A journalist who has been covering showbiz for 20 years has revealed some of his favourite celebrities behind the scenes.
Tom Bryant, who works on the showbusiness desk at Birmingham Live’s sister paper the Mirror, says he has seen the good, the bad, and the ugly when it comes to celebrities – and five left a lasting impression with spontaneous displays of generosity and touching moments.
Speaking about his backstage encounters with some huge names, Tom claims the bigger the celeb, the more pleasant they typically turn out to be.
He wrote: “I’ve experienced countless awkward encounters with reality TV personalities and their management teams.
“That said, some genuine A-list stars have genuinely taken me aback with just how grounded they remain.”
Here’s Tom’s top five favourite celebs in no specific order.
The Country music legend has an extraordinary memory for names, Tom writes. She even remembers your relatives’ names too.
In fact, whenever you encounter her, she’ll recall some obscure detail from your previous conversation.
I’ve sat down with Dolly on two occasions in her native Nashville, plus once in London, and she consistently proves captivating.
Even when one interview kicked off at the ridiculously early hour of 6am at her manager’s premises.
“Where’s my Tom,” she called out from along the hallway, before appearing in her heels.
During each Nashville trip, the welcome has been extraordinary.
On one visit, she took me to her enormous merchandise facility where – rather like Supermarket Sweep – we were free to load our trolleys with whatever complimentary items we fancied.
Tom writes: Mick Jagger – modest, with an exceptionally wry wit Back in 2016, I was somewhat nervous about meeting the iconic Stones frontman when I was invited to join the band on their tour in Mexico City.
Interviews with Mick were a rarity and I knew this opportunity might not come again, plus I’d heard he could be somewhat distant. However, any concerns were quickly dispelled within moments of meeting him.
He was self-deprecating, possessed a dry sense of humour, and was everything you could have hoped for as he entertained me with numerous stories. But his impact extended beyond our interview.
We were staying at the same hotel, and Mick was insistent that I shouldn’t travel to the gig alone.
Instead, he insisted that I accompany his friends and family on a private bus, complete with our own police escort which closed off large parts of the city to ensure we arrived at the Foro Sol stadium punctually. The VIP experience didn’t end there, as Mick ensured I watched the show alongside his family by the sound deck, before inviting me to the band’s post-show party which lasted until the early hours.
When it comes to hospitality, no one could quite match Olivia, who sadly passed away in 2022. I was fortunate enough to visit her stunning Californian ranch, an hour north of Santa Barbara, back in 2019.
The memory of her greeting me at the door with a large glass of wine ready is something I’ll never forget. She graciously agreed to chat with me for a Mirror campaign promoting tree planting, a cause she held dear.
Remarkably, after cancer left her with a fractured back, she had learned to walk again and took immense pride in giving me a personal tour of her beautiful garden. With the interview done, her publicist Steve and I stayed on for hours as she opened her wine cabinet, and we sat on the veranda sipping wine until late into the night.
If only all celebrity interviews were this enjoyable!
Over the years, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Rihanna twice… first in 2007 when she was in Glasgow following a UK show, and then a few years later in LA. On both occasions, she proved to be thoughtful, intelligent, and most importantly, hilarious.
Given the circumstances of our initial chat in Scotland, her sense of humour was certainly needed. It was around 1am when I was ushered into her dressing room for the interview after her performance.
There were no minders present, no publicity representatives: it was simply her, myself and the tiniest sofa imaginable for our conversation.
That, alongside the partially consumed sandwich and numerous beverage cans strewn across the floor.
Our knees were virtually touching as I began posing questions… which Rihanna found utterly hilarious.
“I’m getting to know you very well here,” she laughed. A few years afterwards I was fortunate enough to travel to the States for our second conversation.
Officially, I was there to talk about some charitable endeavours. However, our meeting occurred not long after distressing photographs surfaced of her having been assaulted by boyfriend Chris Brown.
I’m certain she wasn’t looking forward to being questioned about it. Yet – always the consummate professional – she responded to my queries, before skilfully steering the conversation towards more cheerful topics.
Shortly afterwards, she was making jokes and commenting how this time round, the circumstances surrounding the interview were somewhat less intimate.
I’ve encountered JBJ on numerous occasions throughout the years, both in New York and London, and he consistently impresses. Not merely from a journalistic standpoint, but as a thoroughly decent person as well.
You sense that he remains absolutely thrilled to still be pursuing what he’s doing after all these years.
Media obligations must become somewhat tedious – particularly after four decades in the industry – but he invariably has wonderful anecdotes to share, delivered with panache. He’s also incredibly charming, and more than willing to reveal his true self.
I recall a time when he began sharing a series of amusing photos on his mobile of him and Paul McCartney larking about from the previous weekend. He seemed genuinely humbled by the opportunity to spend time with a former Beatle.
When a rock legend can still be starstruck, it’s clear his feet are firmly planted on the ground.
