Dear All.

The other day my mum (Now in her 80's) insisted she had been vox poped by none other than the camp TV host Larry Grayson! After much beating around the bush we descovered that actually it was BBC Yorkshire's regular front man Harry Gration.

I have also fallen foul of this confusing phenomenon. Some years ago I was telling people I had seen Ronnie Biggs at a Waterstones book signing. The author in question later turned out to be Coronation street actor Johnny Briggs (An understandable error on my part I am sure you will agree)

Can anyone come up with any other legitimate celebrities who have startlingly similar names?

I'll play with you Win, even if nobody else will!
What about grilling a steak on the George Formby?

mmm I get Lee Marvin and Dean Martin mixed up...oh and Samuel L Jackson and the other bloke..Morgan Freeman?..possibly not him. sighs away.. :)

Nice Stella. John, must try harder lol. Win

my mum and i now call morgan freeman God after his Almighty performance with Bruce...

snoop dogg and snoopy the dog; p. diddy, puff daddy...think that is same guy. Ice t, Vanilla Ice although i could get shot for mixing them two up in the Bronx no doubt. Big e, Mr Big, B.I.G, all same guy and yeh hes very big.mmm

People often mistake Jane Ashers' brother for me. They approach him in the street and ask if he's the famous poet!!

Vox Poped?

Is that when the old Benedict whatsit phones you up and asks you lots of questions then Win?

Ann - The term "vox pop" comes from the Latin phrase vox populi, meaning "voice of the people". The vox pop is a tool used in many forms of media to provide a snapshot of public opinion. :-)

Has anyone seen Gordon lately?

I would have thought that, phonetically speaking, it would be "vox popped"?

Gordon who????? Oh, I get it! What was your big hit? Take me away or something? A World Without Love!!!!

Johnnie Briggs the grey train robber? That is sort of understandable: Biggs/Briggs. However...
I have long admired the TV writer Jimmy McGovern who tutored a course I was on at the Arvon Foundation. I kept in touch with him and interviewed him as part of Wigan words litfest a couple of years ago. So I tend to bang on about him a bit in my scriptwriting workshops and stuff. It is bizarre but, very often, folks think I am talking about Jimmy Boyle, the convicted killer-turned-novelist. Cos they are both called Jimmy?

An excellent example of this cropped up on the radio this morning. Created only by current affairs. Take care not to confuse discraced friend of Liam Fox, Adam Werritty and BBC Radio 5 live finacial correspondant Andy Verity.

Radio 2 this morning - Chris Evans Show - world famous poet; Bard of Barnsley FC - Ian McMillan was introduced (after all the fanfare) as - Ian McKellan

I like books by Iain Banks - but everyone thinks I mean Ian Rankin.

Steve, thats a good one.

One of my favourite writers is George Borrow, but everyone corrects me and tells me it's 'George Burrows'!!