News articles, several of many on Mark + Homemade

Dave Berry Interview for the New T4 show on Channel 4 he hosts at 1.30pm for 6 weeks from sat 13th jan 2007 , Dave described the show as a " high tech version of ' You've been framed, only better ! ' Viewer made shoe featuring Web cam diaries, lip synch chart , and confessions are parts of the shows 30 min format

Celebrity spotter seen at every premier 12 June 2004 IT started with an Olympic swimmer almost 20 years ago and now Norfolk man Mark Boardman won't rest until he has conquered Hollywood. The 24-year-old is always ready to pounce backstage. He is the ultimate celebrity hunter, armed with paper and pen hunting for that elusive autograph and photo. For years he has wrestled himself to the front of the queue and anchored himself firmly in the backstage world of celebrity spotting. For him, celebrity hunting has become less of a hobby and more a way of life and he is gathering an impressive A-list of his own. Born and bred in Attleborough, the supermarket manager now spends all his time travelling the country to catch a glimpse into the world of showbiz. "I don't really know how it all started, but I remember the first celebrity I ever met was the swimmer Duncan Goodhew. "I was only five and I remember the feeling of excitement and realising it was a thrill." Since then Mr Boardman has been tirelessly building up his portfolio, which is now brimming with photographs and autographs from the stars he is desperate to get close to. "I spend a lot of time at premiers and I find it all so enjoyable. I get to meet all the people I see on television and read about in the magazines. "The nicest person I ever met was Uri Geller we swapped e-mail addresses. "There is a whole community of people who do this sort of thing and it is quite easy now to get information on where people are going to be and how to get to meet them." While trawling the country for a few moments with someone famous might seem like a bit of a thankless task, for Mark it is the ultimate buzz. And despite costing him a fortune, he has met some big stars, from Angelina Jolie to Arnold Schwarzenegger, as well as home-grown talent such as Denise Van Outen. "They have all this money and fame and they still make time to have their pictures taken with me. "I admit I am addicted to it now and I am out every week trying to meet these people. "It costs me an absolute fortune but one day I hope to write a book about all my experiences." Despite meeting hundreds of celebrities, there are still a few on his wish list. "Top of the list are Kylie Minogue and Robbie Williams. I am a huge fan of them both and would love to add them to my list. "That would be a dream come true."

You're not big until Mark has your scribble... Watch out - there's a celeb-hunter about. Zany Mark Boardman is fast making a career out of tracking the rich and famous. What started off as a hobby for 26-year-old Mark, of , Southend, has now transformed into his own TV slot called "The Mark Boardman Show"... which charts his pursuit of all things famous. Mark's obsession started at the age of five, when he gained his first autograph from the pen of Olympic swimmer Duncan Goodhew while on holiday. He has not looked back since and has notched up an impressive 3,235 celebrity "meets" and has a collection of more than 4,000 autographs. "When I was young, I constantly pestered my mum to take me to London so I could try to meet the people I admired," says Mark. "I was a huge film and music fan." He now has a website, www.markmeets.com, dedicated to his hobby, which has seen him branch out into photographing celebs as well as scoring their signatures. These days, Mark says he is only really interested in meeting A-list stars these days and "conquering Hollywood". He said: "The glamour and success of the person who is living their dream and getting paid to do what they love is what I admire about celebrities. "Above all, their status is what we all dream of." Mark Meets... had its first airing last weekend on the new T4 show Homemade, hosted by former MTV star Dave Berry, who modestly claims the celebrity hunter is really the star of the show. Mark has even taken a three-month career break from his supermarket manager job to film the series. The show invites the audience to send in video clips under themes such as Lip Sync Chart, where viewers film themselves miming to their favourite chart hit, and Too Much Time on Your Hands, which presents clips of the useless but entertaining skills people have wasted years perfecting. As Homemade's resident celeb spotter, Mark can be seen in the coming weeks meeting Hollywood actress Cameron Diaz and cheekily asking her on a date. She politely declined - but called him "very sweet". Mark said: "You could tell she was bored by everyone else there and I had such enthusiasm, as I love her and all her work, that I think that is what came across. "That is the secret, really - to be as natural with these people as possible - and they appreciate it." Homemade is shown on Saturdays at 1.30pm on Channel 4. article jan 2007 "

if you enjoyed this , thank the reporter claire.borley@nqe.com

Budding TV star Mark Boardman with a selection of the 3,200 autographs he has collected.

Mark, of southend, takes time out for 17-hour London expeditions where he lies in wait for celebrity prey outside concert venues, theatres and television stations. He spends his time researching the best times and paces to meet specific celebrities and swaps tips with other hunters he meets in the trail. Mark handpicks his celebrities before drawing his autograph book, and only targets those he believes are talented enough to merit the chase " He said " The problem with celebrities these days is that you've got all these extra cable, satelitte, and radio show, which means there is so much extra space to fill

It started with a swimming class taught by Duncan Goodhew and a football course coached by Ray Wilkins. And for Mark Boardman, from Attleborough, it has never stopped - a pursuit of celebrities that has now clocked up 3,200 autographs and his very own television show. Mark, a 26-year-old supermarket manager, is taking a three month sabbatical while he works the London film premiere scene and develops a cult status that has already seen him commissioned for a weekly segment on new Channel 4 show Homemade. In it, he and a cameraman travel to the biggest premiere of the week and hijack celebrities as they walk past for a quick chat, a cheesy photo and an autograph - and to give tips to others on how to follow in his footsteps. Mr Boardman said he launched a website listing details of premieres after finding no-one else provided a similar service and that its success had seen him become a minor celebrity himself. He said: "It's become more than a hobby for me, it's now a career. These days, I get someone coming up to me every 10 minutes at a premiere to thank me for my website. "After Duncan and Ray, I spent a lot of time hanging out at the Britannia Pier Theatre in Yarmouth, meeting the celebrities and dragging my mum down to London every weekend. "These days I classify myself as a celebrity hunter - it's not just an autograph for me, I want a handshake and get to know them, then maybe get a photograph of us together as well." Mr Boardman said that he would never become a paparazzi - having "very high moral standards" - and that he only aimed to meet stars at public events. Big names in the last few weeks have included Will Smith, Jude Law, Cameron Diaz and Sylvester Stallone, - and Mr Boardman said these days he is only prepared to meet the A-list. His media career began with spots on Radio Five Live and Talk Sport, as a result of which he was asked to appear in a slot on ITV's This Morning called Avid Collector.He was then headhunted for the Channel 4 show. He said: "It's a series of films sent in by people of themselves. They asked me to make a pilot and liked the results so much they commissioned me for the series and gave me my own segment. "I'd love to make a career out of this, reporting from film premieres. But even if I have to return to the supermarkets I'll always have the memories - and I'll never give up meeting celebrities."

"For an autograph hunter Mark Boardman is remarkably picky, He will only open his signature book to celebrities who meet his stringent talent requirements. Southends supermarket manager Mark tracked down his first autograph from swimmer legend Duncan Goodhew in a skegness pool when he was just five years old. The collection has now snowballed over the past 18 years and now includes movie memorabillia, chat show prompt card, photographs and 350 celebrity scribes The 23 years old said "I'm getting so well known at the stage doors and Tv chat shows that celebrities come up to me and ask how i'm doing. They are always happy to pose for a photograph with me, It's great " His collection now boasts California's governor, Arnold schwarzenegger, members of irish pop band Westlife, and Basildon beauty Denise Van Outen.

COMING SOON Read Mark's article , Exlusive new photos never been seen before, reveals his fav stars, and much more on sale April 2007 ! Collect it! is the world's leading glossy monthly magazine for old and new collectables - from affordable antiques to modern day collections and memorabilia. www.collectit.info

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