Famous/Well Known/Celebrity QE2 Passengers

[Rod]

AND do not forget the MUPPETS!
They were carried over to the UK in the hold.
These are the facts folks!

[Rob Lightbody]

Sir Jimmy Saville, a major UK Celebrity for many decades (if you're over 30 years old anyway) and a lifelong QE2 fan and regular passenger, was buried today.  I certainly have very strong memories of him from when I was a child, he was a major TV and radio celebrity then, and never disappeared from view.

On my visits to the Queens in Greenock on the past couple of years, I only asked the first time why, when passing one cabin in particular, I could smell cigar smoke!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-15647363

Reflecting his love of the sea, he has chosen -

His body will be set at an angle of 45-degrees at a cemetery in Scarborough "to enable him to see the sea", funeral director Robert Morphet said.

RIP Jimmy.

[Pat Curry]

RIP Jimmy.

He and Jim Bowen, both very regularly on QE2 were the only two entertainers (as far as I know) who were made honourary members of the Fo'c's'le Club.  Though I never met them there (our cruises never coincided) both were very popular with crew.

PS: anyone noticed this? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forecastle  (bottom pic) 

[Rod]

29th April 1987 A charity function onboard QE2. Prior the departure of the NEW QE2 to New York

<dead link removed>

Thats me in pic 2 standing over watching he disembarq

[peter ward]

Rita Moreno did travel on the QE2 but she was actually working doing cabaret . I know as I was the steward who looked after her in the TOW. along with joe loss and his bad and several minor celebs ..including paul melba the impressionist and the Inkspots !

[peter ward]

I was on embarkation duty one time ,two deck foyer amidships ,when I was given a bunch of flowers to deliver to a stateroom on two deck aft somewhere ...so I set off down two deck and spotted a bedroom stewardess at  a cabin door .
not knowing where my delivery was to go I stopped to ask ,as I did the cabin door opened and there stood danny la rue  (the drag queen did you know he used to be a steward on the old queens ) then from underneath his arm (he was quite tall) or so its seems appeared wayne sleep the dancer who on spotting the flowers said ' oooooh are they for me ' whereupon I said no they are not and made my way aft !!

[Bob C.]

Rita Moreno did travel on the QE2 but she was actually working doing cabaret . I know as I was the steward who looked after her in the TOW. along with joe loss and his bad and several minor celebs ..including paul melba the impressionist and the Inkspots !

Rita performing in the Double Down Room in June 1977 - https://www.theqe2story.com/forum/index.php/topic,281.msg5032.html#msg5032

Quick observation, Pete.   If you looked after her in the TOW, that would have been 1978 or after as it was still the Britannia Restaurant in 1977 when the above referenced photo was taken.  That would also mean that Rita traveled on QE2 more than once - the lady has good taste!

[peter ward]

hi bob, actually I think it was 1979 ,it was the first time we had been to china and joe loss performed there. rita was (is she still with us ?) a great lady , she had no airs and graces and was more at home with the crew.. So it must've been the tables of the world by then .......but time blur's your memory so I can't be 100% sure.

[Twynkle]

On November 17th,
Mr Eric Flounders has written about Sir Jimmy Savile

Note: Cunard have removed the page with the list

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

Sugar Ray Leonard (the champion boxer) as a passenger, in a boxing match with Steve Sinclair (a crew member and waiter on the QE2) :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=GB&hl=en&client=mv-google&v=F8h0boyLcJk&nomobile=1

[Bob C.]

Unless I saw that video, I would have never believed there was ever a boxing match, especially involving Sugar Ray, in the Double Room/Grand Lounge.  Great find!

[riskygizmo]

Off at a bit of a tangent here, but Cunard's boxing waiters are nothing new (remember Big John Prescott's jab at the bloke who threw the egg a few years back ).

If you get a chance, check out the film "Al's Lads" (released as "Capone's Boys" in the U.S). It's set in the 1920s and concerns the adventures of a bunch of waiters on the Mauretania who jump ship in New York and end up working for Al Capone. I can't claim it's a great bit of cinema, but it does show waiters boxing for the entertainment of passengers. And, for any Scousers amongst you, there's the added fun of playing "spot the location" of the New York and Chicago scenes.

[cunardqueen]

And lets not forget the classic scenes in Fast Boat to China when Alan Whicker dispels the myths of waiters being limp wristed (his words not mine) as they get involved in a boxing match in l believe Pattaya....Mindyou these were ashore and not onboard. Im sure onboard has seen various forms of boxing as well 

[Rod]

Jack Humphries, QE2's "Donkeyman for many years, used to earn a bit of extra cash when he was on the cargo boats that would wait for 2-4 weeks for cargoes. he would enter the "Golden Gloves" competitions along the east coast of the US. Did pretty well. Stood him in good stead when discipline was achieved through muscle.
When an Assistant Mechanic, that I "logged" threatened me with bodily harm....Jack took care of it! A/M looked like he had been through 10 rounds with Ali!

[riskygizmo]

I read Samantha Janus (East Enders Ronnie Mitchell) apparently lived on QE2 with her Grandmother for a while

Returning to TV, so she's in the papers again;

http://www.express.co.uk/life-style/fashion-beauty/418315/Mum-on-the-run-Samantha-Womack-on-returning-to-EastEnders