Coming Face to Face With Your idols

Everyone has an idol, someone they admire and look up to. Sometimes this is a famous person or someone you know, like a family member or a friend. No matter who your idol is, this is a person who means a lot to you and is very important in your life. So, when you get the opportunity to see or meet your idol, it’s a big deal, especially if they’re famous. It feels like a once in a lifetime opportunity for your dreams to come true. But is it actually good to meet your idol and face the reality? Or is it better to keep them in your head and admire from afar?

I have been extremely lucky to meet some of my idols. 
One of my idols is Carrie Hope Fletcher. She is an actress, singer, author and vlogger Internet personality. I have been watching her videos since 2014 and idolised her for her dedication, kindness, inspiring personality. In 2016, I met her for the first time. I was so nervous because my mum had previously said to me ‘don’t get your hopes up, she might not be how you imagined.’ But I was lucky. She was even better than I imagined - just as kind, inspiring and lovely. I have since met her twice more in 2017 and 2018 and each experience has been better than the last!
 
As well as Carrie, I’ve also met Dodie in 2017 and most recently Bianca Del Rio, plus having seen Dan and Phil live. 
They are all my idols, for many different reasons. But, not all idols are the same and there are many more who I haven’t met yet but would love to. All my experiences so far have been incredibly positive and I would do it all over again - but not everyone is as lucky as I am.

Sometimes, meeting someone you admire doesn’t quite go to plan - sometimes, they aren’t how you imagined they’d be or they seem rude or arrogant. 
Here are some stories from members of the team who have met their idols or had interactions online with them, just like I have, but unfortunately it wasn’t quite as positive.

'So about two years ago I got to meet [name omitted], Got to the interview part and had no problems with that, but then at the signing and meet and greet, she was just plain rude to everyone but particularly the younger fans like myself, I told her how much I admire her and she just kind of muttered a half-hearted thank you, we took a photo together but the smile looked so fake, you could just tell she genuinely didn’t want to be there and didn’t care about the people that look up to her.'
-Alex 

'I looked up to him for years as he was just travelling the world & exploring abandoned places. but when he came over to the UK and he wanted some places to explore so he messaged me. I told him about this place called Denbigh Mental Asylum but there was an old man with a shotgun who was the security for that place as it was dangerous to go in. 
I warned him about this man and how dangerous he actually was but he filmed his experience inside the asylum anyway and the old man spotted him and chased him. 
That's when I got a message from [name omitted] saying that he was nearly hurt and I said well I did warn you but then he blocked me and blamed me for his mistake.'
-Melissa

It can be really upsetting when this happens. It can also be hard to understand: why is this person who seems so great in your head not quite so great in real life? I get it, really. I know I would have thought the exact same thing if I had been in your shoes. But, there are a few things to remember which might help you to understand why maybe you had a bad experience from their perspective.

1. They could have had a long/bad day.
   

Everyone has bad days and it's the same for celebrities. They could have had the worst day ever and accidentally take it out on you or the day could have been really long and they may be exhausted. It's not an excuse but everyone has come across as rude when they're in a bad mood or are tired. It's human nature. 

1. They may feel overwhelmed.
   

Sometimes it can be really overwhelming when you're famous and you get tens and hundreds of people suddenly idolising you. When that's put into perspective in the context of seeing them all at a meetup or a signing then I'd imagine it's terrifying and could cause a huge amount of anxiety. This could mean they seem disinterested or fidgety like they can't wait to leave, and that could be because they are genuinely uncomfortable and anxious. 

1. They’re busy people.
   

Famous people have a lot of things they have to do as a part of their job. There may be radio interviews, TV appearances, photoshoots etc. and imagine how hard it is to fit everything in. Sometimes they might be on their way rushing and they simply don't have time to stop and talk to you because they're running late. Maybe, they could have been running for a train. How many times have you said to someone, 'sorry I can't stop' because you're on your way somewhere? It's the same for them.  It may only take two seconds to take a photo but sometimes it's two seconds too long.

1. They may not realise they’re being rude.
   

Different people can interpret conversations and behaviours in different ways. Saying something which you think is rude or acting rudely could not seem rude to the person behaving that way or the person may not intend it in a rude way. Miscommunication can happen anywhere and celebrities are just as prone as you and me.

1. They’re only human.
   

This is what I have been trying to say all along, through all the other reasons why they may be rude or you may have had a negative experience. People, famous or not, make mistakes. Nobody, celebrity or otherwise, is perfect. They are only human after all and it is completely natural for people to not be pleasant and kind all the time. The issue with putting a celebrity on a pedestal in your head is that they can never live up to those expectations because the image in your head is perfect and no human is perfect.


So, next time you meet someone you admire, maybe take a second to think about how their day may have been. If they’re rude to you, don’t take it personally. There can be many reasons behind their rudeness and many of these instances are unintentional.

But, if other people have had similar experiences and this person is rude to everyone, maybe there isn’t a reason and maybe they are just a horrible person - in which case, they don’t deserve to be an idol.

-Kenzie

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