The Greatest Show In The Galaxy – The Fanboy Who Waited...

If you’ve read the first part of my GSITG blog you probably noticed it was a bit more formal than you’re used to, well this second part is going to focus purely on the guests and what I got up to, hope you like it!

Jeri Ryan

Me with Jeri Ryan

When Jeri was announced by Showmasters I must confess I was a little excited as she is a rare guest in the UK, to my knowledge she’s only been over once before. To my complete surprise she was then announced by GSITG on the same evening! Woohoo, two bites at the cheery so to speak!

As I knew Jeri was going to be busy I made sure she was the first guest I went to see at GSITG. She really was lovely! Really chatty and came across as really fan friendly, I expected her just to sign my 7of9 picture but instead it was personalised and even had a dedication “Resistance is.... Well, you know”.

7 of 9

When it came time for her photo shoot I was once again unsure what to expect, myself and Rob “Mr Photo Shoot” Sterry were having great discussions as to is she’d be seated or standing , personally I was more interested in if she’d be a huggy guest...

When I got close enough to the front of the photo queue I decided that I’d go for the hug, let’s face it, if you don’t ask you’ll never get and at the end of the day the worst they can say is no J

So, having steeled my resolve I strode up to Jeri and asked if it would be ok for a huggy photo, ‘a huggy one’ she replied, I could see her thinking it over, ‘yeah sure, why not’.

So one huggy photo later and I was a very happy man.

What I didn’t realise until later was that Jeri’s security were not as laid back about my hug request as she was. Rob told me once I was out that they’d gone really twitchy, I was also told that others that had asked for hugs later in the day hadn’t got them. Hearing that made me extra glad I’d got my photo!

 Miranda Raison

Thank you for the cuddle

I’ve always had a soft spot for Miranda (if you’re not sure who she is, she was Jo Portman in Spooks as well as Tallulah in Doctor Who), she has been at an event that I was at before but for some reason I never got round to meeting her, so this was my chance!

I went for my photo shoot first. I’d always though she was attractive but in person Miranda was truly stunning!

Once again I went for a ‘huggy’ photo, she gave me a massive cuddle and the photo turned out really well.

There were only about 3 of us in the queue so as we were collecting our picture Miranda walked out, as she went past she grinned at me and stroked my arm, I must confess I kinda melted!

Once I’d had my photo my next job was to get her autograph, she was really nice to chat to and like my look and outfit. While she was signing my 8by10 I showed her my photo shoot picture which she really liked, in fact she even signed it for me with the lovely dedication ‘thank you for the cuddle’.

I went back and saw Miranda later on in the day, she was saying that she loved the snake that was on one of the stands and was going to have to go and get a picture with it when she was on lunch. I was very (and I mean very) tempted to ask her for a drink on the Saturday evening but resisted at the last moment.

On the Sunday Miranda was at the event again, my willpower failed me so I ended up getting a second photo with her, as I may have mentioned before I think she’s lovely!

Keeley Hawes

Bolly and the Doc

When GSITG started announcing stars from Ashes to Ashes I was hoping that they would manage to get Keeley to attend, so when the announcement came I was once again a very happy bunny (although my bank balance was having palpitations, too many epic guests!!)

When walking up to Keeley’s table she beamed at me (when I went up she had no queue, which was a surprise!).

She loved my outfit and said to me that she felt like she should be asking for my autograph, Montserrat was sat next to her so I ended up chatting to the both of them, this completely put me off my train of thought and all the things that I’d planned to say went out of my head!

One more than one occasion in my life when getting something signed there is one comment that comes up time and time again “you’re name’s Matt, but, you look like David!”, Keeley was the latest celeb to make this exact comment which made me smile.

She was really great to meet!

Sunday afternoon saw me have my photo shoot with her, by this point Rob had decided that he couldn’t take anymore and he would be going ahead of me in all photos, he just could watch me hug anyone else, at least by going first he didn’t have to watch (although he did make the mistake of glancing back on a couple of occasions).

So after Rob’s picture it was time for me to get mine, Keeley was really nice and happily did  huggy photo. Watching Keeley prior to my getting my photo had made me smile, as she is tall and was wearing heels she was doing all sorts of random poses to make herself the right height when posing with people.

Fab guest and I hope to see her again at future events! 

Montserrat Lombard

For those that don’t know Mon played Shaz in Ashes to Ashes (she also starred in St. Trinians 2 alongside David Tennant).

Mon was lovely and really sweet, she like my outfit and even made reference to it in her dedication on my picture.

Mon was having a really good time at the event and liked the fact that the majority of the Ashes to Ashes cast had all been brought together again.

For my photo with Montserrat I’d once again gone for my default hug, I love the picture with her and think it turned out really well.

John Barrowman

Ah, the Barrowman. What a legend!

I’ve actually met JB once before, back in November 2009 at Collectormania London. He was the first celeb I ever had a photo shoot with, unfortunately back then I wasn’t prepared so in the picture I looked like a rag doll!

This time though things would be different, I would be ready and get a decent picture!

JB had been his normal flamboyant self all weekend. He was great in the Torchwood talk on the Saturday, to the surprise of the audience he took on the roll of roving mic, which I was sure would result in at least one fangirl/boy exploding from over excitement by the end of it!

I’d decided to go for a picture with JB on the Sunday (I’d planned my days so I had four pictures each day).

The Barrowman!

When it came time for my picture, I asked if I could have a huggy one and John happily obliged, when the photo had been taken however JB didn’t let go, instead he turned to the rest of the queue still hugging me and exclaimed ‘I’m never letting go of my Doctor!’

When I went up for my autograph from him I was only a couple of people behind my friends Tim and Laura, it was highly amusing listening in to their ‘chicken fillet’ story (and before you ask, no, I’m not going to reprise it here...)

Gotta love JB!

Philip Glenister

Gene Genie and the Doctor

Ah, the Guv, the Gene Genie! Phil was another guest I’d been waiting to meet, he’d been announced for Collectormania in 2010 but had to cancel due to filming commitments, as such when he was announced for GSITG I was rather pleased as it would give ma another chance to see him.

Phil did not disappoint, he was great and good to chat to and was of the guests that made the David/Matt name comment while signing my picture.. For the photo I decided that a hug photo would not be appropriate, so instead went for the classic side by side pose.

I was really happy with how the photo turned out as Phil has very much the look of the Guv about him.

I miss Ashes to Ashes!!

Sophia Myles

The Girl in the Fireplace

Sophia Myles, the girl in the fireplace, Madame De Pompadour and the guest I’d been most waiting to meet. Sophia was another guest that I’d previously missed when she’d had to cancel attending Bad Wolf in June 2010 due to filming for Spooks.

Sophia played my favourite character in New Who in one of my favourite episodes of Doctor Who and ever since I started doing conventions she has been on my must meet list.

It was an odd feeling being in the queue to see her and feeling slightly nervous, it’s been a while since I’ve felt that way! When I was a couple of people away from the front she clocked me standing there and blurted out “Bloody hell! I never thought I’d see you again!”

When I got to the front she smiled at me and we chatted, she loved the outfit and my look in general and was very complimentary. When she went to sign my picture she looked at me and, with a slightly puzzled expression on her face, said ‘sorry, I’ve just completely forgotten my own name’. I’ve never had that happen before!

Me and Sophia :)

When I was time for the photo shoot I went for my standard huggy picture. When I said to Sophia about a hug photo she wondered how the camera would see our faces (she was thinking proper hug) and then the penny dropped and she joked it was like a prom picture.

The picture turned out really well and I was more than happy with it (it was worth the 2 years of waiting!).

I decided to go back later in the afternoon when she was quiet and get the picture of us signed. When I walked up to her desk we exchanged bemused looks as the chap who was there just before me had lent in for an ‘air kiss’ which she wasn’t really expecting!

We had another chat and she asked if there was any rivalry between the guys that dress as the Doctor, she also asked if I knew many of them as some of them were in her words ‘a bit much’.

Towards the end of the day I was chatting to some of my friends near to Sophia’s desk and we noticed her chatting to her assistant and comparing Doctors. I caught her eye and winked at her and she mouthed ‘you’re my favourite’. At which point I walked (floated) over to her and had a final hug with her.

That moment was the icing on the awesome cake that was the weekend and also puts Sophia as one of the best and nicest guests I’ve ever met.