I'm glad you enjoyed the show! I thought it was a bit surprising that Pixie did one of her own songs (she only did Cry Me Out when I went!) but as a fan I enjoyed it, it seemed to go down quite well with the audience anyway!

How is it that actors who take dark roles like Christopher Lee, Donald Pleasance and Robert Englund are all very pleasant in real life and willing to talk to the fans, yet ones who appear in light entertainment shows and reality shows are often unpleasant( yes Cilla, we mean you, and many of the no marks on TOWIE).

I wonder if it's because they can get rid of all their aggression and nasty thoughts when they play a character. I've a friend in the book trade and he said that the nicest people he's met have all been writers who specialise in violent, dark crime novels and horror stories.
He told me that some of them have said if they are really pissed off with someone they will base a character on that person and give them a really gruesome death. Very therapeutic

How amazing is this man?

''The band were two songs into their set at the Ullevi stadium when Grohl went to jump on a ramp but missed and fell into the security area.

"I think I just broke my leg," the singer told the crowd as he lay on the ground. ''



http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-33123723

I suppose this is one answer, but many know they are cult figures as well and have to give off a good image in the flesh to their fans. Christopher Lee was always known for being extremely courteous and interested in his fan base and Ingrid Pitt had fan conventions.
OTOH some obnoxious berk who wins Big Brother probably doesn't realise that beyond a couple of months fame and recognition to the handful of viewers this show has, their career will be over in six months.

Good point. I think another factor is that people like Christopher Lee worked for many years in obscurity before he achieved success. When it came he was mature and sensible enough to appreciate it and the fans who helped him achieve it - unlike someone on BB who is an unknown one day and famous the next.

Emma Willis is amazing, we had a conversation about not being called Al spent ages talking to the BB house.

No one on BB is famous anymore, if they ever were beyond one or two of them. Infamous more like. The current series is beyond the joke, a sham and a fraud. Even the Daily Star has stopped slavishly putting BB nonsense on its front page every day I've noticed. I watched the opening night and that was enough. Wouldn't waste my time anymore with it. BB has been trashed to bits. Not the show I once enjoyed on C4, or even a couple of years ago on C5 when I last watched the regular version. It's all rather sad to see so many deluded idiots just showing off with nothing to back it up, yet thinking they've somehow arrived.

Generally the bigger and more talented the genuine star the more polite and respectful they tend to be, whereas the dregs from reality shows with zero talent beyond attracting exposure are often the arrogant and damned impolite kinds.

Perhaps if he is so amazing he should let people know if he will, or will not play Wembley this weekend.
Some people are travelling from overseas, have hotels booked etc. and need to make arrangements.
If he is unable to perform with his injuries that's understandable- but just make a decision now - not leave it until the last minute.

I absolutely love reading this thread and feel it might be time for me to add my own (quite small!) celebrity stories.

When I was about 8 or 9, I went with my friend on her paper round through our village. We got to a house with a long driveway which she couldn't be bothered to walk down so asked me to do it (she was a few years older than me so of course I did what I was told). I walked down and handed the paper to a man getting out of a car who said "thank you". I thought no more of it and walked back towards my friend, only to see her stood with her mouth open before she hurriedly whispered to me "Did you recognise him?? That's Geoffrey Palmer! You know, the doctor who wants his sausages in Fawlty Towers!" Both of us and our families are big Fawlty Towers fans so I felt rather smug that I had been the one to hand him his paper as my friend couldn't be bothered (still do, in fact!)! We later found out that he had a holiday home in our village. My dad met him again a few years ago on a fishing trip and I think mentioned it to him (of course, he didn't remember, embarrassing dad!). Dad said that he was lovely to talk to. But that's probably my finest celeb story!

I have met a few TV chefs through my work as we used to have a book stall in the local Food Festival where the chefs would do a demonstration in the marquee and then do signings with us afterwards. I've met Lesley Walters (from Ready Stead Cook) a few times who has always been lovely and Rose Elliot (she writes vegetarian cookbooks) and her husband were very polite. Not so nice ones were Nick Nairn (completely ignored us, got drunk and silly by the end of the day, and stole our sharpie! Took the bottle of water we'd provided for him without even a thank you or a glance in our direction). Another year I had to stand next to James Martin who was rather indifferent to us (I just remember him being very tall and big) and was curt and rude to my colleague later on in the day who was not impressed!

We've done some other book signings over the years:

Gary Rhodes - I just remember him walking round with my boss in a big black coat looking a bit imposing. I think I remember my colleagues saying he seemed quite arrogant?

Paul Gascgoine - I didn't see him but my colleagues and some of the customers said he was in a right state; some of the customers even returned their signed books the next day as they were so disgusted He also went into the toilet for a very long time at one point which started rumours flying!

Gervaise Phinn - he was lovely, kept making jokes to make us all laugh, very sweet.

Had an absolutely mortifying book signing session with children's author Ali Sparkes - nobody came as it hadn't been advertised properly and I had to stand with her making small talk for hours! It was absolutely one of the worst moments of my life and I try not to remember it!

Jimmy Greaves - I wish I could remember more but I'm not sure I saw him, although I was working that day (it was quite a few years ago). I think my boss, who's a big fan, had a lovely time talking to him.

We've also had a few famous faces come into our shop:

John Cleese - spoke to some of the staff and was very polite. I was on holiday in Australia at the time, absolutely gutted!! I keep hoping he'll come back.

Nadia Sawalha - being served at the till by a colleague (who said "Ooooh you're off the telly!", then had to tell me afterwards who she was). Her nan lives down our way and I've spoken to her a few times since about her famous granddaughter (she's very proud!)

Oh and once I was serving a customer who I remember being quite a big man who was laughing and made a joke which I didn't get (not unusual!). He left and then the next customer said "Do you know who that is? That was Gyles Brandreth!" I had no idea who he was so I had to google it - so I do now! But obviously I don't remember what he bought or what he said, so annoying. Now I try to make sure his books are nice and visible on our shelves in case he should pop back in!

Lastly, I'm not sure if this counts, but a couple of days ago a man rang and said "Hello, John Sergeant here" and ordered a book from me. It's not unusual for our regulars to ring and say their names as if we should remember who they are - but after the phone call I turned to my colleague and confirmed that that is the same name as the politician who was on Strictly. This doesn't mean anything in itself (we have a regular called Gordon Brown who definitely isn't the Gordon Brown), but then I listened to an audio recording of his voice and it did sound similar! We also googled his phone number's area code and it's in one of the posher bits. So perhaps it is him, hopefully I shall find out in a few weeks when he comes to collect his book.

Phew, that was rather longer than I expected, I kept remembering more! Thanks for reading!

Friend of mine served Diane Kruger on a plane once and said she was incredibly rude and ignorant.

From what I see, most people expect comedians and light-entertainment performers to be consistently funny, nice and approachable like their TV selves at any given time. Some tend to write them off as unfriendly or rude when those comedians or performers aren't at their usual TV selves.

Expectations for those who do villainous roles tend to be much lower. It usually comes as a pleasant surprise when they discover those performers don't resemble their TV/film villainous selves. In fact, that surprise can lend an impression that they are much nicer, friendlier and more approachable than they really are.

It's a matter of perspective and expectations, really.

I think that you're right. But there is also the character of the actor to consider. Donald Pleasance and Peter Cushing were both known to take roles based on what they thought their fans would like to see them in, and Christopher Lee did actually say once in an interview words to the effect that acting malevolently on screen was very therapeutic!

I stood next to Brian Pettifer in Waterstones bookshop in Glasgow. I didn't say anything but he looked a very down to earth unassuming wee guy.

Thanks for posting. I enjoyed it very much.

Has anyone ever met the GMB team? Ben Shephard, Susanna Reid, Kate Garraway?

I watch the show and they all seem pleasant, would be interested to see what they're like in 'real life'?

While not unpleasant in any way, Benny Hill didn't like groups of people approaching him, although at a one to one level most people found him friendly and he was very kind to the comedians and dancers on his show. Also Tony Hancock was a depressive in real life and a bit of a loner.

In 1992, I returned for the second year of university, when through unforeseen circumstances, I found out I had no place to stay. I had the address of some friends so knocked on the door, no one in, tried calling but the phone was disconnected. We were students, not international company reps, so no one had a mobile. I went to the pub.
Every hour, I picked up my kit bag and headed off to try my friends again, only to turn up at the same spot in the bar.
After the third time a voice chirped up "Are you locked out mate?" Sarcasticly, I replied "No, I'm homeless.".
"It's a bit more serious then." Came the reply. I then explained the situation and this complete stranger, picks up the pay phone and Yellow Pages, starts shoving change into it and phoning up B&B's and guest houses and hotels. He did this for a good half an hour before giving up and turning to me and saying "If you can't find your friends, come back here at 9pm and either me or my girlfriend will see you have a place for the night." Now, I was 6'3, 16 stone, with a crew cut, not some pretty little student type. But the former lead singer of The Housemartins and the then lead singer of The Beautiful South, Paul Heaton was willing to offer, his sincere help, to a person that needed it. It's good to know not all successful people are pricks.

And did you feel bad for being sarcastic to him?

Naturally.

An interesting one from many decades ago is Stan Laurel. He had his phone number in the LA phone book in the sixties and fans used to regularly ring him and from all accounts he was more than happy to talk to his fans on the phone. Always struck me as a nice, unassuming kind of man who made great comedy with Oliver Hardy.

Looking further back through this thread and people mention politcians, it seems John Prescott doesn't have a very nice reputation. I do remember picking up The Sunday Mirror a few weeks ago and he couldn't even be graceful about Charles Kennedy, regarded as one of politics nice guys, as he was in a different party to him and someon who was on a train with Prescott, said he was a dirty, leery individual.

He was the brains behind the whole partnership from the money aspect to the editing of the films.

While 'Babe' was out playing golf, after filming, Stan helping to cut the film.

Interesting about the Ebayer thing: Penn Jillette has no problem with signing 20 postcards for someone - he just thinks if someone has put the effort into getting the cards and wait etc then good on them. However, I can understand why some people would refuse.

Not met Gemma Arterton but she has got the most beautiful voice to the extent that having listened to an interview on the 'Mayo & Kermode Film Show' on Radio 5 one week got a name-check on Radio 4's PM the next week as they have a 'well-known' voice introduce their Friday round up of clips from that week's shows who say 'This week on PM.' and the voice runs every week until someone guesses.

I guessed the first week simply due to her voice being so gorgeous!

Have you met Penn? He's one of my heroes.