Paul Daniels and Debbie McGee... with my mate Debs!

Debbie says "yes Paul."

I'm not even going to attempt to say that this photo is genuinely my friend Debbie with the magician Paul Daniels, and his assistant/partner Debbie McGee. Debbie's a pretty level-headed, down to earth sort, but she bumped into the 'stars' (c-list celebrities might be a better description) at Watford Gap service station, and she's been stangely obsessed ever since. Don't know what posessed her to add her photo to theirs though. I think she might have the potential to be a stalker...

"I didn't even realise it was them, as I stood in the queue to pay for my petrol," she said. "If I had known, I probably wouldn't have acted so cool."

What is it about our obsession with celebs? I say this because I walked past Ricky Gervais twice last week, and although he looked like a normal bloke, was simply walking through Bloomsbury chatting on his mobile, and still I felt as though I should have said something to him. But what would I have said?

"Hey Ricky, I'm a fan! Love your work!" Too cheesy.

"You look kinda normal in the flesh..." Too stalkerish.

"Can I have a part in the next series of Extras?!" Too desperate.

No, I wouldn't and couldn't have said any of these things. But still, I wanted to. As if, because I'd seen him on telly numerous times, there was some sense of recognition, like I knew him, somehow. Perhaps that is the secret of telly, and why so many people without any talent (unlike Ricky Gervais and Paul Daniels, obviously! Well, unlike Ricky Gervais, at least) manage to forge a career out of simply being on the box.

Perhaps there is something I could have done when I saw Ricky. The Brent dance he performed in The Office. One of the all-time classic British comedy moments, performed impromptu on Charlotte Street. Wonder how he would have repsonded to that...

Duh duh duh da dur duh... (gurns)















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