Most Brits wouldn’t be able to avoid the topic if they met someone with the same name as a celebrity
Taylor Swift, David Beckham and Beyoncé are among the famous names that Brits have encountered in real life. Some have met people sharing names with celebrities such as James Martin, Ian Wright and Martin Lewis, while others have come across common names like Emma Watson, Tom Cruise and Jennifer Lopez.
Research suggests that meeting someone who shares a name with a celebrity leaves a lasting impression and makes that person instantly more memorable. A fifth confessed they’d be tempted to ask about it if they met them. It was found that 56% of people would never forget someone with a celebrity name, as 29% believe it’s a brilliant ice breaker.
The study revealed that 13% of those surveyed share a first or last name with a big-name star, according to figures from OnePoll.com. The topic of their name is regularly brought up in conversation, and for a quarter they find these encounters amusing.
The research was carried out to launch Blue Light Card’s new ticketing platform which offers free and discounted tickets to exclusive events to members of the emergency services, NHS, social care sector, teaching community, and armed forces; as a way of saying thank you.
To celebrate the launch, five women named Mrs Carter were treated to a VIP experience at Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter concert in London. The experience included glamorous makeovers and a paparazzi-style photoshoot.
Mrs Addy Carter from Colchester, who has dedicated over five years as a military medic, opened up about the gratification her role brings: “As a medic in the Armed Forces, I get to help people every day and can be deployed overseas to assist with humanitarian aid at a moment’s notice.
“Being able to support people with injuries – to make them feel safe and cared for – makes me so happy and proud of what I do. Wherever I’m based, I know I’m making a difference. As part of my work, I also see the incredible effort of NHS staff, which really inspires me.”
Reflecting on her experience at the Cowboy Carter Tour, she shared: “I’ve had so much fun meeting some other inspiring Mrs Carters from different industries and hearing about what they do.
“We got glitz and glammed and treated like superstars for a night at the Cowboy Carter Tour to celebrate the launch of Blue Light Tickets.”
Tarun Gidoomal, CCO for Blue Light Card, celebrated their community heroes by saying “Our community are superstars. While one Mrs Carter entertains a stadium, ours continue to serve the nation and whether that’s saving lives or supporting their communities, they show up day in, day out.”
He also highlighted the challenges that members face when trying to enjoy live music due to conflicting schedules: “Our members told us that they struggle to access live music, with queueing systems and ticket drops clashing with shift patterns.
“For so many in our community, live events are more than just entertainment, it’s that let-your-hair-down feeling after a string of long days and demanding shifts.”
TOP 20 CELEB NAMESAKES BRITS HAVE ENOUNTERED IN REAL LIFE:
- James Martin
- Ian Wright
- Martin Lewis
- Emma Watson
- Taylor Swift
- Beyoncé
- David Beckham
- Ruth Jones
- Robbie Williams
- Jamie Oliver
- Jennifer Lopez
- Tom Cruise
- Ed Sheeran
- George Michael
- John Lennon
- James May
- Katy Perry
- Paul McCartney
- Angelina Jolie
- Stephen Graham