British Comedy Guide

On the Bus is...

Some of my BCG chums who are friends on Facebook will know that I have a thing going where I liken my fellow bus passengers with celebrities. It started as a one off last autumn but after doing a couple more around Christmas time some people began doing their own. It's now become quite a regular thing.

The basic rules have become as follows:
1. Look for three people that have even the vaguest similarity to a celebrity whether it's an entertainer, sports star or politician etc. Anyone who has had at least 15 minutes of fame can be considered
2. Of the three choose one and pick out something notable about them whether it's their clothes, hair, something they're doing, reading or carrying
3. Ideally select three people who would be unlikely to be seen together at the same time
4. Be a time traveller so if you saw a 10 year old Gary Lineker on the Tube (like I have) with very dead Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev (like I have) then go for it

For me it's mainly about bus travellers but I'd like to hear about unlikely trios that you have seen in all walks of life whether in a restaurant, cinema queue or at the barbers. They don't have to be dead ringers, if they remind you of someone just because they have the same hair then I'll take that.

Below are a few examples of my 'On the Bus is...' encounters:

On the bus tonight: Olympic 5000m and 10000m champion Mo Farrah, Richard Osman, the smarmy knowledgeable dude on the TV show 'Pointless' and John Lennon who happens to be reading a book about the Post Office #abitofasurprise

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At the bus stop today we had an extraordinarily convincing Winston Churchill, jazz vocalist Nina Simone and Apple founder Steve Jobs in a bobble hat...carrying a 'wet floor' sign

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On the bus this morning is Gok Wann and Eddie 'The Eagle' Edwards. We are being driven by former Chelsea manager Avram Grant. #stagecoachpublictransportforthestars

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On the bus this evening: Comediene Dawn French, Playschool presenter Floella Benjamin and Archbishop Desmond Tutu...in a tea cosy hat.

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On the bus tonight: the Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe, Vladimir Putin and Dappy

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On the bus tonight: Pretenders singer Chrissie Hynde, the guy who does Gangnam style and ex-Chelsea striker Didier Drogba in a high vis jacket. Lee Harvey Oswald is driving the bus

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On the bus tonight: former Dr Who Tom Baker is deep in conversation with ex World boxing champion, Lennox Lewis

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On the bus tonight: Bonkers French footballer Nicholas Anelka, former British chess champion Nigel Short and EastEnders actress Patsy Palmer "Rickkyyyyyy!"

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Third bus journey of the day and a minimum of three more to go so it's time for some more #buscelebspotting This time we have a 40 year old Wayne Rooney, Indian TV chef Madhur Jaffrey and Boris Johnson (in a dress)

...David smith and George Roper. They look just like Stan and Jack.

Tuumble should get out less.

Quote: beaky @ 11th February 2014, 11:51 AM GMT

Tuumble should get out less.

:D

Quote: beaky @ 11th February 2014, 11:51 AM GMT

Tuumble should get out less.

Bastard. Laughing out loud

Quote: Tim Azure @ 12th February 2014, 10:50 AM GMT

How well do this people look like these celebrities? Are we talking exact replicas or is it a Louis Tussauds type of thing?

I'm all for that. :)

Like I say it's just a bit of fun and if they vaguely look like someone then that's good enough for me. The idea of Vladimir Putin and Dappy being on the same local bus is pretty way out however you look at it so imagining what they'd say to each other would make the mind boggle too. It's that sort of thing that amuses me and helps pass the time if nothing else.

What I sometimes do is force it and try and assign a celebrity to a face. For example I'm sat near someone right now that has similar hair to Sally Gunnell when she won her Olympic gold in 1992. This person wouldn't get work as a lookalike but there's enough of a resemblance to justify using her. :)

Quote: Alfred J Kipper @ 11th February 2014, 11:27 AM GMT

...David smith and George Roper. They look just like Stan and Jack.

I do look like Jack though with the teeth

Quote: ComedyGeek @ 26th February 2014, 9:14 PM GMT

I do look like Jack though with the teeth

Hang on. Are you George Roper or David Smith? Or even both?

I remember, many moons ago, I was in 6th form and, due to a number of buggering ups on my part, I only had four lessons a week to attend. This left me with a lot of spare time on my hands and a bus pass. To fill this spare time I would often get on a bus and do complete loops of the bus route for fun. They were the best of times, they were the worst of times.

Many moons ago? You look about 19 from your photo!

Quote: beaky @ 27th February 2014, 5:47 PM GMT

Many moons ago? You look about 19 from your photo!

I wish I was 19 again. 2002 was quite the year, but certainly not a patch on 2008.

Quote: Ben @ 27th February 2014, 11:20 PM GMT

I wish I was 16 again. 2002 was quite the year, but certainly not a patch on 2008.

Buzzcocks - 16 Again

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4gXI64ELVI

To get vaguely back on topic, I saw the real Pete Shelley (not his real name) walking along The Tottenham Court Rd end of Oxford Street many moons ago. There were a few buses around at the time too. :)

I did see the real Mick Jones (no pseudonym) with his daughter on the upper deck of a bus near Ladbroke Grove once though.

As it was a year ago today since my very first 'On the bus is...' encounter I have decided to set up a Facebook page to keep a more regular track of who I see on my travels. Feel free to give the page a like and share with your friends ;)

https://www.facebook.com/onthebusis

I love the concept, I'm always likening fellow public transportation people to various 'slebs and in fact my Window cleaner (whom always addressed me as Sarah, despite it not being my forename) really looks like the bassist in The Kaiser Chiefs. I'll keep an eye out whilst out and about on Saturday.

Point of order though: Richard Osman isn't smarmy - he's a geeky tall girl's idea of an ideal date. Just as long as it doesn't take place in a cinema, theatre, cave or under a low bridge.

Do the wheels go round and round? :O

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