Encounters with Notable Figures

My life's been pretty wild, and I've bumped into a bunch of celebrities and famous people. This is a quick peek at some of those photo ops!

2002

I met Danny John-Jules, who plays the Cat in Red Dwarf, for the very first time. He looked completely smooth and effortless, while I looked absolutely shattered and was probably blinking—which we only found out later since it was a proper film camera with no smartphones around to delete a bad shot and try again!

Danny John-Jules

2002

It was a genuine pleasure meeting Mac McDonald—the man who brought Captain Hollister to life in Red Dwarf—at Dimension Jump IX. We were at the Royal Court Hotel in Coventry for the event back in March 2022, and it was a fantastic weekend.

Mac is a top guy. I particularly remember him doing some singing with his daughters, which was a real highlight. It was great to have the opportunity to chat with him throughout the weekend; he was incredibly approachable and a pleasure to spend time with.

Mac McDonald

2002

It was a pleasure meeting Lee Cornes at Dimension Jump IX—the dedicated Red Dwarf fan convention—held at the Royal Court Hotel in Coventry back in March 2022. Lee is best known for his role as the character Paranoia in the show, as well as his iconic portrayal of Mr Hankin in Grange Hill. He was such a lovely, genuine guy.

Lee Cornes

2003

My experience meeting Hattie Hayridge at Dimension Jump X—the Red Dwarf fan convention held from the 4th to the 6th of April 2003 at the Royal Court Hotel in Coventry—remains a vivid memory. The hotel and its grounds were absolutely astounding, but the highlight was certainly Hattie herself.

I admit I was nervous as hell—something I still struggle with whenever I’m in front of a camera—but I was determined to get into the frame while she was filming her camcorder footage. When the moment came, my nerves got the better of me and I completely forgot what I intended to say. If you look at the footage featured on the Red Dwarf Series III DVD, titled "Hattie’s DJ Diary," you can definitely tell! Despite my awkwardness, Hattie was absolutely lovely, and I was thrilled to have the chance to chat with her quite a bit over the course of that weekend.

Hattie Hayridge

2003

Blimey, look how young Robert Llewellyn and I look back then! I look practically like a child compared to how I look now. Robert was absolute class to meet and such a genuinely nice fella.

Robert Lewellyn

2003

It was an absolute pleasure chatting with Danny John-Jules—what a remarkably cool guy. We bonded almost immediately over a shared appreciation for fine watches. He took a keen interest in my Rolex, noticing he was sporting one as well. Mine happened to be a copy, but he was still genuinely impressed by it nonetheless.

This encounter took place while we were walking through the hotel lobby during Dimension Jump X, held at the Royal Court Hotel in Coventry from the 4th to the 6th of April, 2003. To top it off, he later signed a load of my Red Dwarf merchandise, which was a brilliant highlight of the weekend.

Danny John-Jules

2004

Meeting Robert Llewellyn—or Kryten 2X4B 523P, as we know him—at Dimension Jump XI was a standout moment, even though I had met him at several previous conventions. This particular event took place from 11–13 June 2004 at the Hotel Park Inn in Bedford, and it remains one of my absolute favourite gatherings.

Looking back at the photo from that encounter, it is clear that my camera work left quite a bit to be desired! Since smartphones didn't exist yet, attempting a "selfie" with a standard camera was always a bit of a gamble. The resulting photo is quite blurred, serving as a humorous reminder of the technical limitations of that era.

Despite the blur, I still treasure the moment. Robert was a thoroughly nice chap, and this shot was taken during the signing session, where we had all eagerly queued up to get our merchandise signed. It is a wonderful memento of that specific weekend, technical glitches and all.

Robert Lewellyn

2004

If my memory serves me correctly, Mike Tucker was the lead of the special effects team responsible for designing and building the iconic Red Dwarf models. Mike was absolutely ace—a thoroughly nice chap. He was a regular fixture at the conventions, always accompanied by his talented team, and it was a pleasure to cross paths with them over the years.

Mike Tucker

2004

Having met Holly, erm I mean Hattie a number of times as you can see she was really really really pleased to see me. She was as lovely as ever.

Hattie Hayridge

2005

It was fantastic meeting Danny John-Jules again at Dimension Jump 12, held at the Moat House Hotel in Peterborough back in August 2005. He is such a cool dude, and we had a great time just chilling together—complete with a well-earned pint somewhere along the way! True to form, Danny was looking effortlessly stylish wearing his signature beanie and a really nice watch.

Danny John-Jules

2005

Now being part of the Official Red Dwarf Fan Club team, I was at Memorabilia to help run the Red Dwarf stand with my teammates. This was an amazing day. Hattie came walking through the big hangar-style doors, and I immediately made a beeline for her. She recognised me instantly from having met her many times before, and I gave her a hug. Hattie was as lovely as ever, though sporting a different haircut from her iconic Red Dwarf Holly bobcut.

Hattie Hayridge

2005

I was always relaxed around Norman, as I’d been helping him keep his website up to date outside of the fan club. Norman is such a funny bloke, and his comedy is absolute genius.

Later, I went over to Sylvester McCoy at another booth; he and Norman were getting on like a house on fire. I completely embarrassed myself by calling Sylvester "Dr McCoy" instead of "Dr Who"—although I actually did mean Dr Who! That’s just my mouth working faster than my brain, getting my sci-fi mixed up.

Norman Lovett

2005

Danny John-Jules

2005

Looking back at Memorabilia 2005, meeting Robert Llewellyn was an absolute highlight. Judging by the sheer, unadulterated expression on his face in the photo, he was genuinely thrilled to see me again—or at least, that's what I'm telling myself! Whether he was fully in character or out of it, he truly was the ultimate man in the rubber mask, bringing so much brilliance to the role both in and out of costume.

Robert Lewellyn

2005

Robert Lewellyn, Chloe Annett, Chris Barrie, Danny John-Jules, and Norman Lovett

2006

Helping to run Dimension Jump was one of the best times of myt life. I was proud to be part of the team running the event. There were a few jealous-types that took umbridge at the time, but that’s all in the past now. This one was at the Moat House Hotel, Peterborough. 24-26 September.

Anyway this DJ I got to meet Craig Charles for the first time and he is exactly like you think. Nice chap. Likes a cigarette. In fact his first words to me was if I could get him a lighter lol.