Embarrassing incidents when you've met famous people
Hello there, its Matt here. Well, who heard Russell’s interview with Morrissey on last week’s show? It was fairly fawning but nowhere near the level I was expecting. Obviously his asking for a cuddle at the end was a tad unusual (Russell not Moz). I don’t think Paxman does that, or does he?
Maybe in the green room after Newsnight he storms up to the German minister he has just grilled mercilessly and, in a baby-voice, demands a ‘cuggle’, during which he forcefully nuzzles the man’s neck ‘I’m sorry I was so short with you Herr Stolz; I was just showing off. Mmm, you smell lovely. What washing powder does Mrs Stolz use?- oh, sorry, sorry, I don’t know what came over me, you’re all creased now’. No, I think it is an interview technique employed solely by Mr Brand, and the notoriously difficult Morrissey responded pretty well to Russ’s maverick probing and awkward embrace.
Its funny that Morrissey won’t be called a performer, ‘seals perform, I appear live’ and ‘fans’ are not to be called such; they are his ‘audience’, a semiotic minefield so fraught that Princess Diana would have campaigned against it. Russell negotiated his way without any major gaffes but its not always that easy and that gives us our theme for this week. ‘Embarrassing incidents when you’ve met famous people’.
I once met Lulu and as she handed me something I tried to say ‘thank you’ but instead I blurted ‘Lulu’. Her own name mumbled back at her to convey gratitude. Oh, the shame. Let us know yours…
I felt for Russell during the interview with Morrissey. He sounded quite nervous and came across as in awe of Morrissey. I don 't think Russell expected Morrissey to answer him the way he did but Russell dealt with it all very well. Morrissey seemed an awkward charcter to interview sometimes. He certainly speaks his mind and makes sure that everyone understands what he means. I like Morrissey very much, he's not to be messed with is he?
Russell is a one off. I love his interview technique, asking people for a cuddle, that's lovely!!
Well Ive met quite a lot of famous people including your good self & Russell & Trev but this is actually about my friend. A few weeks ago in LA after a James Blunt gig we were stood outside when out came someone I recognised - after a few seconds it sunk in that the person who was stood in front of me was Orlando Bloom. I smiled at him & said hello, my friend who was next to me then realised who it was, poked him and said 'You're Orlando Bloom!!!' he of course giggled then went off to his car.
By the way I think you guys are settling in very well on radio 2 & im loving the show. Keep up the good work.
I once met the Famed Alan Hansen at a golf tournament, but was too dry in the mouth to do anything except ask for a scribble. Also met Colin Montgomerie, but could only slap him on the back to Congratulate him.
Matt, Your repeating of the name made me think of when you phone up a radio show, like a call in show, with loads of callers. Often the presenter will say "Brian in Edinburgh" and Brian will say "Hello, Brian". I have heard this on many occasions, and makes me chuckle everytime.
Compliments on the show, and have a good one this week.
I met Linda Carter who played Wonder Woman on telly. I was working at Madame Tussaud's when I was approached by a drunked old hag who wanted to know where the VIPs entered. Of course I have never seen Wonder Woman drunk before, and also never really paid much attention to her face as WW had better assets to turn my attention to. But I digress... back to my tale, not recognising Ms Carter, I asked 'who's the VIP?' 'Me!!!' she shouted, I was f*cking Wonder Woman!' Scared of this drunk I called security... and hey ho what do you know, it turned out she was Wonder Woman!
I once met Damon Albarn at Top of the Pops. My friend and I asked him for a photo, then he had to wait ages cos her camera battery had ran out and the flash wouldn't work. Then, after a few drinks, I went to ask for an autograph, he was leaning on a speaker stack writing something, I tripped on a wire and flung myself at him, bumping into the speaker and making him mess up his writing. But the most embarassing bit was the next day I found out I had caught nits of a woman at work and within days Damon had shaved off all his hair!!!
Morrissey 'doesn't perform he appears live', much like Jesus Christ himself would have boasted especially after the ressurection.... methinks.
Matt, my embarrassing moment with a famous person is very similar to yours. I once introduced myself to Nannette Newman as Nannette Newman. Everyone laughed. Then later at the same event I fell over and did a backward roll in the terrace bar of the Lyric Hammersmith. Embarrassing, yes, but also quite camp in anecdote terms so not all bad.
(The sweetest famous person I have met was Anthony Andrews. He's achingly posh (as is Nannette, come to that, posher than Prince Charles, but really lovely and he called me 'dearest'. Actually, now that I think about it, Michael York was terribly sweet, too.)
Hi Matt, Trev and Russ!
I was in a well-known supermarket perusing the fresh vegetable display, when, as I rounded a corner, I bumped into someone coming the other way. As I tried to regain my composure, I realised I was staring dumbstuck into the face of John Thaw, who was giving me what can oly be described as a "dirty look" à la Trev when someone stood on his heel. I mumbled some pathetic apology and shuffled away, turning around and bumping into Sheila Hancock in the process.
I was working in a clothes shop a while ago and a guy walked in I reckonised. I dont remember his name but he plays some sport, maybe cricket. I stared for a while, then asked him if he wanted to win a car...
He just laughed, said no thanks and just walked off.
I was embarressed, I didn't really care that much.
An easy mistake to make, Matt!
I remember being awfully nervous when I met you lot at the radio show! I asked Russell to pose for a photo while a song was playing. The fact that my hands were shaking with nerves was bad enough but the shutter button on my camera just didn't want to be pressed. After pressing it several times with great force, I finally managed to get a photo but by this point had moved the camera so much whilst trying to press it that I ended up taking a photo of Russell's arm. It may not sound that embarrassing but it made me look like a right weakling in front of my idol and I could feel myself going bright red!
Bwooiii!
I met Tim Vanhamel once (the frontman of Millionaire and used to be in dEUS and Eagles of Death Metal etc.) and my friend was a huge fan, I just like their music. We went to him for an autograph, he gladly gave both of us one and then he was looking at me like "is there something you want to ask me?" I had nothing to say and was waiting untill he had something to say. We waited a few seconds uncomfortably and then I said "well thank you. bye"..
Of course I have tons of embarrassing moment with "celebrities" but it happens so many times that I try forgot them as soon as possible..
The other week, me and my friend went to a Fratellis gig. She is a big fan and we got to meet them afterwards. She was so excited that she just kept saying random things like "what did you have for your dinner?" and "I like your microwave". She was embarrassed afterwards, but they were probably too stoned to notice.
Love the show, and Russell's interview with moz was cute.
Alrite Matt,
I see you got stuck writing the blog again this week ! Life's not fair !
I reckon you must fancy Lulu or something, after all you wouldnt get all nervous around a celebrity you dont give a shit about would you??
I heard Gabriel Byrne the actor telling a story once on telly about some woman coming up to him in Ireland and asking for an autograph.He said "yeah no problem,who's name do you want me to write on it?' and she replied "Your own". That must have been fairly embarressing for her!
As for myself i'v never met any celebs, but you never know, one day George Clooney might discover me and then both our lives will be changed for the better.
Hi Matt, (Trev and Russell)
Really glad you're settling and relaxing into the show now, it was brilliant last week!
Anyhow...My embarissing moment was when i was at work! I had a dance exam that day and was quite nervous. However when I'm nervous i get a little giddy. I was stood behind the counter jumping up and down and i couldn't stand still. Then as i was serving this guy I realised it was Darren Day...and I got really embarassed, for looking like a fool and the fact he thought i was shaking cos it was him! Bless him!
Looking forward to Saturday!
xxx
Every time I meet a celebrity I get incredibly starstruck, even if they're not actually that famous.
But I met Jimmy Carr last Friday, and instead of saying something interesting or constructive to him, I told him that his hair is fantastic, which it is, but, I could've said something much better.
I seem to have had very few brushes with celebrity [or other implements of cleanliness] and like Kathryn tend to get a bit starstruck (something I'm sure wouldn't happen if I was a lot less offensive!).
In recent history, I have assisted the band "David Devant and His Spirit Wife" pack up after a gig and then went for a curry with them, although incredibly awestruck and awkward. Probably acted more like one of those people that neighbours say "oh he was a quiet lad, kept himself to himself, couldn't imagine him doing anything like this..." ; sure you know the sort. But that's a poor story. The curry was good though,and I can wholeheartedly recommend sharing a curry with a band you love to everyone should the opportunity ever present itself.
In more recent history, at a local book signing for pseudo-celeb Chantelle Houghton I had planned to pop in and laugh and point; but the store was stalling due to poor turn-out; the old "she's been delayed" excuse trotted out. Of course, I was shocked to see so many people milling about the signing area, with books and all. A poor show when a few years earlier I'd been at signing for Nicholas Courtney's book "Five Rounds Rapid" and almost no-one showed (I didn't buy the book myself, but picked up a cheap Pertwee era postcard and got him to sign it). You have someone who'd been on popular television for 30 years getting no-one and someone who had popped into the limelight for 5 minutes .. well... you get the idea.
Of course, having though to myself "fluff this for a game of smarties; I've a train to catch" I left the Chantelle signing without laughing and pointing. But then bumped into Ron Atkinson outside the store on my way out - of course, I recognised him and had that awkward "I know you - but just who the flip are you?" feeling and just smiled and nodded as I passed; after being a bit of a blinkyfish for a while, my non-football fuelled brain mis-identified him as Alex Ferguson; thankfully I'd not said "Hi Sir Alex" to him, but internally I was feeling quite ashamed and shocked that I cared.
There - a couple of non-stories for you; on the subject of books - this morning I saw an advert for Mr Wogan's non-grumbly book; although the image of Mr Woogie reminded me of the early series of Red Dwarf when Lister is learning to read "cat" books (where the story is told through smell for the non-fans and non-cares) ...
Worryingly, I can imagine Mr Woogie as Lister; but other R2 presenters for Red Dwarf cast? Not sure - I think Mr Rosser would make a good Rimmer, ol' Parky would be Kryton. Cat is tricky... I think Mr Brand would pull it off really well, but I think he'd work much better in the role of "sexy strange cyborg villian of the week who gets all the best lines" rather than a member of the regular crew; so let's put Mr Lamarr in the role of cat and everyone else in the mottley crew of gelfs and freaks the dwarfers regularly bump into on their travels. Hmm.
M. - sorry I lost the plot there somewhere. Blame Thursday.
I went ice skating in Guildford with my cousin a very, very long time ago and Shane from Boyzone was there with Louise Nurding (pre-Redknapp). Shane was so busy skating backwards and showing off his fancy moves for the assorted admirers that he was not paying attention to his surroundings. He skated smack into my cousin and knocked him over.
Maybe more embarrassing for Shane than anyone else...
Hello you all, glad to hear the new show now getting back to the old relaxed and unleashed(nearly) that was 6. I thought that after the first show you had a lot of excecs there watching over you.
I got ashamed a lot in the early nineties when the likes of PWEI, Jesus Jones, Charlatans and all that were doing the rounds.
During a night of drinking and jumping up and down to the above mentioned bands and many more, it was alway inevitable that at some point i would bump into a member of a band and say(rather drunk) " loved your set you are so good!" the reply would usualy be thanks, then I would look at my shoes for a bit till they went away.
I thought it was great at the time and would tell my mates who I had met in the toilet or at the bar, and the intresting chat I had with said person.
Next morning I would feel so daft. Then I would do it again over and over for a couple of years.
Anyway
Bye
it's not really embarassing for me as such but hey! at work, i met lionel blair, so being nice i said hello - and instead of being normal, he span around thrust his arms towards me and shouted "HI!". Embarassed out of my mind, i said "go away" and walked off! the poor blighter! haha
This isn't to do with actually meeting a celeb but corresponding with one.... When I was 16 (getting bored revising for GCSE's) I started writing to Stephen Fry. I always got really nice replies but when I sent him a form to join my 'Vegetarian Stock Cube Society' it came back with loads of spelling corrections on it! I still cringe about it to this day 17 years later!!!
Oh, just thought about another time!
I went to watch the channel 4 programme...'The Games' and saw Jamie Thekston stood next to us in our stand. My friend was 'bugging' me to go and say hello to him, so in the end i did. But when i got to him, i though, oh well...maybe should get a pic on my phone. When i got there, loads of people had followed me and all seemed to have the same idea. Well, i was having none of that, and to my surprise and totally out of camera, i grabbed him asking for a photo, and the security guard was to take it. Well he couldn't understand how to press the blue button to 'capture' the image...i was stressing out (for know reason) but when i got back to my seat, my friend was laughing as she saw me grab him, but i didn't care. At least i had my photo i told her. So i got my phone out to show her...to my horror and complete embarassment there was no image, just a blur and a very red faced me!
Hi, I got dragged along to a Reef gig with a friend whilst at University - embarrassing enough in itself. I didn't want to be there and moaned about how crap the support act (Feeder) were all the way through their set. During the last song the bass player from Reef came on stage and flung himself into a stage dive, unfortunately the crowd was quite sparse beyond the first few rows and I got smacked in the face with full force by his flailing right foot. Being kicked in the face by a semi-celebrity is possibly one of the most humilating experiences of my life. Call me paranoid but I reckon he did it on purpose...
Anna
Ps. Hope Russell was at the Morrissey gig last night when Mozza stood at the front of the stage and proclaimed ' I'm Russell Brand' - must have been very surreal.
I once met Cilla Black. She was hanging around the back of my local ALDI flashing her growler to strangers for spare change. I gave her a few quid and for my generosity she let me cop a feel. Oh the embarrassment.
Sorry I'm a bit behind the times with this, but it really IS a corker......
It was xmas 1994 (I think) and I was in the Hacienda in Manchester for the 'Flesh' xmas bash. I had travelled up 'specially from Birmingham and got dressed up in me purple velour hot pants, zip up knee boots, skimpy top and spent hours, enlisting the assistance of a friend to curl my long brunette locks. (Well, it was a big dooooo!)
The atmosphere was electric. It's a bit hazy now (!), but Tall Paul or Jon Pleased Wimmin or some such were playing. Possibly Boy George?
Rumour went around that TAKE THAT were in the building! Before long, I spotted 3 of the band. At the time, I was a newly qualified French Teacher to 11 - 18 year olds, and thought how impressed my pupils would be in the New Year when I returned to school and told them who I had met "during my holidays"! The next thing I knew, I had dashed over to ROBBIE WILLIAMS, telling him all this, when he planted a kiss on my cheek and said "Merry Xmas" in my ear.
I was GOBSMACKED! HE had KISSED ME!! I sped back to my friends, who couldn't believe their eyes, and asked "Which one is that?"
I was reeling for the rest of the night and had a great time, dancing non-stop until about 4 am. However, being me, I couldn't leave it at that could I, and had to ruin it, didn't I?
When the time approached to leave, I popped a chewy in my mouth (just in case), tidied myself and strutted towards the cloak room. I spotted The Robster leaning against a wall, discarded the chewy, and made a bee-line for him, fancying my (drunken) chances (?!?! oh god, cringe) . He smiled (OBVIOUSLY recognising me from earlier, of course, in the world according to ME) and I tentatively, yet coquettishly, asked " Can I have a proper one this time?" .........He smiled, grabbed me and kissed me full on the lips!
Completely taken aback, I pulled away, grinned said merry xmas and turned to leave! As I turned, I SWEAR, he said "Your lips taste nice by the way....."
My response? Something flirty and suggestive? My number? No.
"Orbit"
oh god i 'did a matt' on Sunday night!
Sorry Trev x