Originally Posted by Daughterqueen:
“Michael Ball - fake and stuck up as anything and Cathy Macbeth (macGowan) even worse”
Surprised by Cathy McGowan my mother got to know her long time back through after school club she ran that CM's daughter attended. She (mother) is not backward on saying who she doesn't like but had nothing but good to say about CM. Only downer was on her (then) hubby Hwyel Bennett being a bit odd.
A couple of people my mother went to school with ended up going into production side of television. One worked as a on some of the best known shows of 70s and 80s, worked on a lot of Dave Allen's stuff and apparently he was very much what you see is what you get, funny, nice man who liked to tell stories.
I met Ronny Wood in a petrol station near where he lived in Wimbledon one time. I was with a friend who's a big Stones fan (I'm not so wasn't that fussed) but he was a really nice guy stood there shooting the breeze with us at getting on for midnight.
On the subject of circumstances being key to whether or not you think the celeb is a scumbag, also in Wimbledon, I once saw Nicholas Lyndhurst walking just along from the station. Clearly just trying to mind his own business, head down, female companion arm in arm. Anyway 2 teens went past and shouted out "Rodney you plonker". He visibly cringed and blanked them - and I'm sure that story did the rounds about how stuck up he was etc. The thing is, what the telling doesn't reflect is the way it was said. They might as well have shouted "Lyndhurst you're a ****!" the way they did it, so quite justified that he ignored them.
On the other hand a friend worked in a store in Wimbledon and one day asked me if I knew who Diana Rigg was, because he didn't. Apparently this rich looking woman came into the store "regularly" and was quite rude to the staff. Final one was she went up to my friend to collect some photos, so he asked her for her name which gained a very snotty response about he should know who she is, she's a very well known person. Bearing in mind this is Wimbledon which has a lot of celebrities all the time why she thought she'd stand out I really don't know. He genuinely didn't know who she was, other than a very rude stuck up person. Have heard from a couple of others who work in the area that Brian Rix isn't a particularly nice man either, but apparently his wife is nice.
Have seen a few "celebs" on public transport, most notable being a not long before PM days David Cameron. Had just one aid with him, waited on platform and got on tube without any attention seeking fuss or activity, to be honest if I hadn't recognised him would never have guessed this guy was on verge of being PM. Similarly have sat on train opposite Alec Stewart (cricketer for those who don't know) and again just a normal guy sitting there minding own business and on a bus with John Sessions, (disappointingly unflouncy). I didn't ask any for autographs or bother them cos they were minding their own business, so I minded my own, which I think is, as others have said, the key thing. There are times when you can expect people to be on and times when just leave them alone.
Was also surprised about June Whitfield being described as nasty, I know a few (former) Wimbledon FC fans who'd met her, (she was heavily involved with the club) and said she was great. Heard mixed stories about Vinnie Jones, those guys liked him but friend from Leeds said his sister had an encounter with him, (during his time at Leeds) and he was a total douche bag to her. Have heard similar from people who've had dealings with Ian Botham, some really liked him others really didn't.
One final piece, to finish on a nice story about someone who has had a bad press. The daughter of a friend of my family was working for Ruby Wax on some corporate conference/training thing she did, using the ranch they used in Dallas (the TV programme). This was just coming up to Christmas and knowing the girl was English RW asked her how she was getting home for holidays. She explained she couldn't get a flight and so was staying in a hotel til after when she could. RW wouldn't have it and insisted the girl stay with her over Xmas so she wouldn't be alone in some hotel.
I'm sure none of us were even bothered he was there. Had all his meals in his room. He also demanded a staircase to himself so no one would meet him going in and out. Was a pain for the other guests as we had a lot further to walk to the other staircase.
