Meeting Pamela

PART 1: THAT DAY IN 2017...

It is sometimes said, that it is best not to meet your heroes or idols, as it can inevitably lead to disappointment. But not in this case... Meeting Pamela Anderson was anything but disappointing. It was a dream come true, a tick off the old bucket list you might say, as well as being a great experience I will never forget.

I remember the Friday leading up to the weekend before, I was having lunch out with my partner Craig and my friends from work. We were discussing the upcoming London Film and Comic Con the following weekend. I remember saying to Craig, I bet she cancels, I know she'll cancel, it will be just my luck. She's the one person I really want to meet and it won't happen.

I checked the Showmasters forum daily, looking for those dreaded words 'GUEST CANCELLATION - PAMELA ANDERSON'... I mean come on, meeting your idol... it's too good to be true and as I'd said before, I'm not that lucky!

The days and hours counted down, I checked right up until the last minute and everything seemed fine. I was still going, Pam was still going... YES!!! The stars were aligned!!

2017 was my eleventh year of attending comic cons, and never in all those years had I purchased a special VIP pass (known as a Diamond Pass) for any guest, ever.

With the first coming of Pamela, all that changed. I booked my Diamond Pass with immediate effect, I booked standard photo-shoot tickets so Craig and I could be photographed together with Pamela and I picked out a couple of my own items that I wanted her to sign.

I wasn't exactly sure what the rules were regarding Playboy magazines or DVDs, and not wishing to make a complete twat of myself in front of Pamela, I decided to play it safe and instead took my Barb Wire DVD and an action figure of Pam as Vallery Irons from her 1999/2000 TV show V.I.P.

In addition to that, I chose an 8x10 taken from Baywatch which was already laid out on Pamela's signing desk.

I opted to have my Diamond Pass for the Friday, I always think that on Friday, the guests are fresh and enthusiastic. By the time Sunday comes, they're tired and strung out. Besides which, I was impatient, I wanted to meet Pamela yesterday.

She was very gracious, I remember standing there on the Friday in the queue and taking a deep breath, this was it. Craig told me afterwards he could see how happy I was to meet her. Apparently my face was a picture, which in turn made him happy.

My turn came, I walked up to her she greeted me asking how I was, I reciprocated. Oh my God, I am stood here talking to PAMELA ANDERSON! I told her about how she had inspired me to give up eating meat. She beamed and said wow that's really great! I figured other people would probably bring up the Baywatch or Playboy connection, so I didn't want to be like everyone else and even go there. Firstly she signed the photograph personalizing it to me. Next I handed her the sleeve to my Barb Wire DVD on which she signed Pamela xo.

I then handed her another item which again I figured, she wouldn't see too many of throughout the weekend, my V.I.P. Vallery Irons action figure. She looked closely at the figure as though inspecting it and said "I think this looks more like Jenny McCarthy than me". Granted, many of these figures don't have great paint jobs, but mine is definitely a good one and you can tell it's Pam. It looks nothing like Jenny McCarthy to me, sorry Pam! ;-)

Sadly, unlike in Germany when Pam made an appearance, the security in London was overkill surrounding her and photography, aside from the press earlier in the day, was prohibited.

Pamela and I, Friday 28 July, 2017 in London.

PART 2: CONTINUED...

But I just couldn't meet my idol and not get any photos at all, so I took a handful from a distance away. They're not the best, but they are mine! I was elated, over the moon, so, so happy. So happy to meet Pamela and so happy that it was an experience that Craig and I had shared together. I couldn't help but want to go and see Pam again on Saturday, so I decided on another last minute photo op. Saturday's pictures weren't as good unfortunately, so that one, I will be keeping to myself.

I love our photos together too. I particularly love Pamela's beaming smile on them from the Friday. On some of the others I've seen, she looks a little less enthusiastic. Pamela Anderson made my weekend the best ever!

Looking back now, I wish I'd had a Diamond Pass for Saturday too. I decided to go for the Saturday photo session with Pamela as well because the quality of Friday's prints was not great.
As it turned out when the digital copies arrived, Friday's photos were the best of all. I was told that on Saturday Pamela had asked for a ring light to be used on the camera, this generally makes the photo far brighter than normal and the resulting images were just too bright. So I was glad that I'd had pictures on Friday too.

I think if I'd had chance to plan it again, I would have ensured that I could have stayed all weekend because the unfortunate part was that I was leaving on Sunday and so unable to see Pam again or even attend her talk, which I would have loved to do.

Unfortunately, Pamela is also one of those guests who is a rare gem and I can't see her being back again any time soon. She has more important worldly and political goals in her sights now as well as her ongoing ardent support for Julian Assange and the truth.

But on the plus side, I have to be grateful for the fact that I was given the opportunity to meet her, have a bit of a chat and have my items signed and picture taken. It's more than some fans ever get to do. I've been going to comic cons for over ten years and I've met many big names at those events, and they have for the most part, all been fantastic experiences. But for me, there is no one is going to even come close to Pamela.

She is the ultimate Baywatch Beauty, a Playboy icon, an actress, a vegan and more inspiringly, an activist for both animal and human rights. She fights for what she believes in and stands up for the truth. And I am truly a fan - of well over 25 years!

Pamela cares about people and she cares about animals. People like Pamela make the world a better place, and God knows we need people like her. You might just see her as a 'Baywatch Babe' and a 'Playboy Playmate'. If that's the case, open your eyes, and think again.

PART 3: WHERE IT ALL BEGAN...

My 'relationship' with Pamela Anderson began in 1992 when she first landed on our screens as the lifeguard C.J. Parker in the TV series 'Baywatch'. I had previously been a big fan of the first two series' of the show whose golden couple were originally Billy Warlock and Erika Eleniak.

The show was due to be cancelled due to falling ratings and when it returned, I didn't hold out much hope of enjoying it like I originally had. But how wrong I was!

When Pamela came to our screens in 1992, I was 14 years old and at an age where I was magazine crazy. I used to buy everything, from Smash Hits to BIG!, Fast Forward, Number One, TV Hits and any others I could find.

With the popularity of Baywatch soaring at this point, lots of these magazines were frequently featuring the show as well as numerous glossy full colour posters of newcomers David Charvet and Pamela Anderson, the show's new beautiful golden couple.

Before too long, I had a mountain of posters, pull-outs and pictures featuring Pamela in that signature red swimsuit. I decided to put all of these into a ring binder which was enormous.

Eventually the ring binder became insufficient to house my hoard of Pamela clippings and pictures and I ended up putting a lot of them up on my bedroom wall, literally plastering it without any gaps in between.

But then it began to look a mess. It was at this point that the as the tabloids called it 'Baywatch Shocker' came along. The News of the World were now publishing newly unearthed photos of Pamela before she was famous, fully nude, censoring the pictures with the Baywatch lifeguard patch. I had no idea about Pamela pre-Baywatch. I had no concept of Playboy or anything about it... well I was 14!

As new pictures emerged of Pamela sans clothing, I continued to add those to my collection as well. The media whipped the whole Playboy thing into a frenzy, making a mountain out of a molehill, implying that Pamela was some kind of pre-fame porn model. This was largely due to the tabloids such as the Daily Sport, Daily Star, News of the World and The Sun. All British trash 'news' papers.

Eventually I would incinerate my entire ring binder, citing that it was time for me to grow up and stop collecting pictures. But I might reprise a new ring binder just for fun now I'm in my forties. I have thought about the nostalgic element of it all.

In spite of that, Baywatch and Pamela, still held a very personal connection for me. Much to my surprise, my granddad sat down to watch it with me one night. He really enjoyed it and he began to video tape the episodes off the TV for me so I could watch them when I'd go to visit my grandparents. And I could watch them as many times as I wanted. I've always been very close to my granddad, but this was another special connection that just he and I had.

When the show started initially back in 1989, as a kid, it inspired me to want to be (at that point) a lifeguard. I wanted to run around with one of those glamorous red floaty things. When I realised UK lifeguards didn't do that, I soon lost interest. When we first got a home connection to the internet, I remember telling my mother... "do you know what I'm going to buy now?" She paused for a moment, then rolled her eyes and said "yeeeessss, a Baywatch float I suppose!" "Rescue can", I corrected her. And I have gone through several of them, until the one I currently own, is a former prop from the actual show itself and was used by David Hasselhoff. I'll probably have it cremated with me!

In 1995, I went to college and was on a computer course which was full of predominantly immature males. I had, at this point also found a local newsagent who stocked Playboy magazine (on the top shelf of course). Not knowing what it was all about, I bought my first issue in May 1995 which featured a nude pictorial of Nancy Sinatra and 20 questions with Baywatch's David Hasselhoff whom I would later meet in 2013.

As it happened, I didn't have long to wait for Pamela and Playboy to cross paths once again. I picked up the December 1995 issue featuring a Farrah Fawcett cover and holiday pictorial. On the last but one page, Playboy would always feature was was coming up next month and much to my great anticipation, it read: 'PAM ANDERSON - IT WAS QUITE A YEAR FOR ONE OF HOLLYWOOD'S PRIMO BABES. WITH A NEW HUSBAND AND A NEW MOVIE, PAM IS LEAVING STARDUST IN HER WAKE. A KNOCK OUT NEW YEAR'S PICTORIAL.'

Unlike the rest of the lads in my group at college, Playboy was of no sexual interest to me whatsoever, nor was looking at images of naked women. This meant I had absolutely no hang ups or embarrassment about walking into the newsagents and buying it.

My treasured autograph from Pamela.

PART 4: CONTINUED...

It was no different than purchasing any other publication. Except of course that you had to be tall enough to reach the top shelf!

But to me it was nothing, no different than buying a newspaper. I saw nothing sexual about it nor did I look at it as porn and I still don't even today. Why is the nude body looked upon as being porn? It's a naked body, it's really that simple. If it was porn, I doubt I would have been drawing a nude model in life-drawing classes at college when I switched courses to art and design.

They wanted to see Pamela's pictures badly, but because of their immaturity, they instead felt compelled to ogle at them online because presumably they felt it was something that was embarrassing to them to simply walk into a shop and buy a magazine with her in. Thankfully I left them behind and switched from computers to art, which involved life drawing of nude models.

I even remember one lad at college who was quite blatantly sitting there in the college library (which was open to the public), watching the Pam & Tommy Lee infamous sex tape on his computer screen. I was surprised that he didn't get sent out or even reprimanded over it. But there we go. Apparently no one cared. Not even the college lecturers. I remember finding it pretty sad that someone would be so disrespectful and do that.

I have always been open about my Pamela fan-dom, and my collection which includes all of her USA Playboy magazines and the February 1990 issue in which she is the featured Playmate centerfold. I am a fan and supporter of Pamela Anderson, just as she is a supporter of Julian Assange.

I enjoy everything she does. I find it exciting when new pictures come to light that I've never seen before. Particularly ones from early on in her career before the fame, such as the shoots with David Frizzelle, Sam Maxwell and others. That's how you know when you're a true fan. I used to feel the same about Kylie Minogue, but not anymore.

Pamela is a woman who cares about much more than just herself and her world. She cares about our world and wants to make it a better place. She has something to say for herself. She has taken time out to visit the migrant camps in France taking goods for both the adults and children, she has campaigned against animal cruelty in all its' forms all over the world, from vivisection to foie gras, bullfighting and the captivity of killer whales at Seaworld. Pamela is using her fame to promote the causes she is passionate about, which is highly admirable.

Going back to Playboy, on the cover of the January 1996 issue, Pamela was tastefully sat, draped in a white robe with the words 'The Ultimate Pam Anderson Pictorial' next to her. Of course the college boys wanted to know what the photos were like inside the magazine. In May 1996, Playboy surpassed themselves by releasing a 96 page Pamela Newsstand special, and as soon as I clapped eyes on it, having gone into the shop to buy the regular Playboy, I knew I simply had to get it.

I had to have this fabulous Pamela Newsstand special instead! Full of lots of beautiful, previously unpublished photos, many from Pamela's 1994 Playboy shoot in St. Tropez. It was an amazing piece for a fan, which I still own to this day.

2004: THE CLUB PAM THING...

I happily admit that in 2004, I joined 'Club Pam', Pamela Anderson's Official Online Fan Club, which boasted access to exclusive photos, videos, contests, meet and greets and a possible chance to meet Pam herself in person! Well I knew I'd never be that lucky. But being a huge fan so I joined anyway, just to get the other benefits which came with it including a membership pack which featured a pre-signed 8x10 as well as a Pamela t-shirt and a Hawaiian style shirt covered in nothing but Pam.

Club Pam sadly no longer exists, but again I have never joined any kind of fan club before, prior to joining this one or since. I'm probably a bit old for fan clubs these days. I suppose I still haven't really explained why I'm such a big fan of Pamela, but I'm certain her compassion and love of animals is high up there for me, being a huge animal lover myself, this is something that is very close to my own heart.

AND FINALLY SOME OF MY OWN FAN ART...

On a final note, I thought this would be the best section to add a few of my own fan-art sketches and caricatures. I don't know if Pamela will ever see them, but if so, I hope she won't think they're too bad. If I never get to meet Pamela again, I will still always be grateful that I had my chance to see her up close in person and to chat to her, not all fans are so lucky.

Background Photography by Raphael Mazzucco, Emma Dunlavey & Pamela Anderson.