Doting on Daniel
Daniel O’Donnell superfan Rosie Carroll had tears in her eyes when she met the Irish singer in Rutherglen. The 46 year old, who has followed the Donegal man’s career for years, was treated to a surprise meet and greet with the star who appeared on CamGlen Radio on Wednesday. Rosie donned her Daniel O’Donnell t-shirt as she hugged the singer and asked him to sign his official calendar. “My knees were buckling,” Rosie said.
Christmas came early for a band of lucky Daniel O’Donnell fans as the popular crooner arrived in Rutherglen.
The Irish singing star even had some adoring admirer’s knees “buckling” as they entered the Healthy n Happy Farmeloan Road offices on December 6.
Mr O’Donnell was appearing on Catriona Gibson’s show at CamGlen Radio ahead of his tour stop at the Glasgow SEC Armadillo on Friday.
He then attended a meet-andgreet with some of his besotted fans, including the emotional Rosie Carroll, 46. The Shawlands resident had no idea her hero, a multi-million pound selling vocalist, was coming to the Royal Burgh.
And she had tears of happiness in her eyes as she hugged Mr O’Donnell, his face printed on her light blue t-shirt, and he was more than happy to autograph her official calender.
“I need a seat, my knees are buckling,” Rosie laughed. “It took me a wee couple of minutes to realise he was actually in the room. This was a surprise from my two sisters and they had been speaking to each other without my knowledge. I knew there was something going on but not to this extent.”
“So it was completely out the blue and I’m going to kill both of them,” she joked. This will be my fifth time going to see him, I went to Blackpool to see him and the other times just in Glasgow.
“I’m going on Friday, I’m seven rows from the front and I get closer to him every time I go. It’s all that I listen to, I know that’s quite sad. But I’ll remember the day I met Daniel O’Donnell, I’ll never forget it.”
Her sister, Bernie Strachan, who works with Healthy n Happy, was glad her plan came together.
She explained: “I knew she was going on Friday and my other sister had bought her Daniel O’Donnell stuff before she knew he was coming here. So I thought it would be ideal to get her along.
“We pretended she was just getting a picture so she had no idea. It was an early Christmas present. Any chance she gets she goes and tries to drag people with her but sometimes goes on her own.”
The Donegal Shore singer is the only artist to score at least one hit in the UK album charts every year since 1988, an unprecedented and unbroken 30-year span. He recently brought out his latest album, Christmas with Daniel O’Donnell, much to fans’ delight.
Brenda Adams from Blantyre was so desperate meet him, she took a holiday from her work to get a picture with him last week.
She said: “I took a night off my nightshift last night to come see him.
“I’ve got all his CDs and stuff like that and I did used to go to the concerts but everybody I know isn’t a fan so I’d have to go myself.
“He sings with Mary Duff and she is good too.
“He’s really nice, really lovely and a cracking signer. I’ve been a fan for the last 10 years.”
George Willis from Rutherglen, 74, is also an avid admirer of both Mr O’Donnell and Ms Duff. He added: “I’ve been following them for 29 years.
“He is a very nice and kind. I really like the girl who goes with him, Mary Duff. I think they are both brilliant together.”