They filmed an episode of Scientific Eye at my house.
They did a phonecall to an astronaught where they were talking but it took ages for the other guy to hear, and there was a fat naked man in my bath wondering why the water went anticlockwise.
(nN, Thu 18 Nov 2004, 19:23, Reply)

hey Ace McAce
Me too! I lived in Chester for ages until I moved to London, and often had the same problem - nipping out of the office for a sandwich, only to run into those improbably blond southerners that make up the cast of Hollyoaks.....
(emma_fisi, Thu 18 Nov 2004, 18:18, Reply)

not me but a friend... honestly...
was blithely snogging a random in a darkened corner of a romford club, blissfully unaware she had been caught on tv cameras for a programme about essex life. couple of nights later, watching said programme with her long term boyfriend, was unceremoniously dumped as he realised the identity of the female going for it in the corner of branigans.....
( rachelswipe with a fork, Thu 18 Nov 2004, 18:17, Reply)

due to the disaster of me living in chester
i have occasionly walked past that bastard tv show "hollyoaks" i hate it. and have many a time purposley ruined the take.
(Ace McAce Where we're going, we don't need roads, Thu 18 Nov 2004, 18:14, Reply)

Hmmm
I have managed to appear on tv twice by accident. The first time was when a visiting politician decided to shake the hand of people as he made his way through town. This was not greatly appreciated by 16 year old me at the time as I was skiving off school and it was broadcast on the evening news. Busted!

The last time was earlier this year when for some strange reason they chose the rugby club I work at as a place for an interview for a documentary. Then after getting footage of my boss serving the person interviewed they decided to cut this - and show a clip of me wandering around in the background stocking fridges.
( Miss Behave - Delicate little flower, Thu 18 Nov 2004, 17:30, Reply)

Our family
has been in a brochure for Direct Greece, they just came round one day while we were on holiday in Zante and said "we need to take a new picture of this villa, do you want to be in it?"
( NomDePlume fo shizzle my nizzle old bean, Thu 18 Nov 2004, 16:46, Reply)

a bit tangential but...
...i was actually singing with my choir on a TV recording for Nation's Favourite Hymns. My mother was a bit purturbed by this.... 'A nice Jewish girl like you singing on some Christian hymn Jesus thing?? But what if there are any nice Jewish boys watching... they won't be impressed! Who wants to date a Nice Jewish Girl who sings Jesus Hymn things' I didn't like to point out that very few Nice Jewish Boys regularly watch Nation's Favourite Hymns. (I could be wrong.) Aaah well - married now. To a Nice Jewish Boy. Who didn't happen to be watching Nation's Favourite Hymn's that day. Does that prove my Mum's point? She'd insist that it does, you know. Nu - what can you do??
(me'n'my monkey, Thu 18 Nov 2004, 16:17, Reply)

background and foreground appearances
I was in the audience for Children in Need (when they did the live feed from 'the regions', the region I was in being Bristol) You couldn't see my face though becuase I was trying to see myself in the monitor which was slightly off to the side (behind the hostess who was fitness woman The Green Goddess). All you could see was the back of my head, looking at the back of my head in the monitor, looking at the back of my head in the monitor, looking at the back of my head in the monitor....

I've also been in the audience for The Two Ronnies, The Keith Barratt Show, Does Doug Know?, Kings of Comedy, Esther! and accidentally appeared in a C4 documentary about under age sex. They filmed a bit in my office, and I could be seen in the background sucking a lollypop and looking tired because I had no make up on.

Also Timmy Mallett shattered all my childhood illusions at the Ashton Court balloon festival by a) being a grumpy man with a black umbrella and b) telling me to pretend, on camera, that I'd won a teddy-bear-naming competition when in fact they'd already named the bear (can't remember what they named it, but it was shit) before making me tie the bear to a helium balloon and let it go even though I wanted to keep it.

Sorry for length, this is my first QOTW post.
(susantobacco, Thu 18 Nov 2004, 14:51, Reply)

Mass hysteria
There I was, walking through Borough market, when hundreds of girls in short skirts started climbing out of manholes and dancing along the street. I had to find another way through and was late for a meeting as a result. Much later I found out it was a Rachel Stevens video, rather than mass hysteria. Oddly I don't remember seeing a camera in sight, or the lass herself. I may appear somewhere in the background, probably looking mightily pissed-off, but you can't really spot me.

Also singing "happy birthday" in the background of a local evening news story.

Oh, and I was in a crowd scene of boys pretending to be Etonians for some 80s TV series (can't remember which one).

I'm on a roll now ... a 3 second clip of me playing in an ITV regional news item about the local Eisteddfod.

Oddly enough my job involves appearing on TV a bit, but these will be the stories I tell my grandchildren.
(cardboard, Thu 18 Nov 2004, 14:33, Reply)

Weather ranting
My home town, being built on a flood-plane, with a rather innadequate (read: Council built) flood barrier, is prone to a bit of horrendous flooding.

One particular year, after a heavy drinking and smoking session, we decided to wander into town and see the damage first hand. Being less that sober, i decided, with the help of much more alcohol and smoke, to start ranting very loudly about noah, and flooding and animals and arks. At 7am, BBC, ITV, Five and all the other news crews turn up.

I was on BBC, ITV, Sky and Five as their ending comedy piece (ie "At least somebody's seeing the funny side of it").

Much respect was earned from most townsfolk, except a couple of cherry-pluckers who complained in the local paper.
(reasonablyfamous, Thu 18 Nov 2004, 13:08, Reply)

Songs of Praise
When I was very young, on holiday in Dorset, I happend to walk past the camera whilst they were filming 'Songs of Praise'
(KingLawrence 4 GASH, Thu 18 Nov 2004, 12:29, Reply)

BOND, JAMES BOND...
I was working at Pinewood Studios and appeared as 'a face in the background' while some fawning reporter interviewed Peirce Brosnan about his latest 007 blockbuster.
Actually, now i've typed it, I realise it's a lot less interesting than I thought, although all through the interview I kept thinking: "He's shorter than me and I could 'take' him!"
(SproutsAreEvil, Thu 18 Nov 2004, 11:57, Reply)

Awww, ain't they cute
A while back on children in need, we were filmed and had terry wogan asking us how much we had raised for charity. I am in the background, the little shit waving at people. I am dressed as Baldrick from Blackadder II and have a turnip shaped like a thingy. Needless to say, I really want to forget it. Thanks alot guys!
(The_Reaper, Thu 18 Nov 2004, 11:53, Reply)

For Harry, Chav Spotter
Harry, as a Scottish football fan, I know what you mean.

I was on Sky News being interviewed after Wales beat England at rugby at Wembley in 1999. The film crew came to my rugby club in Glasgow to get interviews with Scotland rugby fans who were "delighted" (rat-arsed) that we won our first trophy in ages due to England getting beaten. I was absolutely steamboats but had to actually say something about the game. I think something like "Great game, Wales really pulled it out of the bag for us" along with other numerous sporting cliches were mumbled almost coherently whilst my teammates were sticking their fingers in my ears. Got on to national TV and looked like a bloke who had drunk 11 pints of beer, which equates to very stupid. I can't remember what the presenter of the news said though. Shortly after that I was sick in a hedge.
( Normanator Bad case of trapped wind since, Thu 18 Nov 2004, 11:35, Reply)

Tenuous? Here we go...
My ex-girfriend's late father's ferry boat (now how's that for tenuous) was repainted and used in a TV miniseries tracking the development of rockets. It was supposed to the ferry across to Peenemunde.

I suppose it's not actually me, and it was in the *foreground* of quite a few shots, so this might not strictly count.

Oh, and the back of my head got on Anglia TV in 1991.
( Amish Information Systems hates misplaced, commas, Thu 18 Nov 2004, 10:45, Reply)

Bob Hood - prince of wossnames
Tenuous but cute, My family have a busness breeding Scotish Deerhounds. Big stupid grey hairy things, movmemnts very similar to the mystics from Dark Crystal, perfect for big castles and that. Which is why three of em were hired form 'Robin Hood prince of thieves'. The scene where a young child is chased down the hill. Took forever as the director wanted 'more mean' as they looked like they were arsed off , well they were and kept looking at the camera as the camera man was eating a sarnie. Bless em. They also shat on set and a makeup girl had to clean it up (luckily a type1 rather firm) - kevin costner got his crotch sniffed as well after they got a sacer of whiskey (they love it!) . My dogs the oliver reed of the canine thesps!
(1st team orc, Thu 18 Nov 2004, 10:02, Reply)

Sadly denied fame and glory as a child
My hometown has been the set of numerous shameful and forgettable films and commercials, as well as also being the hometown of a certain sticky-fingered celebrity. My dad and I were approached by a talent scout in a bakery when I was eight and cast in a commercial (Pepto-Bismol or Tums, or something to do with painful gas and torrential diarrhea. You know). I was really excited but was not allowed to go because the commercial was being filmed on the same day as the first day of school (and a new school, at that). Poo. My dad was in it, though, had a line like "Hey, Gary, how's it going?" On a tragic note, the commercial never made it to TV.

My boyfriend has been much luckier than I in this department. He appeared on 'No Win No Fee', the gamshow hosted by Johnathan Ross' older and less famous brother Paul Ross. He won four thousand pounds, bitches. Paul Ross told him that his poker face looked like "Sam the Eagle out the bloody Muppets". Ironically, this too never aired, but he got to keep the money.

He also appeared in a Swedish techie show called Sajber (pronounced 'cyber') as a lad growing up in Hong Kong. It seems the Sajber crew wanted to do a feature on all the technology and pirated software in Hong Kong. The crew was connected with some Swedish expats in Hong Kong, who were friends with my BF, and now he's a big Swedish star. All he did was take the crew to various street markets and do a few talking head bits. The episode was repeated three or four times due to popular demand.

Finally, and most regrettably, I have actually seen 'The Heart of Me' (see question). In retrospect, I much rather would have opted to rub my face on a cheese grater for an hour and a half.
(Mabel DelTaco, Thu 18 Nov 2004, 9:03, Reply)

I work in a pharmacy
and the local paper came to take a picture of the pharmacist at the medicines counter to promote some new scheme. Well I had noticed that if you strataegically place a price sticker over half of the second 'D' on a box of anadin extra tablets, it would say 'ANAL EXTRA'. So I did this and put it on the shlef behind the boss , and you could see it in the paper article. Not sure if anyone noticed. Not strictly me in the background I know, but it mad me laugh
(dr-kill, Thu 18 Nov 2004, 0:21, Reply)

street magic
back in September, in Soho Square in London, I was minding my own business with "borrowed" wireless net access, when some "street magician" started pestering a girl sat near me, with a b3tacam in tow. To cut a long story short, the cameraman was aiming for that "edgy" motion feel, moving around a lot, so any shots that have me in them will have my middle digit as a prominent feature. See you on "TV's Naughtiest Bloopers", then... 8-(
( bnt what, me worry?, Wed 17 Nov 2004, 22:57, Reply)

Movie Star *cough*
About 2 years ago a film was made called The Great Ceili War AKA The Boys from Co. Clare, starring none other than Andrea Corr, Colm Meaney of Star Trek fame and Margi Clarke. Well my mates and I were chosen as extras to play a band since we're scruffy beggars. We had to stand in the background with some instruments, smoking and holding fake pints of beer. I was dressed kinda like Jim Morrison hehe. Needless to say our throats were gone and my mate had a comment made about his cock by Margi during a chat we had with her. The end.
( Shuya Nanahara Sayonara, Wed 17 Nov 2004, 21:54, Reply)

Remember the film "Lawrence of Arabia"?
I was Lawrence.
( Claws of Doom I am no longer infected, Wed 17 Nov 2004, 21:29, Reply)

slightly and nearly, AT THE SAME TIME,
on the very night of the first bombs being dropped in Iraq, I was down in Bournemouth being an angry-war-protester. I was in a few newspaper photos for that because I was at the front, and kept getting a bit too "into it" and marching out ahead without realising my AWESOME SPEED.

But! we'd gone down there at about 1pm (about 5 of us) to meet up with some other students from another college (brockenherst), and we sat around, yelled things, argued with people and made signs. and then MERIDIAN TELEVISION came all the way into town, to film out ~20-person-strong mini-protest. I was in the background for about 5 seconds, and - I was so very nearly in it properly - the camera was panning accross everyone, but stops one person before me.

And I know why, instead of the very British "1,2,3,4. We don't want your bloody war", the guy next to me was yelling "we don't want your FUUUUUUUUUUUCKING :@ war"

i blame him for my failed career in television, cunt!
( stevierar, Wed 17 Nov 2004, 20:01, Reply)

Contestant
Back in 1996, I was a contestant on popular (but sadly now axed) teatime quiz show 15-to-1. I was at position number ten on the semicircle. When the episode aired a couple of months later, I realised that whenever William G. "Bill" Stewart asked a question of one of the low numbers, the camera angle was such that I could be seen in the background behind him. So there was lots of me nodding my head to answers I knew and raising my eyebrows at ones I didn't.

I came fifth.
(Electric Dragon rediscovered his password at, Wed 17 Nov 2004, 19:28, Reply)