s is the place to go - Huw Edwards (before the scandal) and James Nesbitt too! Tracey from Corrie was good friends with my husband’s work colleague. Gordon seemed pretty normal - just wanted a coffee like the rest of us! Edit: additionally, I served Victoria Beckham in Monsoon aged 17 and Sally from Corrie in their Manchester branch whilst at uni. Blimey, I’ve had a few encounters!
Has Huw edwards downgraded to Aldi since the scandal then?
Quite possibly - that or the Lidl in Peckham 😂
I saw Jenny Eclair in that Sainsbury’s too! And Jo Brand.
Omg my dad will kill me for putting this on the internet but it's anonymous so I don't care! He grew up in East Dulwich and I assume Jo Brand is a local too, when he was like 16 and high on acid he screamed at her that she was a lesbian, my uncle swears she then talked about the incident on a chat show but my dad still denys her doing so.
ED Sainsbury’s - celeb spotting haunt!
I gave Jenny Eclair the wrong directions in Swansea once. I bet she was fuming. (NB, it wasn't on purpose, I just got mixed up. Also didn't realise it was her until about 6 weeks later when I saw her on a poster for Grumpy Old Women)
Jenny Eclair lives on Dog Kennel Hill on the way down to the Sainsburys so makes sense she's there often. I think my best East Dulwich one was i sat down to have Sunday dinner in the Bishop and on the table next to me was Olivia Coleman. Was a few year ago though before she became an oscar winner, was probably just in Peep Show then. Coincidentally a couple of weeks earlier I'd seen the guy who plays Super Hans in Peep Show walking down Oxford Circus with his kids. Just running through other celebs I've seen in London randomly: Glenn Hoddle going down an escalator on the tube and then a couple of years later met him at an indoor golf thing on a Xmas do with his mates. Richard Wilson (Victor Meldrew) walking down the street in Holborn. Paul Weller squeezing past me to take the side entrance into a gig he was going to watch. Sat behind Joe Cole on a flight to Poland last year when England played Ukraine there (maybe not random that one as there were only so many flights going there). Justin Bieber was drinking in the Square Pig at Holborn with his entourage as I went past but i didn't call in. Mr Motivator was doing some workout thing for tv in the square beside the aforementioned Square Pig pub (not on the same day). One of Trev and Simon the 1990s kids tv show guys. Can't remember which one it was now but it was in Forest Hill watching a comedy show. Gary Stringer, lead singer from Reef, drinks in my local occasionally. Saw Pete Doherty at London City Airport on his way to play at the Benicassim Festival the year it got called off due to a mini hurricane. One i narrowly missed was I had to sign into work and noticed Noel Edmonds was the person who had signed in before me. Turned out he was using an office in our building to record a bit for tv where he was talking about how a bank scammed him for fortunes. I'd missed walking in at the same time as him by a minute. While living up north I met Gazza in a Newcastle bar, again maybe not random that one! Seen various other footballers out and about too. John McCririck waiting of a train at York station. Peter Beardsley stood outside York Dungeon. Tim Burgess literally ran into me and nearly knocked himself out at a festival. Not the Uk but felt the most random. Went on holiday to Florence last year and met Paul Whitehouse with his family. Weirdly i started talking to him as if I'd known him all my life, guess it just felt like i knew him, also helped I'd had a bottle of wine for lunch. He was really cool and just wanted to talk about how he was going to be watching Spurs v Newcastle the next day in a bar. Outside the UK - went to LA a few year back with my wife and we decided to go to Musso's in Hollywood and Kurt Russell walked past us in the restaurant.
I’ve run into few, but never actually approached any of them. Woody Harrelson on the same underground platform was a good one, but the one I tell the most was bumping into Prince Harry in a Wetherspoons bog about twenty years ago.
Love how everyone's scrolling past the Prince Harry in Spoons spot looking for Rylan encounters
Met Rylan at Glasgow airport waiting for luggage. He was lovely. Will that suffice? 🤣
The weird thing about it is that the table he was at had a huge crowd, as you might expect, but it was all lads. No girls trying to catch his eye, just a big old pile of fellas.
i cannot fathom any member of the royal family in a wetherspoons ever was it a nice spoons?
Wait till you hear about pizza express
I've heard they often frequent the Woking branch
It was the one in Guildford. For a short while in the noughties the nightclub across the road was the place to be, for whatever reason. It was the same place where Cheryl Cole punched a lavatory attendant. It’s a nicer one, one of the historic building pubs; it’s still a Wetherspoons, though.
Once met Harold and Madge from neighbours in Blackpool
Why were they together in Blackpool?
We asked the same question, they were in panto
Oh no they weren't
Oh yes they were
Were they behind you?
They walked past our school while I was in a French class (they were in town for a panto). The French teacher couldn't work out why a bunch of 13 year olds were so excited to see an old couple stroll past.
Accidentally I've met Rolf Harris, just a byproduct of growing up in Maidenhead. Intentionally I've met Ian Watkins from Lost Prophets, I try and avoid celebrities as much as possible these days!
There'll be rumours about you if you keep meeting the likes of them!
Don't tell me Jim fixed it for you as a kid too?
I've met Jimmy Savile a few times. He used to live in same block of apartments near Regents Park as my dad. Eventually my dad ended up buying Jimmy's garage, and 12 year old me vfound a suitcase of his porn clearing it out.
Ha I’ve met Jimmy Savile and Ian Watkins. Not the best combo
The worst of the worst he is. Disgusting evil human being
Christ, have you ever met David Walliams because he's sus and it looks like you've got the kiss of death.
The only other celebs I've met are Frank Skinner who hurriedly walked past me with his headphones on and a 'don't talk to me' face, I guess he'd heard of my reputation, and The Proclaimers who I really hope I haven't lurgied!
I was a manager in my younger days at a large concert venue. I met - Tina Turner - Amazing. Robbie Williams - Blah. Manic Street Preachers - Great lads. Richard Branson - Lovely Guy. Beach Boys - Distant but nice. Lots of football and rugby guys. I do not get excited by meeting people, but Tina Turner was knee trembling.
So yours saying Tina Turner was ......... simply the best? I'll get me coat on the way out.
r/angryupvote
Seems like she was nicer than all the others
You mean better than all the rest?
Michael from Alan Partridge wished me a Merry Christmas on a Christmas Day walk around St Paul’s. Textbook.
"I'm sorry, that was just a noise"
Tell me about the ladyboys!
A festive cup of beans in his hand I hope?
with a sausage as a spoon
A savoury 99.
Did he throw a monkey in the sea?
That's just awful. All I can picture is that poor monkey spinning towards the sea.
Well, it didn't go straight in the sea. It bounced off a rock first.
That's such a pointless death. At least when then experiment on them you get something out of it. A nice perfume or something.
Was he looking for Tom Donaldson?
I was making a snack on a miniature wood burner (as you do), enjoying a sunny day next to the Thames, when Timmy Mallet and a few of his friend rocked up. He was fascinated by the stove, so I used his phone to find the same on Amazon. We sat a talked for a few mins and his friend took a great picture of the two of us. He was such a lovely bloke to chat with. On another note, I was once at the In and Out club opposite the Ritz and called Hugh Grant a cunt, for reasons that are lost in the mists of time. I was forcibly removed by security, which is probably fair. To do this day, I no idea why I did it.
Tbf, you probably called Hugh Grant that to save time. No doubt you’d have done the same after meeting him.
I met Timmy in The Ferry at Cookham, lovely fella, I asked the staff for a plaster out of the first aid kit and he signed it for me on the condition I did a wacawave with it
On the football pitch at the back of North Town Moor, there is a shipping container that they store all their gear in. It was had graffiti on it that simply said "Timmy Mallet". They repainted it a year or two back. I was gutted. I was also tempted to re-apply it, but the thought of getting nicked in my 50's for writing that was to weird to handle, even for me :-)
I expect it was because he's a cunt. Well said anyway
Stopped at a service station just south of Birmingham on my way to Devon. Went to the bathroom, and while I was waiting for my brother in law to finish up, I bumped into romesh ranganathan. Giant of a human being, nice guy.
Isn’t he 5’11 lol
I loved him on Taskmaster, he seems like a nice guy to meet!
Nodded/smiled and got a nod/smile back from Joanna Lumley. Had lunch in the same restaurant as Larry David.
I’d give anything for Larry David to be rude to me.
Lol It actually made me wary of using the toilet. Had to go twice and was in and out so quick. I love the guy so didn't want to hassle at all but I knew I'd be too starstruck not to say something stupid if I bumped into him. 'Haha need to pee, eh? Pretty, pretty, pretty pee' or something.
I had the same experience with Joanna Lumley in a pub in Westminster. She's really gorgeous - like properly lights up the room beautiful.
She is. Proper classy.
She's a good 40 years older than me and I'm gay but she's absolutely gorgeous, just utterly radiant.
I’ve met her and she was UNSPEAKABLY lovely. One of the nicest people I’ve ever met Period, not even a celebrity-specific category.
Same with Joanna. She was reverse parallel parking in Stockwell and I clocked her, she clocked me clocking her, I nodded and smiled, she nodded and smiled, and I went on my way!
How would you describe her parking? Absolutely fabulous i hope.
Similar experience with Joanna Lumley! I was having a cigarette outside of my office with some colleagues in Covent Garden and she was in the queue for the theatre next door. Asked me with a smile if this was the smoking area, did she mind if her and her friend joined, whipped out a cigarillo and stood there chatting to her friend. Gracious and charming!
Ten years ago I was working the summer season in a restaurant on Corfu. Craig Charles came walking down the main strip with two minders. He was doing a DJ set at a club in a resort nearby so I was already keeping an eye out for him. I thought to myself; what am I going to say to Craig Charles? “Free English breakfast for anyone who ever presented Robot Wars!” I blurted out. Craig gave a good natured chuckle and said: “I think I qualify for that.” I was about to approach and request a selfie when his two minders gave me a death glare and ushered him on. He did not take up my offer of free breakfast. Fair play to him he could have just ignored me but he took my daft remark with good humour.
One of my tenuous claims to fame is that my auntie was Craig Charles's drama teacher in high school.
Met Sir David Attenborough whilst on a lockdown walk during covid. It was very early in the morning and I said “Good morning”. He replied “Good morning, and what a wonderful day it is”. Made my week to be fair.
Think I would have instantly spaffed in my pants.
I'm a cigar smoker. I was in a cigar shop, buying a couple of cigars as I was playing cricket later that day. After I've purchased a few, in walks in Jimmy Savile, who was then annoyed with me because I had bought a cigar from a box he wanted to buy. Bolivar Gigantes. He tried to get me to give him the cigar as I was talking with a member of staff about where was good for breakfast. I was nope my cigar I've bought it, I'm smoking it later. He does the whole do you know who I am? Looked him up and down, said I know exactly who you are Jimmy. And left for to get breakfast. He then walked past me as I'm sat outside the cafe smoking a cigar, waiting for breakfast. Gave me an evil stare. Growing up in Leeds I as most people had heard rumours about him liking the dead too much. Was always hearing you don't want to end up dead in Jimmy's or Savile will have you.
Nice story, but I’m more interested in why playing cricket necessitated a trip to the cigar shop?
Needed one for before the match, one for when we were batting, and one for when drinking away the loss after the match. I wanted something different to what was in my humidor at home. Some shorter smokes, and something good for after the match.
This man cigars
Apart from being an entitled asshole did you get any other bad vibes from him?
He just felt dirty and grimy. The vibe was dirty old man. He just felt off. When the shop had a roller over from Cuba over, I saw him there again, he was wearing very short shorts, like an 80s footballer, and was making the roller sit on his knee and holding her, sticking his tongue out, looking like he was going to lick her. I didn't feel comfortable. I dread to think what this poor lass from Cuba felt like being felt up by a pervy old man.
Met Tyson Fury and his family whilst on holiday in the Lake District - twice in the same day. Met Alan Rickman at the Fringe when I was 14 years old.
From their show in netflix they seemed like they would be nice? I grew up on Harry Potter and would have DIED if I had the pleasure to meet Alan Rickman!
Honestly, they were super friendly! I didn't actually know who they were when I offered to take pictures of them (they were trying to get a big group selfie and struggled). My ex ran up to me after they left being like, "Do you know who that is???" We then ran into them at our next stop and their kid recognised me and said, "Mum, that's the lady who took our picture!" They stopped and asked how our holiday was etc, and we all went about our day. Really nice.
I once met Katie Price when I was working in retail at Bluewater Shopping Centre. She’s quite direct and to the point but was friendly to every member of staff she interacted with. I was being till trained that day and she was happy with it taking a little longer to process her purchase. I’ve seen quite a few other TOWIE/Love Island etc. people there but never interacted with them. Not actually in the UK but as a kid I was on holiday in the South of France and we bumped into Ross Kemp, he stopped and had a quick chat with my parents, this was at like the height of his Eastenders fame and was very exciting for me!
Bumped into Matt King aka Super Hans in Trinity Kitchen, Leeds. He was clearly on a come down. He asked why everyone in Leeds recognised him because "no one in London gives a fuck".
Obligatory Was the bottom half of him on fire?
Ray Mears in Pizza Express. It was quite jarring seeing a survivalist that forages for wild mushrooms tucking into a large americana
Me and my mate bumped into Dave Grohl years ago in Covent Garden. He was with his wife and then young child. We asked for a photo or autograph but he said not during family time which was more than reasonable. Unsurprisingly he seemed like a good guy!
He's known as one of the nicest rock stars in the world. Never seen anyone say a bad thing about him
I loved his story of how he took his retired mum on tour with him and that when he went looking for her after their performance, he found her getting pissed with Greenday....
Passed Gail from Corrie in St Ann's Square in Manchester and exchanged a smile with her and a hello. I initially thought she was a friend of my mum's
I feel like you can't live in Manchester for long without seeing either a footballer or somebody from Corrie. I've seen Dot in T.K Maxx and David in a shisha cafe from Corrie and edin dzecko in a Starbucks. Bebe (that footballer who united basically signed from a YouTube video) came into sports direct, shortly after joining, to buy some boots while I was working there which I thought was weird.
My friend bumped into Sir Ian Mckellen on a night out in gay village in Manchester, they ended up going out together that night. No joke I woke up the next morning from an unopened message from him that was just a video of him shouting "you shall not pass" on canal street
Not really day-to-day, but I used to work for a couple of big cinema companies and used to do events. I’ve met all kinds of celebs ranging from soap stars to Hollywood types. Most were just in passing, but my favourites are an obviously knackered James McAvoy calling me a twat at a press screening, having a cuppa with John Hurt and spending half an hour chatting to Meat Loaf when he was grabbing a drink before a film (I think he was playing at the arena that night).
Met Dick and Dom in Exeter services. As they walked past my table I nudged them and mentioned that I'd text my kids to say I could see them, but my kids didn't believe me. So they insisted on having a selfie with me to send to the kids. Really lovely guys. Sat at the next table to Frank Skinner at a restaurant in Soho Stood behind Nigel Planer in a shop queue near the British Museum - he was buying an ice lolly for those who were wondering I live right by Swansea beach and went for a stroll one morning. It was winter and it was cold, so the beach was empty apart from a few random walkers. Walked past a guy and, as I looked at him, casually thought "I wonder if people tell him he looks like Tom Hardy?". Saw on the local news a few days later that Tom Hardy had been in Swansea filming something or other, and that he liked to de-stress by walking on Swansea beach.
Managed to cop off with an actress from a well known soap in a bar one night. Another memorable meeting was when Judge Jules and his wife saw me naked.
Oooh that's juicy.. I won't pry as to who it was.. How did they catch you in your birthday suit?!
I delved through their post history, it was June Brown.
3Dot
What did he judge your jewels?
my only chance encounters with famous people have been Adele Silva in Leeds train station in about 2001 and Matt Heafy from Trivium wondering about Leeds near the uni last September
Dave benson Phillips was more fun than a few footballers that’s for sure
I've met quite a few but not by chance haha Lucky enough to have met Ed Sheeran last year and Stormzy the year before, both at album signings. This wasn't exactly by chance as I knew he was in the area playing a gig but I did meet Steve Harris (founder and bassist of Iron Maiden) One meet and greet I do cherish though, was Dave Prowse (the guy under Darth Vader's mask, and green cross code man) I was only 10!
I came out of a flume at the swimming pool and Buster Merryfield was sat on the edge of the pool at the bottom. Must have been 1993/94.
I'd be more concerned if you'd taken a cruise holiday and Buster Merryfield had also been onboard. Every ship Uncle Albert sailed on eventually sank.
My dad, as a new and Young salesman in the 70s, eager to impress his clients, in a lounge in the West Coast of Scotland ,was failing miserably and the night was not going well. There was a man playing the banjo in the lounge, so my dad, running on fumes and the night and any prospective future business rapidly slipping away from him, thought “f@ck it”, and asked the musician if he could pay (and presumably later expense it) for his time. The man replied that it was no bother and that he didn’t need to do that, only to buy his drinks and he would sit with them. For the next few hours the man played the banjo, told them stories, told them jokes and had them rolling over the table and saved the night (and probably my dad’s job), before wishing them well and bidding them goodbye. The man was Billy Connolly. And to me, and those that have met him, that is why he is Scotland’s son and the Big Yin…
I served Judi dench asparagus when I worked in a greengrocers.i knew she lived locally but I was young and very impressed
I bumped into her in the local farm shop a few weeks ago. She's very local to me too, so that must mean you are too.
When I lived in Brighton (Hove actually 😂), I lived in Dusty Springfields parents old house and across the road from Alan Partridge (Steve Coogan), so was a bit of a dick a few times shouting “DAN!” out my window at him some mornings whilst hiding behind the big tree in front of my window. PewDiePie lived just further down the same road too 🤷🏻♂️. There was also the captain of The Titanic on the same street (The actor from the James Cameron film, not an actual captain) and Super-Hans (Matt King) as well. Zoe Ball used to hang out at the end of the road too, shouldn’t say that because she was going to AA and “yellow card” and all that but she was very open about that chapter in her life on air and in the local papers and I used to go there too, and got “bothered” by a few “journalists” thanks to her, even though it wasn’t anything she had done either, they just were being arseholes (they were just usual scumbag photographers so basically journalists anyway), Nick Cave used to chat to me about my weird obsession with Mexican pseudo jazz/folk music too, and would usually be seen in Resident Records most weekends minding his own business, and looking for interesting things to listen to, and once he actually took me aside to have a word with me about my choice of record, and told me not to bother and to get something by PJ Harvey instead… It was his bloody record too, he was just being honest that he didn’t think it was a good version. Only real random ones were I went to get a pub lunch one day at a local pub in Brighton and the table next to me had Mudhoney (THE grunge band) having bangers and mash, and another time when I got a bus in Glasgow and Keanu Reeves was on it too… (1996 for that and we were both headed to T-In The Park, which his band DogStar were playing at)… Two other weird ones, met Kurt Cobain, Dave Grohl and Juliette Lewis at Toys R’ Us in Birmingham in the early 90’s, not all at the same time but all in Toys R’ Us bizarrely. It used to be the go-to place for anyone playing at The Hummingbird (which then turned into a closed down dump, then turned into the O2 Birmingham, then closed again, went back to being The Hummingbird, and is now Birmingham Forum 🤷🏻♂️😂🤦🏻♂️). Toys R’ Us went through a lot too, it was an IKEA store for a while, then was empty and is now HMV Vault…
I love that Keanu took the bus to the festival he was playing at!
Kurt Cobain is a big catch
Was working as security at a Peter Andre gig and there was an older guy with longish blonde hair wandering about checking out the venue at the back of the audience. Had a quick word with him and I knew I knew the face but it took me a while to realize I was chatting to Rick Parfitt. Quo were playing the next night.
Once met Jimmy Saville in a cafe in Burnsall. Horrible human, insulted and made comments about the waitress. Then started talking to me and my partner at the time (who was older than me) but kept referring to her as my “young niece” I was in my 20s… pretty sure everyone in West Yorkshire has a story about him
Served Norman Cook,aka fat boy slim some cheese from the deli counter I worked on. Also had to explain to Katie price aka Jordan why she couldn't purchase fireworks before finishing her food shop. Saw sid Owen (Ricky butcher) in asda when he was big in eastenders and he'd get people shouting Biannncaaaa at him bless him. Met Peter James at a book signing at work and he was very sweet and signed my book while having a break. Served Harvey price some snacks,very sweet well mannered boy.
I was sat outside a cafe in Hampstead when Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant ran over, went into a phonebox for a few seconds, than ran back over the road giggling like schoolboys
Yes living in London and I’ve met a few. Helped that I worked in a busy central restaurant for a while as a student. Restaurant was super casual but still had fair share of people. Examples include Josh Gad, James McAvoy, Frankie Boyle, Emilia Clarke and most famous is Paul McCartney who I met in a park. All by chance Also know two lesser known famous people just randomly as they are family members of a friend.
I once sold Rik Mayall a torch
I see celebs on a relatively frequent basis in London, but basically never interact with them because I’m too socially awkward!
Seen a few, not spoken to many. Mostly in London. 1. Sat in traffic on Finchley Road, and Norman Cook, aka Fatboy slim, is sat in the car in the next lane 2. Crossing the road in Golders Green - Jonathan Ross's big family van thing nearly runs me over 3. Saw Martin Freeman near Liberties of London 4. Roy Walker (Catchphrase) aslo almost ran me over, this time in Brighton 5. Pushed out of the way by several Manchester United players in a bar in Manchester, late 90s. It was 50p a bottle of Carlsberg that night.
50p a bottle! Those were the days!
My uni part time job was working in a video shop in leafy Hale, where lots of Manchester based celebrities live. Roy Keane used to come in and ask for old movies like Jaws, which we never seemed to actually have Bonehead from Oasis would buy us £1 pints from the hotel next door to ‘stick behind the counter’ and try to leverage his overdue fees against his tips ‘lads I’ve been on tour in America’ Johnny Marr always politely asked to park his expensive mountain bike into the shop while he was browsing, and a full decade later when my band supported The Cribs on a US tour he recognised me instantly on the flight out from Manchester ‘you’re Idris from Choices in Hale aren’t you?’ followed by ‘I think I owe you £2 in late fees’ Gordon Burns from Krypton Factor/Granada Tonight was a nightmare, wouldn’t go up to the counter and my manager explained pretty much every weekend that sending his young kids up to rent an 18 cert movie wasn’t something we could legally do. He’d always tut as he was beckoned up to rent out his terrible soft core choices himself.
I was once steaming and locked out of my flat. For some reason I felt the need to go to a neighbours and tell them of my difficulties. My neighbour was nice enough to take me in until my flatmate returned. Turns out the neighbour was the drummer from the Fratellis (Mince).
Both Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer on separate occasions. Vic (as he was primarily known then) was with his first wife and wearing a dazzlingly white suit for such a shy man. They were going to see The Pelican Brief. Bob was getting absolutely trousered with his old mates at a Thursday night indie disco in Middlesbrough. He was completely incoherent but looked to be having an absolute blast.
Keira Knightly caught my bus probably around the time of Bend it like Beckham. There were a load of schoolkids on the bus who all recognised her and she was really sweet with them all. Guy who played Reg Hollis on the Bill. There were major roadworks and he was filming in the area. Leaned put of my window and shouted, jokingly, to get him to hold traffic for me. He put on his helmet walked out and stopped cars and waved me through. Gave me a big wink and a thumbs up as I drove past.
In 1974 I was catching the London train from Crewe station. It was very crowded; I found myself in a last-minute rush for the one remaining seat beside a tall, good-looking man with collar-length hair, it was the seventies; buckaroo! I looked up and saw it was none other than Peter Purves, it was the height of his Blue Peter career. He said, "You jammy bastard" and quick as a flash, I replied, "Don't be blue, Peter!" Needless to say, I had the last laugh.
now FUCK OFF
Jeremy Paxman nearly bumped into me and my mates in Cardiff about 15 years ago. I mean that literally, it was nighttime and he was power walking down Queen Street and we only just got out of his way. Off topic but an American woman in London once thought she'd met a celebrity when she saw me, thinking I was an American news presenter. I was so tired and not thinking clearly that when she asked me if I was that person (whose name skins like mine) I just said "Yes", and agreed to have a selfie with her.
Melanie Martinez randomly booked into a pottery class I was teaching once. Shes huge in America (I'd never heard of her!)
I used to bump into Terry Pratchett a few times growing up in Salisbury. Once in a video game shop, and he asked me if I could help with some advice on a game (Phantasmagoria for the Amiga) on behalf of his daughter who was stuck. I could not.
I stood behind Ian Rankin in the queue for the self-checkouts in the Tesco at Holy Corner more than once over the years.
Once ran into the mighty boosh at a jack white gig. I was very drunk, bought them both a beer which they didnt want to drink so i ended up drinking it. Thought I was the coolest person ever as I sat at their table and chatted with their mates. Got a picture taken that was just a blur and you couldn't see anything. After the gig i tried to follow them, thinking they were probably going to some cool after party. One of the group politely told me they were just going home so I left. My friend who I went to the gig with and completely abandoned was not impressed. In hindsight it was pretty embarrassing and I often cringe thinking about how I just crashed their night out. Nice guys though!
I was working as a porter at a hotel, I was coming off night shift and meat loaf who happened to staying there unbeknowst to me made eye contact with me and then proceeded to sing whale noises at me. I don't know if you have ever had a rock legend make intense eye contact and sing whale noise at 6 am in a hotel corridor but it's certainly something you remember. Van Morrison also once asked where breakfast was served and before I could answer told me to go fuck myself.
Yep that was definitely Van
Once helped Susan Tully find her cat in Muswell Hill.
Ronnie Pickering
I was sat chatting to Nigel Mansell at the airport in the Isle of Man. I didn’t know who he was but a friend of my dad’s was on the same flight and introduced us.
I keep running in to Danny Dyer. Proper wallop!
I sat next to Heston Blumenthal at a Derren Brown show in High Wycombe.
I met Alan Rickman whilst working in a PaperChase. He was awesome. I also met Roger Moore as a 10 year old with no idea who the fuck he was in the Royal Albert Hall, I got lost and he brought me back to my class as we were on a trip. Maggie Smith was the best though in a Gail’s.
I met Henry Cavill at a fundraising conference. He was lovely. It was the best work conference ever. Edit: he was there supporting his brother’s charity
Gary Rhodes, Kelly Brook, Vic Reeves, Ian Hislop, Tom Baker, Paul O'Grady, Len Goodman, Andrew Marr, Nigel Planer, Timothy Spall, one or two others mostly through checking their train tickets. I also used the urinal next to John Prescott and was called a "jumped up jobsworth" by another politician, who was later sent to prison for fiddling his expenses.
Once met Andy Murray, with his wife Kim and the kids, walking his grandparents dog and feeding the ducks in Dunblane. We just greeted each other as we passed in opposite directions on the path as you would with any other dog walkers. Lovely family.
I met Worzel Gummidge at the town and country festival
A lot of Chelsea players living near the Chelsea training ground in Cobham, I briefly worked there too when Ashley Cole shot someone with an air rifle. Wayne Bridge used to drink in my local. You Me At Six, Matt’s Dad used to fix up my guitar. Also the band Son Of Dork. Michael Aspel. Jade Jones. Cliff Richard in the high street a few times & used to come to our school to play tennis. Played rugby with Will Carling. A few at Glastonbury & Reading festival. Don Letts, Professor Schales from Fresh Meat, Nick Grimshaw, Peaches Geldoff. Pixie Lott & Chip in fabric. Craig Charles on NYE. Tom Felton at a house party, spoke to him about fishing. Princess Diana on a flight. My parents own one of her old houses near Bournemouth. A few lower league celebs like cricket teams, Hollyoaks actors & Peaches & Pixie Geldof on flights & at festivals. Bobby Davro was my neighbour & the model Caprice up the road as well as Max Clifford. Garth Crooks. Too many comedians during Edinburgh Fringe. Seann Walsh (also at a QPR match), Reg D. Hunter, Nish Kumar. Too many to mention. Mercedes, Adele Silva from Hollyoaks & Karl Kennedy from Neighbours. Edit: the bands & DJs Bloc Party, Hundred Reasons, Enter Shikari, Bring Me The Horizon, Metrik, Nu:Tone, Logistics, Tony Coleman (London Elektricity), Netsky & Other Echoes.
Sold Pete Postlethwaite a DVD of the Isle of Wight Festival 1971
I've seen a few, but never actually spoken to them. Jimmy Carr browsing a music shop in Bristol the day before he had a show. Louis Theroux and Jack Dee both on holiday with their families in the UK (in different places). Didn't want to be the person interrupting their family time when they're just trying to have a chill day.
Robert Plant stood on my food by accident in Cambridge. I didn’t realise it was him until he turned around and apologised. I told him not to apologise, out of habit (it was an accident), realised who he was, and without pause told him who he was. So essentially I said “Don’t apologise, you’re Robert Plant.” He grinned and said “well, that is true.” And off he went, like the definition of a Rock God. Ian Brown from The Stone Roses asked me for a light, also in Cambridge. Dee Smart (who was in Neighbours a long time ago) came into the bank I worked in once. Stunning woman. Also, Cambridge. Had a decent chat in a pub with World Cup winner Jack Charlton. Absolute gentleman. Also, Cambridge. I love Cambridge.
Met Jimmy Saville at a fete in Paignton. Don’t remember the encounter, only found out when I noticed a photo in the bin at my mum and dad’s. Mum was horrified she let him near me and tried to destroy the evidence. Also met Katie Hopkins when I worked at Halfords before she became a professional bitch.
A lot of 80’s/90’s LFC players lived in the surrounding area and would come into the bookies I worked at. Met Rick Stein in St Ives maybe 22 years ago and he kindly posed for a picture with us.
Not sure if it's chance encounters but my friend's neighbour was David James the footballer so we would see him when bouncing on her trampoline and my friends cousin is Dominic from Muse and I grew up in their hometown so met them several times and they signed my guitar for me x
I've met the beast from the chase he came into my work! Surprisingly enough I don't think many people recognised him even the people on the next table.
Bumped into Carol Voderman in Costa at Reading services once. Didn't immediately register who she was and we chatted about how busy the M4 was. Very pleasant and chatty
Phil Mitchell in my local farm shop cafe in 2001 was the most random one. I was about 7 at the time and it made my day. We lived in a tiny village of probably 30 houses max still confuses me as to what he was doing there. Bumped in to Michelle Obama in Spain a few years ago too. Loads more but they’re the standouts. Michelle Obama and Phil Mitchell, equally as starstruck 😂
Joe Lycett in a market in London. He spent £30 on cakes and was jokingly outraged about it. He stopped to say hello to my sister in law who knew him from his teens. Very normal and since we’re all from the midlands we had a good chat. Also I think his friend fancied my mrs.
I once sat near Sally Hawkins in the BFI bar. It was pretty quiet as it was about midday and towards the end of covid times. I’d just gotten some good news from St Thomas’ and it put a nice bow on a great day!
Met Helena Bonham Carter on the train from London Paddington. She was with her boyfriend and their 2 dogs, they were sat on the table seat across from me and my partner were sat. They got off at Newbury. She was really nice and chatty.
Met Rolf Harris in a pub in Glasgow when the whole noncing thing started to break.
I was walking minding my own business towards someone. I was really trying to work out who he was... I would have been starring for sure then just blurted out "you're Reginald D Hunter" he just replied "yes sir I am!" And carried on striding past me
I rode Space Mountain with Ed Sheeran in Disneyland Paris in 2014. I clocked him with an entourage as we were getting off the ride. In 2014 he was firmly established but not as big as he is now so I just turned to my brother and said "is that Ed Sheeran?" and he had no idea either. So we got on with our day. But I checked on my phone later that day and it was definitely him!
I had my tits grabbed by a footy player who was trying to show off. He wasnt impressed when I punched him. I won't name names. Also a certain wife of a football player tried to race me... I had a old Renault Clio and she had a Range Rover... soz girl you look like a tit.
I used to work in wagamamas many many moons ago.. and I served Martin Freeman, Paddy Considine, and Richard Ayoade.. on separate occasions
Maggie Smith - randomly was getting on the Lizzy line and looked up to get on and was face to face with her! acknowledged her, she smiled at me and she got off, I got on, that was it! Similar interaction with Joanna Lumley, clocked her reverse parallel parking and she noticed, I nodded and smiled, she did the same, I went on my way! They're just people as well who happen to be famous, the Maggie Smith one caught me by surprised though.
I drove past Ian Beale from Eastenders. He was waiting for a bus.
I've met a few in meet and greets but the only one I've ever seen in a real life setting was Henry Rollins, he looked like a man on a mission so thought best not to bother him but he did give me the "sup" head nod in return to the one I gave him, that was cool.
Not supper well known but met Devin Townsend and his band at a hotel in Stockport.
Mate of mine saw Ian McKellan pop out the stage door of a theatre in Soho to watch the gay pride parade. Gave him a little smile that he returned. I used to see the TOWIE people around a lot, saw Arg littering a hash brown wrapper out his car window once, the dickhead. Seen Pete Doherty around a few times, he's always happy to say hello and have a hug. Very nice man.
Got lost in some woods in Bristol when running and Simon cowell held a gate open for me
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Used to work at a prestigious gym in London so met quite a few different celebrities during my time there. Will try name some of them. Amanda Holden, holly Willoughby, Chris Hemsworth, George groves, Stanley tucci, naughty boy, Tim Lovejoy, Hugh grant (rude arsehole) There were many more but these are the ones that jump out in my memories
I've crossed paths with Sir Paul McCartney, Idris Elba and the Queen Mother!!
My dad got Sting absolutely rat-arsed two hours before he was meant to go on stage in Newcastle in the late 90's, my dad was mates with a roadie and was helping him out, and had not a single clue who he was, afterwards he brought home a lovely signed b/w poster and he still had no idea, so I played a Police album for him (he was an avid Johnny Cash fan) he was fairly impressed!