Sheffield celeb hunter nabs PM Keir Starmer for selfie with 'Santa Mug' during fly-by visit to The Crucible
A celeb-hunting Sheffield man with over 600 photos of famous faces holding his ‘Santa Mug’ added a new name to his collection this week - PM Keir Starmer.
Bruce Davis, 56, from Woodseats, carries the ‘Santa Radio’ branded mug everywhere he goes - “because you never know who you might run into.”
The hobby began as bit of light-hearted promotional fun for a friend working at Santa Radio, a station that plays Christmas music 24/7, 365 days a year.
To date, Bruce has snapped over 615 celebrities for his ‘Mug Shots’, from Cliff Richard to Idris Elba, from Ian McKellen to Romesh Ranganathan.
“Most people are up for it,” said Bruce. “The only person I couldn’t get near for love nor money was David Jason.
“I would love to get Prince William one day as he visits a lot of towns.
“I carry the mug and a book I had made of all the pictures with me everywhere I go, just in case I run into someone.”
In fact, Bruce had already added a new snap to his collection on Thursday (February 26) when he met Ruby Wax outside Sheffield City Hall.
However, on his way past The Crucible, his curiosity was peaked when he saw three black Range Rovers waiting in convoy, before a fleet on police motorbikes also arrived on the square.
Bruce said: “I spotted a friend of mine, Jim, who likes meeting celebrities for selfies, and I said ‘any idea what this is?’
“I thought it might have been royalty.”
As it turned out, the secret visitor was PM Keir Starmer, on a surprise stopover in Sheffield to show support for the World Snooker Championship staying at The Crucible.
The visit was on the same day as the Gorton and Denton by-election, which hours later Labour would lose to the Green Party’s Hannah Spencer.
Bruce said: “He didn’t seem stressed or anything, considering it was that particular Thursday.
“Me and Jim didn’t know what to call him at first. We landed on ‘Sir Kier.’ After Jim got his selfie, I said ‘Sir Kier, could I take a photo of you holding this mug?’
“He was surrounded by five or six security guards.
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“I showed him my book and he was happy to do it. I know he may not be popular in the news at the moment but he made my day.
“I think it’s funny I was able to get the Prime Minister but wasn’t allowed anywhere near David Jason!”
The pic will be added to the SantaRadio.co.uk ‘Mugshots Hall of Fame’ along with the hundreds of other famous faces Bruce has run into.
The PM’s visit on Thursday comes as council chiefs battle to keep the World Snooker Championships in Sheffield.
A contract to host the event runs out in 2027, with council bosses anxious the contest could be poached and held in China or Dubai.
A No10 spokesperson said: “The Prime Minister is passionate about protecting our sporting and cultural institutions - and this includes the Crucible in Sheffield, which has hosted the World Snooker Championship for 50 years.”
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