c4countdown

What is the worst claim to fame you have/have heard, or the most ridiculously underwhelming and/or tenuous celebrity spot you have made?

Not good ones. Not "I am Robert De Niro's son" or "I once saw Judi Dench buying a croissant". I mean the worst celebrities and the worst celebrity encounters. The more tenuous, the better.

I was prompted to start this thread by sitting next to a guy at a quiz tonight who proudly told the story of how his dad built the wooden house featured on Tots TV.

While recording a TV quiz a couple of years ago, I was returning to the green room from make-up and had to wait for the lift. Someone else came along the corridor from the other direction and waited for the lift alongside me. I recognised him as children's TV presenter Mr Tumble, mainly because he was in full costume and make-up. When the lift arrived we both got in and pressed the button for our respective floors. Neither of us spoke a word, but as the doors closed we caught each other's eye and did that pursed-lipped nod of acknowledgement that's universally recognised as a sort of wordless "all right mate".

I once bought Roger Whittaker's sofa

Marc Meakin wrote: ↑Thu Jan 16, 2020 4:33 am I once bought Roger Whittaker's sofa

Did he bid it a Last Farewell?

A friend of mine told me this story the other day - he was sitting on a train with a friend of his and there was another guy sitting with them (presumably in a 4 or 6 seat bit). And my friend's friend said to the guy "Got any good ghost stories?" I think my friend was a bit "WTF?" at this but it turned out that my friend's friend recognised this guy from quiz programmes on the television and apparently he's also quite a ghost story raconteur.

Some time around 1984, I was walking round London with my mum, and she told me we passed Richard Stilgoe going the other way. I didn't see him.

Ian Volante wrote: ↑Thu Jan 16, 2020 1:24 pm Some time around 1984, I was walking round London with my mum, and she told me we passed Richard Stilgoe going the other way. I didn't see him.

Are you sure it wasn't Jeremy Corbin

I once directed a little old lady to the nearest post box as she couldn't see very well due to forgetting her glasses.
Turned out to be Imelda Staunton in make up .
I think she was rehearsing in a theatre in Shaftesbury Avenue

I was once waiting at a cashpoint in Fenchurch Street behind Sir Geoff Hurst .
He played association football for West Ham and England in the sixties and seventies won a medal at a global event as I recall

Marc Meakin wrote: ↑Thu Jan 16, 2020 3:00 pm

Ian Volante wrote: ↑Thu Jan 16, 2020 1:24 pm Some time around 1984, I was walking round London with my mum, and she told me we passed Richard Stilgoe going the other way. I didn't see him.

Are you sure it wasn't Jeremy Corbin [sic]

Or Roger Whittaker, on his way back from delivering your sofa.

I feel a bit like living in London is cheating as I've had quite a lot of walked past/cycled past/saw on the tube encounters with celebrities of various stature, which I can try and recall but I suspect you're not that interested in.

A really shit celebrity spot would be Big Brother 16 contestant Aaron Frew (it's testament to how shit it is that I just spent half an hour trying to find his name) going into Sainsbury's in Whitechapel in slippers and a dressing gown.

I also once browsed CDs opposite David Gower in MVC in Winchester and said hello to Tom Meeten, who I recognised from The Mighty Boosh, in a pub.

Katrina from Katrina and the waves pushed me into the middle of a bar brawl/scuffle in a gay bar in Waterford, to try and bide time before the brawl reached her and her friend. Since then I tend to sing "bitch starts a fight, in every corner of the bar" rather than "love shine a light, in every corner of the world" when I hear that song.

I was walking down Lincoln high street once and saw Danny Cowley walking toward me giving me the evils.

I also got the evils once from Jeremy Kyle but that was at the Countdown studios so shouldn't really count.

Ben Wilson wrote: ↑Thu Jan 16, 2020 5:37 pm I was walking down Lincoln high street once and saw Danny Cowley walking toward me giving me the evils.

I also got the evils once from Jeremy Kyle but that was at the Countdown studios so shouldn't really count.

You have wronged many celebrities, it seems!

Terrible claim to fame: my sixth form boyfriend's dad was the UK's national road cycling champion in the 1970s and helped introduce BMX to the UK.

Underwhelming celebrity spot: Margaret Mountford was on my Easyjet flight back from a post A-level holiday to Split in 2010. I thought this was a bit low rent for her, but she did have a speedy boarding pass. Henners put every cologne sample in duty free on himself before boarding the plane and spent part of the journey walking up and down the aisle trying to catch her eye so he could wink at her. (It didn't happen. Her loss, he had a six-pack.)

On landing at Stansted, Sara and I - huge fans of the OG Apprentice aides - tried to subtly take a picture of her, but she definitely knew we were doing it and steadfastly refused to turn her face even slightly so we could get a picture. She then sped up to try and get away from us.

At Uni, a flatmate's girlfriend was the niece of Darth Vader.

Paul Worsley wrote: ↑Fri Jan 17, 2020 9:47 am At Uni, a flatmate's girlfriend was the niece of Darth Vader.

Body or voice?

James Robinson wrote: ↑Fri Jan 17, 2020 11:20 am

Paul Worsley wrote: ↑Fri Jan 17, 2020 9:47 am At Uni, a flatmate's girlfriend was the niece of Darth Vader.

Body or voice?

Or face

Marc Meakin wrote: ↑Thu Jan 16, 2020 3:00 pm

Ian Volante wrote: ↑Thu Jan 16, 2020 1:24 pm Some time around 1984, I was walking round London with my mum, and she told me we passed Richard Stilgoe going the other way. I didn't see him.

Are you sure it wasn't Jeremy Corbyn?

You'd better ask my mum.

James Robinson wrote: ↑Fri Jan 17, 2020 11:20 am

Paul Worsley wrote: ↑Fri Jan 17, 2020 9:47 am At Uni, a flatmate's girlfriend was the niece of Darth Vader.

Body or voice?

David Prowse.

It was around the time of the filming of The Return of the Jedi, and he was pretty pissed off about the fact they'd used a different actor for the death scene, according to his niece (Beverly Vader).

Weird that she'd take her uncle's name. Guess they do it differently in the West Country/Empire.

Mark Deeks wrote: ↑Sat Jan 18, 2020 8:00 am Weird that she'd take her uncle's name. Guess they do it differently in the West Country/Empire.

That was just how me and my flatmates referred to her. We also used to mouth The Imperial March when we knew she was coming up the stairs.

Gyles Brandreth shook my hand when I was about 9 or 10 years old when he switched the Christmas lights on in my town. He was actually quite nice and pleasant, though.

Tom S wrote: ↑Sat Jan 18, 2020 10:33 am He was actually quite nice and pleasant, though.

I assumed he would be. What made you think otherwise?

Paul Worsley wrote: ↑Sat Jan 18, 2020 10:37 pm

Tom S wrote: ↑Sat Jan 18, 2020 10:33 am He was actually quite nice and pleasant, though.

I assumed he would be. What made you think otherwise?

It seems to me that general consensus on Brandreth isn't positive in the Countdown community, so was effectively disproving any doubts people may have had about him.

Tom S wrote: ↑Sat Jan 18, 2020 10:42 pm

Paul Worsley wrote: ↑Sat Jan 18, 2020 10:37 pm

Tom S wrote: ↑Sat Jan 18, 2020 10:33 am He was actually quite nice and pleasant, though.

I assumed he would be. What made you think otherwise?

It seems to me that general consensus on Brandreth isn't positive in the Countdown community, so was effectively disproving any doubts people may have had about him.

Being a gobshite doesn't preclude manners

I once bumped rubber rings (not a euphemism) with Will Mellor on a 'lazy river' in Greece.

I once served Dave Gorman in John Lewis at Stratford and even though his order took ages due to a computer malfunction he was quite cheery.
Seemed like a genuinely nice person

I’m not sure Rhys likes this claim to fame via one of England cricket’s biggest stars... https://twitter.com/jofraarcher/status/ ... 91072?s=21

James Robinson wrote: ↑Wed Jan 22, 2020 10:47 am I’m not sure Rhys likes this claim to fame via one of England cricket’s biggest stars... https://twitter.com/jofraarcher/status/ ... 91072?s=21

Not sure he really wanted the attention after all judging by the speed of the deletion!

Bringing it back to Countdown somewhat, my auntie is really good mates with Carol Vorderman's sister, Trixie.

I once sat behind Adrian Chiles on a flight from Edinburgh to Birmingham

When my friend was working in Leicester he stayed in what turned out to be Gary Lineker's mum's old place and he would occasionally get mail for her. I sent him an anonymous postcard at one point addressed to Mrs Lineker with some jests about Gary.

Andy Platt wrote: ↑Thu Jan 23, 2020 11:21 pm Bringing it back to Countdown somewhat, my auntie is really good mates with Carol Vorderman's sister, Trixie.

I went to school with Carol Vorderman's first husband. I didn't go to the wedding, but I did go to the divorce party.

My friend met the face from the sun in Teletubbies at a club

My partner's friend's sister is going out with the son of the lead singer from Baby D.

oh yes!

My daughter went to (standard comprehensive) school with the son of Deniece Pearson from Five Star (and then The Voice)

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/profil ... ce-pearson

Actually I can top my daughter's achievement!

Applied for WWTBAM (don't we all?)

My audition included a guy who used to be Mr Blobby

Needless to say he made it to the next stage - I didn't

Fiona T wrote: ↑Wed Feb 19, 2020 12:30 am Actually I can top my daughter's achievement!

Applied for WWTBAM (don't we all?)

My audition included a guy who used to be Mr Blobby

Needless to say he made it to the next stage - I didn't

Curious if he was the only guy being Mr Blobby

Marc Meakin wrote: ↑Wed Feb 19, 2020 9:38 am

Fiona T wrote: ↑Wed Feb 19, 2020 12:30 am Actually I can top my daughter's achievement!

Applied for WWTBAM (don't we all?)

My audition included a guy who used to be Mr Blobby

Needless to say he made it to the next stage - I didn't

Curious if he was the only guy being Mr Blobby

He was one of several.

The husband of someone I used to work with helped build the current Countdown clock.

Fiona T wrote: ↑Thu Feb 20, 2020 5:04 pm

Marc Meakin wrote: ↑Wed Feb 19, 2020 9:38 am

Fiona T wrote: ↑Wed Feb 19, 2020 12:30 am Actually I can top my daughter's achievement!

Applied for WWTBAM (don't we all?)

My audition included a guy who used to be Mr Blobby

Needless to say he made it to the next stage - I didn't

Curious if he was the only guy being Mr Blobby

He was one of several.

One for each limb, and someone doing the torso and head?

Ian Volante wrote: ↑Fri Feb 21, 2020 12:47 pm

Fiona T wrote: ↑Thu Feb 20, 2020 5:04 pm

Marc Meakin wrote: ↑Wed Feb 19, 2020 9:38 am

Curious if he was the only guy being Mr Blobby

He was one of several.

One for each limb, and someone doing the torso and head?

That reminds me of how many versions of The Drifters there are.
I remember one year in the eighties they were appearing simultaneously at Butlins in Minehead and Majorca.
Are these guys shapeshifters.
And don't get me started on The Sugababes.
The R&B version of Triggers broom

I was namechecked in an Adam Hills gig.

Colin Doyle (ex-Birmingham City GK) once booted a ball into the back of my head whilst warming up for a match.

I once had a brief chat with Jack Nicklaus about the size of football fields.

I went to primary school with Steve Coogan's niece.

I once sold anchovies to Jimmy Page.

I sold John Altman a packet of Nurofen on the day of Princess Diana's funeral.

We all coped in our own ways.

It was in Blackpool. He had options.

John Cooper Clarke said hello to me and my dad when he walked past us while we were outside eating pasta.

James Cleverly is following me on Strava.

Gavin Chipper wrote: ↑Fri May 27, 2022 8:21 pm James Cleverly is following me on Strava.

A woman I once dated had a son who's wife ran off with Joss Stone's Father.
I only found this out after putting on a Joss Stone song and she started crying

Marc Meakin wrote: ↑Sat May 28, 2022 9:23 am A woman I once dated had a son who's wife ran off with Joss Stone's Father.
I only found this out after putting on a Joss Stone song and she started crying

This seems very convoluted. Hard to get my head round.

Gavin Chipper wrote: ↑Sat May 28, 2022 12:47 pm

Marc Meakin wrote: ↑Sat May 28, 2022 9:23 am A woman I once dated had a son who's wife ran off with Joss Stone's Father.
I only found this out after putting on a Joss Stone song and she started crying

This seems very convoluted. Hard to get my head round.

More tenuous than terrible.
Probably up there with I bought Roger Whittackers sofa
Or my brother wa born in the next bed to SoL Campbell.

I was in the Cross Keys pub in Great Missenden after golf one day to find it full of news hacks, including the current Dictionary Corner incumbent, Robert Hardman. They were chasing a story about the guy who started Midsomer Murders and lived in the village. He asked us a few questions about the place and left us to our pints.

I slide tackled Paul Reaney once. I thought this was a terrible claim to fame but he's a bit more famous than I realised, as he's come up in some recent articles as the first non-white bloke to play football for England.

Adam Gillard wrote: ↑Tue Jun 07, 2022 10:03 pm I slide tackled Paul Reaney once. I thought this was a terrible claim to fame but he's a bit more famous than I realised, as he's come up in some recent articles as the first non-white bloke to play football for England.

I think it's Frank Soo