Star spotting on holiday

MOST travellers have a tale of meeting someone famous on a trip, and they can make for great anecdotes when you get back home.

MOST travellers have a tale of meeting someone famous on a trip - whether it's crashing into Bjork at an airport or bumping into Brad Pitt randomly on the street. While most are brief encounters, they can make for some of your best anecdotes when you get back home.

Mate: “Guess who I met in London last week?”

Me: “Who?”

Mate: “Do you remember the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air?”

Me: “What, you met Will Smith…?”

Mate: “No, Geoffrey, the old English butler.”

Me: “Oh, I suppose that’s cool…”

But while I haven’t reached the dizzying heights of meeting Will Smith’s TV home help, I’ve met my fair share of famous people on the road. And being the seasoned traveller and journalist, I’m still slightly embarrassed about the buzz I get.

For me, the best destination to meet the rich and famous is New York City. Every time I have visited, I’ve spotted someone famous. Top of the list would have to be Brad Pitt, who I did actually see when he emerged from a cab and walked right past me into a jewellery store, duffel bag in hand. It was in 1997, while he was seeing Gwyneth Paltrow and Se7en was his biggest movie (no, he didn’t have Gwyneth’s head in the bag).

Other New York stars I’ve spotted include “the bride” from Father of the Bride, the mum from Gilmore Girls and Jay-Z’s hand hanging out of a 4x4’s tinted window in Tribeca (am I scraping the barrel here?)

I’ve also had the pleasure of meeting both former heavyweight champ Lennox Lewis (in Canada) and tennis champ Roger Federer (in Portland, Oregon) - both in the men’s room. After wisely keeping quiet during my Lewis encounter, I decided to say something to Federer:

“It’s not often you get to meet a Wimbledon champion in the toilets,” I said.

As fast and as confidently as he would swat back a weak second serve, Fed replied: “Oh, you’d be surprised how much it happens.”

Hanging out later that night and on hearing I had flown up from LA that morning Fed’s Nike rep casually said: “If only we had of known sooner - you could have flown up with us in Roger’s jet.”

I tried to look cool but I don’t think it worked.

But nothing tops this for my best ever “meeting someone famous” story that happened to someone I know on holiday in Spain.

The guy’s two kids had been playing in the pool all week with some other children and a couple of adults, one of which became known as “shark man” for his imitation of a shark in the pool.

At the end of the holiday, Dad and kids are in reception, when they spot dance music band The Prodigy walking through the lobby. A big fan of their music, Dad wants to get a photo but he can’t leave the kids alone. All of a sudden, his youngest shouts to Keith Flint – the slightly unhinged lead singer – “See you later shark man, we’re going home today!”

“OK, great to meet you – and watch out for those sharks!!!!!” shouts Flint, making a fin with his hand on top of his head and lunging forward.

Now that’s what I call meeting a real rock ‘n’ rolla.

YOUR SAY: Which celebs have you met on your hols, and where?