[Misc] Celebrity - Lovely or Shit

[Happy Exile]

Lovely - Geri Halliwell. Arrived early for an event and stayed late giving all the kids her time and attention and made them feel special (this was peak of her fame). Honorable mention for Professor Green too.

Shit - Prince Michael of Kent gave me the full "don't you know who I am?" when young teenage me on work experience at a museum tried to guide him to a parking space, as told to by the police. Honourable mention for Barbara Cartland too.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

From working around them, at athletics events…

Lovely - Michael Johnson and Brendan Foster

Shit - Steve Cram. Really, really shit - Seb Coe

 

[Berty23]

Almost a year ago a good friend of mine died from a brain tumour. When he was still alive a charity bike ride was started. Three years are now done and we always have a good raffle.

Yesterday a mate of mine met Laura Kenny and asked her to sign a shirt from the ride. She was not only very happy to do so but also offered to take it home to get Jason Kenny to sign it and then she was send it back to my pal. That seemed a thoroughly decent thing to do. She was offered a spot on the ride but said she would see how she is after the Olympics. Pretty cool way of saying no.

 

[Blinkers]

From working around them, at athletics events…

Lovely - Michael Johnson and Brendan Foster

Shit - Steve Cram. Really, really shit - Seb Coe

From my time at athletic events…

Shit - Daley Thompson. He came down to Withdean to support a friend of his who was competing when Brighton hosted the Veteran’s World Athletics Championships. Wouldn’t engage with the young volunteer athletes, so we got the bloke manning the PA to announce his presence and that he’d be willing to sign autographs. That’ll teach him!

Lovely - Kris Akabusi. Stood in the pouring rain for a good 20 minutes chatting with me and another mate about 400m tactics when Portsmouth AC (if I remember correctly) came to Withdean as part of a 4-way team meet that Brighton & Hove AC were hosting. An absolute diamond guy.

 

[Klaas]

From my time at athletic events…

Shit - Daley Thompson. He came down to Withdean to support a friend of his who was competing when Brighton hosted the Veteran’s World Athletics Championships. Wouldn’t engage with the young volunteer athletes, so we got the bloke manning the PA to announce his presence and that he’d be willing to sign autographs. That’ll teach him!

That's hilarious!

 

[B-right-on]

Gets some stick but my brother worked with him years ago and said he was one of the nicest blokes he's ever met. Has time for everyone and not full of the normal celeb status crap.

My mates been a taxi driver in Brighton for over 30 years doing the late nights mostly. He's said a few times about the celebs he's picked up over the years. He's had the misfortune to drive Julian Clarey 3 times from memory over the years, nothing good at all to say about him and that he's one of the nastiest people he's ever met and one of his worst celeb encounters.

 

[anygivensunday]

View attachment 168263

Superb fella, friendly, charming and responsible. Completely rescued an evening where a drunk boorish ex team mate of his offended a whole group of people with lewd comments and grotesque behaviour

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The said boorish idiot

Mate of mine bumped into Phil Tufnell in Singapore at a notorious location on Orchard road, where if you know Singapore you'll know exactly where I mean. It's about 3am. By all accounts Tuffers was absolutely battered and all his mates had left him. Phil can barely stand but my mate proceeds to take him back to his hotel by reading his room key card and apparently he basically tucks him in. At which point a grateful Tuffnel, while essentially passing out says to him, 'The Cat never forgets'. Legend.

 

[The Clamp]

Lovely - Tom Davies. All round nice chap who takes time to talk to anyone and everyone .

Shit - Paul Weller. Throws a hissy fit if he isn’t allowed to smoke wherever and whenever he likes.

 

[AK74]

Mate of mine bumped into Phil Tufnell in Singapore at a notorious location on Orchard road, where if you know Singapore you'll know exactly where I mean.

That can only have been in the (in)famous Four Floors of Whores.

 

[A1X]

I have to say, I’m quite pleased that so far the celebrities who are proving to be shit aren’t people I’d previously hoped were decent, and ones who seemed good have turned out to be

 

[Monkey Man]

My father in law was a semi-pro musician and performed with various celebs at corporate events in the 80s and 90s.

Always said the nicest by far was Bob Monkhouse. Really friendly to everyone, lots of silly gifts (slightly smutty pens etc), very professional.

The worst, he maintained, was Lenny Henry, who he said was obnoxious before, during and after shows.

 

[dazzer6666]

That can only have been in the (in)famous Four Floors of Whores.

I am aware of the establishment

 

[Westdene Seagull]

Lovely people : Tessa Sanderson - stayed at a hotel I worked in and had a long conversation with her before directing her the the Castle Square gym. Also Gyles Brandreth despite his political leanings.

Awful - The Chippendales. Completely in love with themselves. Equally Tony Blair - even before he was PM (when I met him) considered himself well above those of us trying to make his stay a nice one. Rude fcuker.

 

[Berty23]

I played at UKsport golf day about 18 months ago.

Kriss akubussi - lovely bloke. Time for everyone. I was lucky enough to hit a good shot while he was stood next to me and got a fist bump. I was 12 in 1991 when he won world champs so that little kid inside me was leaping for joy.

Not saying a bad person but I was shocked…

Someone in Denise lewis’ four ball won the long drive contest but someone I was playing with saw them put the flag in the fairway when the ball was actually in the rough. Who cheats at a charity gold day?!

 

[Lenny Rider]

No danger of libelling the dead, so it’s widely known Cilla was an absolutely awful person to be around in those heady days of being alive. She got through 7 PA’s in a year at one point.

I don’t have my own personal story about her, despite working in the biz (she was before my time thankfully) but colleagues have described her as an absolute tyrant and deeply unpleasant person.

From various BA people I've met she was the market leader when it came to being an A1 c***.

Favoured Modus Operandi, she would sit by the window in Club or Business with the PA in the next seat and everything would be directed through the PA ms White would not speak or look at the cabin crew.

On her passing a BA employee commented on a whatsapp chat, "Lets hope she's a nicer person in heaven than she was on earth", which apparently sums it up perfectly.

Another two on the all time BA shit list were Lee Marvin, who was eventually advised not to travel with the airline and Ringo Starr, in his defence it was at the height of his alcoholism. (quite ironic him and Cilla lived on the same road as kids)

Most people are nice, including, and it might shock few, Messrs Manning and Davidson.

Working on my trips to the Lakeside with BBC SCR.

Nice: Phil 'The Power' Taylor and Andy Fordham.

Nasty: Ted 'The Count' Hankey and Chris Mason, both total gobshites.

 

[Albion in the north]

Paul O Grady. An absolute arsehole. Got caught on microphone calling Plan B “common as muck” when he was performing on his show. Went out live. He said it to another arsehole, Parky.

Met him in his Lily Savage days. He was outside an amusement arcade in Wigan. Not a very nice man but I put that down to him playing his part.
Also Barry Glendenning. Possibly the most distasteful and nasty person Ive met.

Cant think of any that ive met that have been amazing but a few that have just been kind of normal.

 

[Peteinblack]

No direct dealings with celebs, but a friend of ours once worked for the BBC, and claims that Dawn French was an arrogant, obnoxious, bitch who treated staff like sh*t, and expected things to be done the second she clicked her fingers; an absolute prima donna, apparently.

 

[The Clamp]

No direct dealings with celebs, but a friend of ours once worked for the BBC, and claims that Dawn French was an arrogant, obnoxious, bitch who treated staff like sh*t, and expected things to be done the second she clicked her fingers; an absolute prima donna, apparently.

I have also heard that.

 

[AK74]

I am aware of the establishment

I 'walked past it' once...

 

[seagully]

A friend used to work in Radio/TV and had dealings with Rik Mayall on numerous occasions. Apparently he was awful to work with- arrogant and nasty.