| Famous folk often complain of being gawked at by Mr and Mrs Joe Public wherever they go. Many international celebrities, however have homes in London or enjoy spending time here. I put this down to the popular London sport of blanking famous people. If you are not a native Londoner but wish to put a few stars at ease by emulating our super-cool attitude to fame, here's how it's done: 1) Passing contact:
The correct course of action when coming across a celebrity on a London street is to look straight through them and, to as large an extent as possible, act as though they are invisible. Remember to pay them less attention than you would a particularly unremarkable member of the public. 2)Prolonged contact
If that person off the telly is sitting next to you in a restaurant, for example, and the fact of their fame is unavoidable: ensure that the conversation you are having with your companion is witty and interesting and conveys the correct impression - that you are a hip Londoner who has sat next to celebrities in restaurants plenty of times before and who is not about to alter their behaviour, and is NOT in any way star-struck. Remember the Golden Rule: Whoever the celebrity, and whatever the context: YOU ARE NOT IMPRESSED. Famous people I have blanked in an attempt to look cool, appear as though I have no idea who they are, and seem like the sort of person who could easily have loads of famous friends anyway: Stephen Fry (Twice)
Tony Slattery (He so doesn't count, as is a Z list celeb)
Ulrika Johnson
The bloke who played that Connor in Eastenders
Simon Mayo
Eddie Izzard
The bird out of Soldier, Soldier
Ian Paisley
Simon Callow
Bob Holness (you know - Blockbusters )
Christopher Reeve (pre-wheelchair, otherwise I might have been forced to gawp)
Judith Chalmers
Boy George
| 
