With a showbiz career spanning 40 years, he has no doubt built up an impressive roster of A-list pals.
But I’m A Celebrity‘s Shane Richie made the ultimate name drop during Tuesday’s show as he reflected on an unlikely friendship with none other than Hollywood actor Tom Cruise.
The former EastEnders actor, 56, told how he bonded with the Mission Impossible star, 58, over their love of go-karting, with Shane recalling how the pair would ‘race until 5 in the morning.’
Showbiz pal: I’m A Celebrity’s Shane Richie made the ultimate name drop during Tuesday’s show as he reflected on an unlikely friendship with none other than Hollywood actor Tom Cruise
The impressive tale came as the celebrities got to know each other, with Shane entertaining the camp with his story about Tom.
Recalling their go-karting fun, he explained: ‘When I was in the West End doing Boogie Nights in 1999, Nicole Kidman and Tom were filming Eyes Wide Shut. And there was a big indoor go-karting track near the BBC and one time I was…
‘I got a phone call from Charlie who used to run it and he said come along on your own and I was going through a real public divorce at the time, I was being followed by the press, so I turned up and went in and he said sit down.
‘I’ve got to tell you Tom and Nicole are here – he said Tom and Nicole, he said he wants to know if he can race against you because you love go-karting.’
Bond: The former EastEnders actor, 56, told how he bonded with the Mission Impossible star, 58, over their love of go-karting, with Shane recalling how the pair would ‘race until 5 in the morning’
Gushing about Tom’s daredevil attitude on the track, Shane enthused: ‘We’d race til 5 in the morning. He was a speed freak. He didn’t care about danger.’
Referring to Tom famously a majority of his own stunts in his action films, Vernon Kay remarked: ‘Hence why he did his own stunts.’
Continuing his story, Shane added: ‘But the thing was all the press had followed me to outside this warehouse, Tom, oh my god, did someone tell them I was here. I said they’re following me.
Name drop: The impressive tale came as the celebrities got to know each other, with Shane entertaining the camp with his story about Tom
A-list friends: ‘When I was in the West End doing Boogie Nights in 1999, Nicole Kidman and Tom were filming Eyes Wide Shut. And there was a big indoor go-karting track near the BBC’
‘Then he realised in that period of time I was famous. Anyway we got chatting , just a couple of times and go and have drinks, we’d talk about stuff but mostly about go -karting.’
With the campers impressed by Shane’s brush with Hollywood royalty, Vernon, 47, couldn’t resist regaling his own encounter with a movie star, telling of the time he saw Brad Pitt in Marks and Spencer.
He explained: ‘I had my face in the veg and I saw this figure coming to the door and I recognised it straight away and I thought ok wow, that’s’ such and such and I looked and it was, it was Brad Pitt. And he walked in and he carried on walking and you could just see everyone kind of go…’
Racer: Gushing about Tom’s daredevil attitude on the track, Shane enthused: ‘We’d race til 5 in the morning. He was a speed freak. He didn’t care about danger’
Growing close: ‘We got chatting , just a couple of times and go and have drinks, we’d talk about stuff but mostly about go -karting’
He continued: ‘And that very afternoon I went to my favourite DIY shop to pick up a few bits and as I’m crossing the road, Kate and William stopped in their Range as I’m crossing the road. What a day.’
Dropping one more A-lister into the mix, he added: ‘Angelina used to go to our Sainsburys.’
I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! continues on ITV.
Story: With the campers impressed by Shane’s brush with Hollywood royalty, Vernon, 47, couldn’t resist regaling his own encounter with a movie star, telling of the time he saw Brad Pitt in Marks and Spencer