Imagine seeing yourself thirty years later, appearing on a Netflix documentary about your favourite band as a teenager and then having your favourite band member call your number? Well, for Jemma Williamson, that was exactly the case when she sat down to watch the Take That documentary.
The year was 1992, and Jemma, who was 14 at the time, begged her dad to bring her from her home in Wirral to HMV in Chester, where the boys were doing a signing for their latest album.
Refusing to give her a lift, Jemma was not going to miss a chance to meet her favourite band and speak to the man of her dreams. She jumped on a bus and made her way to the show to meet Robbie Williams.
Unfortunately, due to the huge turnout of fans, the record store had to limit the number of people in.
Heading around the back, hoping to catch them coming out the back of the shop, she met a film crew taking footage for the band for their latest video (yes, VHS). Screaming out her phone number, she could never imagine Robbie would call…it would just be 30 years later during filming of the Take That documentary.
Pic: Take That leaving HMV 1992/ Jemma Williamson Supplied
Chatting with EVOKE, Jemma remembers the day outside HMV and waiting for hours for them, ‘Because all the boy bands had been American. New Kids on the Block, we were massively into them and then along came this boy band that was British.’
Never getting to meet her idols, she never stopped loving Robbie, and when he left the band in 1996, Jemma remained loyal to him over the years as his fame as a solo artist began to grow.
Pic: Jemma Williamson Supplied
Sitting down to watch the documentary 34 years later, she says, ‘I nearly spat my tea out when I realised what had happened.’ There, screaming down the camera was her at 14-year-old saying, ‘I love Robbie. He’s got gorgeous thighs and a gorgeous body. He can have my phone number any day, 6789788. Call me anytime.’
Earlier this month, as the Netflix documentary aired, Robbie did exactly that and called her and posted the video on his social media – unfortunately, he was a little too late.
On the night of the call, Jemma said, ‘I’d gone away for the weekend to this quiet little town in like Shropshire, in the middle of nowhere. I’m sitting in this little country pub having a drink,’ when she got a signal and saw her phone blowing up.
Trying to contain her excitement, she was thinking, ‘I was like. Robbie Robbie Williams is calling me!’
Pic: Jemma Williamson Supplied
While the number may no longer be in use, Jemma is not giving up hope that she will one day get to meet Robbie.
Asked what she would say to him, she said,’ I feel like I’m chilled out now. I won’t be screaming. I would love to just sit down and have a cup of tea. Here’s my Instagram. You can get me that way.’
Come on, Robbie, you know what to do!