My Fan Moment With Robbie Williams

The day I met Robbie Williams!

I’d love to be able to use those words as the title, unfortunately, met might be stretching it a bit far. But, it was certainly a fan moment that I could never have anticipated none the less. My fan moment was Robbie Williams standing less than a foot in front of me which had the effect of turning me into a quivering wreck. It was like I was a 15-year-old with a Take That crush rather than a 51-year-old woman!

Let me tell you all about it and see if you think I was right to handle it the way I did.

Picture the scene, you’re sitting on a plane waiting for it to take off all relaxed and happy because you’re heading off to California for a couple of weeks. A man and woman start walking down the aisle and you glance up because the woman starts chatting to the lady behind you. The man has stopped and is standing right in front of you. He’s wearing a hat and you think that you know who it is, but you’re not quite sure having never seen him in the flesh before. Surely it can’t be him but your heart starts to race a bit anyway.

But then he says a couple of words to the lady behind us and from the accent, there’s no mistaking who it is. OMG, it’s only Robbie Williams standing right there in front of me!

photo credits Sandra Wilson, Janine Francesca Marcantonio & Kim Mills

My heart palpitations then go off the scale and I come over a bit shaky. I notice that a couple of other middle-aged ladies were looking up at him all wide-eyed with a hint of a smile on their faces. As he takes his seat, all those ladies start remarking to their uninterested husbands.

Now I should point out that I do not embrace the celebrity culture at all. I don’t watch ‘popular’ tv, read gossip magazines, follow chart music or have any interest in the media. I generally have no idea who’s who and I often have to Google names if colleagues are talking about someone famous.

But Robbie Williams came onto my radar many years ago and has been a bit of a guilty pleasure of mine ever since. In fact, I will go as far as saying that he has been on my death bed bucket list, you know the one person you’d like to meet before you die (please tell me I’m not the only person who’s imagined that scenario!).

So, with my husband totally uninterested too, I text my bestie. I never text, I don’t often swear but this deserves some emphasis.

She fires back a load of questions and tells me to try and get a photo. And that is where my conscience takes over. I feel that when celebs are on the red carpet, at a concert or promoting their work then they are fair game for photos and interaction with their fans, but when they are ‘off duty’ everyone should respect their right to a private life, fans and paparazzi included.

BUT IT’S ROBBIE WILLIAMS AND I WILL NEVER GET THIS CHANCE AGAIN!

I’m still in an excitable state just longing for a quick photo practicing in my head what I might say if I happened to bump into him. “I’m sorry to invade your privacy Mr Williams but could I possibly have a photo taken with you please?” Yep, really I did, I will admit to totally being a fan girl. I didn’t want to take up his time and chat with him like a long lost friend. I just wanted a photo. Something that I could treasure to remember this moment by.

My husband brings me back to earth “don’t be that person that you hate!”

So I opt to do the decent thing, but not before asking the air steward what he’s like, just in case he’s one of those celebs who are never off duty. Unfortunately for me, the steward says that Mr Williams is a very private person. I wholeheartedly respect that. My heart rate goes back to normal and I console myself by listening to the entire back catalogue of Robbie Williams and Take That dreaming of what ifs.

During the flight, I had a wander around to stretch my back out. Ayda looked up from her seat and gave me a big smile and said hello but unfortunately there was no accidentally on purpose bumping into Robbie.

It certainly reignited my crush on the pop star from the ultimate boy band. I even had a go at watching X-Factor one night just because he was on it. Nothing compared to seeing him up close and personal.

I am thankful to have had the opportunity to see him but do I wish I could have met him properly?  Hell yes, I will never get that opportunity again. “The Day I Saw Robbie Williams” doesn’t have quite the same ring to it does it, but in a way, I’m glad I was the decent person…….. well sort of.

So close but yet so far! Of course, now I’m hoping against all odds that I might get on one of his Instachats.

What would you have done? Do you think I was right not to invade his privacy? Have you ever met your pop idol or is there someone famous who you’d love to meet?

You might like to read about my Celebrity Tea Party wishlist (which does feature Robbie Williams quite by coincidence haha!) or check the musicians that I have actually met on my music website – UK Psychobilly Gig Guide & Archives.

 

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