Is it really HIM? (Celebrity Millionaire)

[K_Oranj]

I was contemplating the possibility of James Morrison, who had already been suggested. To my mind he looks like a hybrid of Chris Martin, James Blunt and Richard Aschroft, though years younger than them.

The 'lifting mic' description that I gave might have been my conflation with a Roger Daltrey pic on the same session, but the pic I'm thinking of had the singer facing right with a mic in front of him. Can you remember JM's orientation in the Concert for Diana question? No surprise if we're talking about two different pictures here! Glad you've sorted out your mystery singer though, just mine to deal with now (if it is at all a different one).

The curly grey-(more white actually)haired beardy(slightly?) testicle guy has cropped up a few times for me. In his mid-50s to mid-60s. American actor possibly. Has a scrunchy type face and wiry(?) white hair. A bit Charlie Drake-like. Just reminds me of a testicle (neither of mine) for some reason.

[Nil Satis]

Can you remember JM's orientation in the Concert for Diana question?

Not that anyone will still be awake at this point , but the James Morrison photo definitely has him facing left. As I said, it's very similar to this one except that he's more in profile and it's just a head shot.

[K_Oranj]

Not that anyone will still be awake at this point

Whatever do you mean? This is my idea of fun . I'll concede that I might be the only one awake at five in the morning though.

On a perhaps-more-interesting note I'll throw forward the idea that there's more than one database at work here (much like there was, and maybe still is, with some same-subject fast-finger starters, e.g. two calorifically ordered tables for liqueurs which featured some overlapping entries).

One basis for this conjecture stems from some pictured celebrities having the same date of birth, e.g.

• * Jason Orange and John Simm
  
  * John Motson and Virginia Wade (I think it's her)
  
  * Kim Woodburn and Richard O'Brien

I suppose it's possible that the database includes a field for the time of birth. One online source for this is http://www.astrotheme.com , though on its own this site appears indeterminate/incomplete for some of the above folk's birth-times, besides which it ain't got Motty! As for the accuracy therein I wonder if it gets the time-of-birth info from sites such as http://www.bmdindex.co.uk , or maybe accuracy doesn't matter that much.

To sum, I'm tempted to wager on the multiple database side of things, otherwise, unless it's been accurately crafted with high granularity, there is a single database possibly with a few pigs' ears thrown in for good measure and mildly mixed metaphor... not that anyone would notice, or even be bothered, should that turn out to be the case.


P.S. Seeing as no-one has so far taken up my Testicle Guy Challenge, how about that skinhead geezer with a bloody shirt? I'd hazard that he's some retired soccer hooligan whose pockets have swollen after writing up his former thuggish exploits.

[Nil Satis]

P.S. Seeing as no-one has so far taken up my Testicle Guy Challenge, how about that skinhead geezer with a bloody shirt? I'd hazard that he's some retired soccer hooligan whose pockets have swollen after writing up his former thuggish exploits.

I just can't place the Testicle Guy from your description but I'm sure I'll have a "light bulb moment" at some point when I realise who you mean. I can however give a confident (and surprising, I suspect) answer to your second mystery guest, namely that it is Richard Fairbrass, the lead singer from Right Said Fred, and in fact the exact photo they use comes up on the top row if you search for him on Google Images. Apparently the blood stems from him having being attacked at a gay rights rally in Moscow in 2007.

[grecian]

K_Oranj - love the theory about there being two databases. Might I ask how you've come across the fact that there are such date-of-birth clashes? Do you rigorously note each celebrity that crops up and then go back home and note the details? Great work if so; that is mightily impressive, and I can imagine you must be absolutely quids in on it if you've taken a similarly rigorous approach to the questions themselves. I'm afraid I play the whole thing on gut feel although I do find that unless you've really managed to force your way to a decent prize, the endgame will usually be reasonably benign. Have you had any instances where two same-birthdate celebrities have been used in the same round? If so, that would presumably enable you to start drawing up a rule for how they are dealt with. I'd be surprised if they had time of birth. It strikes me as more likely it'll be something mundane like alphabetically earlier surname regarded as having been born first, or somesuch.

I must say I think Celebrity WWTBAM really is a top game - I'm even starting to like (and get more successful at) the Paragon version. It's a real "man's game" to use a phrase Nil Satis once used - fortune favours the brave and all that.

[smudge]

Any idea what Mr Testicle is wearing in the picture?

[K_Oranj]

I'm too bloody for my shirt

I can however give a confident (and surprising, I suspect) answer to your second mystery guest, namely that it is Richard Fairbrass, the lead singer from Right Said Fred, and in fact the exact photo they use comes up on the top row if you search for him on Google Images. Apparently the blood stems from him having being attacked at a gay rights rally in Moscow in 2007.

Great spot Nil, give yourself [url=http://www.russianlessons.net/lessons/lesson2_main.php]&#1076] points. I could hear the drum roll as you led up to the identification, and then 'Bang!' A surprise indeed, though after a swiftly self-administered kick to the shins I then thought, "Of course!". Thereafter ascended the realisation as to how far off the mark I was. ops:

Having now emerged from my state of hysterical shock I feel I must apologise to poor old Mr Fairbrass for my diametrically deviant suggestion that he was (by which I mean he looked like) some dispenser of thuggery when in fact he was entirely innocent of causing any bodily harm and was merely unfortunate enough to have received some from a few Russian pricks. Rick, if you're reading this then you certainly pass as looking a lot younger than you are, if that sounds like any consolation or compliment.

(This has just reminded of that advert from years ago where a skinhead runs down the street in what looks like battle mode. It turns out he's running to save some granny from getting a scaffolding pole stuck through her head, or the like. I can't remember what this advert was for though - a BNP Party Political Broadcast perhaps?)

A shirt?

Any idea what Mr Testicle is wearing in the picture?

I'll apologise to Fairbrass but I won't apologise to this curly-white-haired guy when I say that he has a scrunched-up testicle face, unless it turns out to be Malcolm McDowell or Terence Stamp. The first result for McDowell on Google Images is almost there but I remember his hair as being curly and his face as being a bit more Charlie Drake-like. (Then again, I had the Fairbrass picture as displaying a bloody shirt rather than a bloody face, besides which I thought I would have bloody recognised him.)

Regarding his clothing, the most I can muster at the moment is that he is wearing a casual shirt. Collared I think, Hawaiian-style maybe, but don't quote me on that. A straight-on testicle head shot anyway.


Grecian, I'll get back to you.

In the meantime, next poser: Who is the Big Pointy Party Hat Guy? My recall on this is a bit dim as was the lighting in the picture. He's in profile, facing left, and wearing a big party hat. (Far less identifiable than the similar left-facing profile of Matt Lucas wearing a cornucopia hat.) Sportsman? Actor? Singer? No idea. Maybe dark hair(s) protrude from beneath the headgear.

[QuizMaster]

The advert was for the Guardian as I recall

[smudge]

Who is the Big Pointy Party Hat Guy?


The only one I can remember with a funny party hat was the bloke out of Jackass

[K_Oranj]

QM, The Guardian sounds right for that advert, alternative viewpants and all that. They seriously need to do another one with some chanting Muslims who rescue a cat up a tree.

Smudge, at first I thought you might have been referring to Steve-O but he wouldn't fit the data I have. However, Johnny Knoxville (born Philip John Clapp, little wonder he changed his surname) would. Is he the one you were thinking of? He could certainly fit my blurry recollection. It would be nice if it was him since my number code picture for 71 is 'cat' ... a cat in his hat (though not a cat that needs rescuing by Muslims, or perhaps it does if it's in Knoxville's hat).

[roberto la vigna]

K_Oranj, you should quit the machines and write comic novels instead.

[smudge]

Yeah I think he is wearing some sought of cowboy style party hat, according to my list

[grecian]

Is anyone keeping lists etc. on this prepared to divulge roughly how well they are doing out of it (e.g. expected JPs per day)? It's a good payer for me and I'm much more amateurish so I bet some of you are doing very well.

If this gets absolutely caned by a "real boy" or "terminator" what defence mechanism does it have? Does it split questions per previous incarnations of WWTBAM? Does it recourse to endless list / year questions? Has anyone managed to do two JPs on the trot / force a JP when obviously in non-paying mode? Questions questions!

It's a fantastic game - definitely up there in my all time top ten.

[Nil Satis]

Does it split questions per previous incarnations of WWTBAM? Does it recourse to endless list / year questions?

I've never seen it split questions, i.e. so that it takes more than 15 questions to get to the top, but what it certainly does is offer real spoilers which will normally appear at the £3 or £4 mark if it doesn't want to pay. It will also offer four celebrities that are very close in age and only give you 5 seconds to arrange them.

The Paragons have a final defence mechanism, namely that the screen is often not responsive enough to give you a fair chance at getting the four celebrities in 5 seconds, given the necessary thinking time.

[smudge]

The Testicle man could be Stan Boardman, got him down as 'grey hair longish', suntanned prune face' white open neck shirt