Apart from the obvious favourites of mine - David Attenborough, Chris Boardman, Steve Backshall, Helen Mirren etc.(too many to mention). I have a new person to add to the 'Like a lot list'.
The young children's poet Laureate - Joseph Coelho.
Not only is he advocating the use of libraries to all, he travels to many of them on his homemade bamboo bicycle. What a 'top chap'.
Who are your top people?
Always though Barack Obama was pretty cool. But I suppose GOP might disagree.
Err Liz Truss, Boris, Russel Bran…
Oh wait, wrong list.
I appreciate Martin Lewis's efforts to highlight financial education for all ages.
My vote is for Iolo Williams less shouting the Baskshaw and a genuinely nice person.
He even came and had a chat with me in the wind and rain at Maltreath while his film crew headed for the cafe.
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<li style="text-align: left;">Also saw him leading a wildlife group on Shetland this summer.
Bruce - good call. I too think Iolo is a top chap. I'm very disappointed that there won't be an 'Autumn watch' this year.
Gary Lineker
Adam Buxton
Benoit Coulanges
favourites of mine – David Attenborough
A friend of mine who works at Manchester Uni worked with Attenborough on a book about dinosaurs, and tried to 1. keep him in line with current thinking and 2. remove from the book obviously outdated and erroneous stuff (mostly written by Attenborough). Attenborough, he said, was so difficult to work with (do you know who I am while not said out loud, implied in many a email and tele conversations, and this will do wonders for your career working with me etc etc) that he asked the publisher to minimize his own name as much as possible on the final book, and vowed never to work with any celebrities again.
Feargal Sharkey, doing a great job highlighting the shocking state of our rivers. Henry Marsh and David Nott - two amazing doctors, should be more widely recognised.
It's hard to like someone without meeting them, and I've never talked to anyone high profile - the exception being Chris Morris (brass eye etc) who buttonholed me at my work and sparked up a discussion about our renewable energy set up and waste disposal systems. He was so interested and engaging, you could tell he was genuine and very bright, and yes, nice. He gets a big tick.
Lots of those mentioned above, I certainly respect their efforts, opinions and they project well. Heard Ade Edmondson on desert Island discs the other day, and he has risen in my estimation, and might well be genuinely Nice.
Edit. Just remembering several other well known people I have talked to, and none of them impressed me.
Colin Stafford-Johnson (Irish natural history writer)
and his doppleganager Feargal Keane
There are no women in this list.
For starters
Sarah Storey, swimmer, cyclist and cycling advocate.
There must be lots more to add to the list
I met a guy who drove Attenborough around in a boat filming sea birds for one of his shows. Said he was completely down to earth and wouldn't have any of the TV crew work in conditions that he (Attenborough) wouldn't. Said he was one of the nicest people he'd ever met.
Steve Evets.
Have chatted a couple of times with him at the bar and he seemed like a normal sort of bloke.
It’s hard to like someone without meeting them
At the risk of turning this into "famous people you've met" I saw Paul Weller in a service station (rather than a tube station) and it was about midnight. He was having a cup of tea, and I hummed and hawed about saying hello. Eventually I did and he was genuinely a nice bloke. We chatted about late night service stations, That Entertainment, and (embarrassingly enough) what a massive fan I was/am. He couldn't have been more pleasant company. Sometimes it's OK to meet your heroes.
To unite three of the aforementioned nominations (all of whom I agree with), Chris Morris tells a great story about meeting David Attenborough on Adam Buxton's podcast. His description of Attenborough's verbal reprimand as "a patrician cuff" has stayed with me.
I'll nominate Caitlin Moran: a clever, funny and compassionate writer.
At the risk of turning this into “famous people you’ve met”
James Marsters (Spike from Buffy tVS). Met him at a con, an absolute gentleman. Spoke with everyone like they were the first person he'd met that day, warm and engaging.
I mean, he's an actor so could be an absolute shitbag in real life, you can never really tell. But he was lovely that day.
Oh,
Dave Grohl. Has the reputation of "the nicest man in rock." Hit YouTube for the videos with Nandi Bushell.
James Marsters (Spike from Buffy tVS). Met him at a con, an absolute gentleman. Spoke with everyone like they were the first person he’d met that day, warm and engaging.
I mean, he’s an actor so could be an absolute shitbag in real life, you can never really tell. But he was lovely that day.
Sounds like Terry Wogan, surprise he ever got anywhere, never turned down a selfie or a chat.
Dave Grohl. Has the reputation of “the nicest man in rock.” Hit YouTube for the videos with Nandi Bushell.
If you've not seen it, this documentary is really interesting...
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2306745/
Cannot disagree with lots of the above.
Jonny Wilkinson. Nicest sportsperson I've ever met. Genuine. Down to earth. Just a nice bloke to chat with. Same evening, I also had the absolute pleasure of meeting Pat Lam. Biggest hands I've ever seen, never mind shaken. What a gentleman.
My mum n dad, my best friend of more than 15 years. Because I actually know them in real life and I quite frankly dont give a rats bum about random people who for whatever reason are admired for doing stuff that has no bearing on me.
Post Malone
While he looks like he makes a living stealing catalytic converters, he's the nicest, most polite man imaginable and while I wasn't a fan initially of his music, he made a huge impression with his lockdown Nirvana concert and his recent Tiny Desk set is absolutely magical
Attenborough, he said, was so difficult to work with
I had a similar experience with Sir Robert Winston, back when he was an avuncular and kindly science man on the telly. Miserable get, turned on the charm for the camera, instantly back into miserable get mode as soon as it stopped. Not even a millisecond of charm for us.
I notice some of the gloss has come off him in recent years, must be exhausting trying to keep up the pretence.
OK - I'm choosing a field with a pretty low threshold but in politics......
After listening the the Leading Politics interview with Andy Burnham and Andy Street they both came across as thoroughly good people in it for the right reasons and able to do politics well (not to be a point scoring arse wipe).
Peter Andre is alleged to be a contender for nicest man in showbiz.
Aziz Ibrahim, guitarist with Stone Roses, Simply Red, Ian Brown etc.
A genuinely decent bloke, always up for a chat, ready to give his time to anyone who needs it, never a bad word etc......
Happens to be a fantastic musician as well.
Top top athlete, with a wonderfully positive influence on triathlon (especially women's participation) - Chrissie Wellington. Just an amazing person.
Ray Mears, for his approach to the outdoors, and none of the BS and bravado of certain other 'survival' personalities. He's not nipping off to the nearest Sheraton the moment the camera is off...
Fritz from Simply Red lived across the road from my parents for part of the late 80/ early 90s
Absolutely lovely bloke. Sadly now playing keyboard on the other side of the Pearly Gates
My neighbour who doesn’t have long to live. Completely out of the blue and it’s awful to see what it is doing to him. We moved here in 2012 and he and his family have been nothing but amazing to us since then. An absolute gentleman, great with my kids, has time for everyone and goes out of his way to help anyone. Many an evening I’ve come home from work to find booze, food and other small gifts dropped off for no other reason than he wanted to.
Life can be an utter shit at times.
From the top of my head from my theatre days:
Helen Skelton - just lovely in every way.
Dr Alice Roberts - ditto.
Greg Minnaar - charmed everyone effortlessly and completely grounded from what we could gather.
Jack Dee - nothing like his grumpy persona, very humble and polite.
All a complete contrast to the Prima Donnas that infest that world.
From just meeting them:
Nick Frost and Simon Pegg - were at a local ComiCon (as paying punters!) and just fitted right in with everyone. They really are proper nerds in the best possible way.
Lewis Hamilton - was in the crowd watching his brother racing in Clio Cup and just blended in as a fan, talking to everyone and just being normal.
My vote is for Iolo Williams less shouting the Baskshaw and a genuinely nice person.
He is, as long as you stay to his core subject! Spent a night in his company a few years ago at my parent's local pub which he frequents a few times a year, always makes a point of saying Hi to the resident locals.
Dave Grohl. Has the reputation of “the nicest man in rock.”
He definitely was back in 2009 when he was recording in a studio close to the bank I worked in. Was regularly spotted in a few coffee shops and always had time to talk to anyone, the locals were full of nothing but praise for him.
My mum n dad
Yep. Now I have guilt. I should have said my mum for putting up with me for 30 years, and my wife for the last 28 years. Not sure how/why either of them have but I love them for it and so much more. (I'm jealous of folks with great dads. But that's another thread for another day.)
