"Stalking fans mirror Scripts"

[Adelle_fan1000]

I had to type all this.. sorry i couldn't scan it!

The Courier Mail. 14/10/2009

Stalking Fans Mirror Scrips

EAGER fans going to extreme measures to get close to their favourite start isn't new in fact being stalked has scarily become a way of life for some celebrities in showbiz.

Australian songbird Delta Goodrem made the news after being threatened by a crazed fan this year and Twin pop duo The Veronica's have witnessed the lengths fans will go to when an overly dedicated female fan was driving behind their tour bus stalking their male Drummer.

Unfortunately, actors from Australia's favourite soap Home and Away are just as vulnerable to obsessive fan's.

Making a habit of looking over your shoulder isn't any way to live and Todd Lasance, who won his first Logie Award this year as the Most Popular Actor, knows how it feels.

Just two years after bursting onto the scene as the troubled Aden Jefferies on the long running channel 7 soap, the 24 year old has had several brushes with crazy Fans.

While the star has been able to live a relatively normal life, over eager fans have been a worry for him and some of his fellow actors.

"It does feel weird because everything does change when you get into the public eye and even though you haven't changed yourself personally, you do get this attention you never expected," says Lasance who resides on Sydney's Northern Beaches with his former Home and Away colleague Mark Furze.

"I've had one girl who was getting a little bit over the top and I had never met her before. She started sending all these things to Channel 7 and getting pretty adamant about the fact that she had to meet me to give me these letters and Information. Even the Security guards at the front gate at work were worried about it and "flagged" her. It was a really weird feeling to know someone wanted to get to you that much."

But the down to earth actor's stalker woes continued, when an imposter Hacked into his Facebook account and began posting as him.

Serious danger set in when the hacker began Communicating with Lasance to get personal information out of his relatives about family events with, what the star believes, the intention of turning up.

"He was in there posing as me and that's scary," he says. "It was pretty full on... It was weird and its hard to control on facebook. So, I am not on it anymore. Any that are out there of me are fake ones."

These Stories sound straight out of a Home and Away script and that's why Lasance and his Co-star Ada Nicodemou beleive audiences continue to lap up the trails and tribulations of the Characters. The storylines are relatable and believable making for informative and entertaining TV.

Attracting a national Average audience of 1.2million the show which celebrates 21years on air this year, is still going strong and no one knows that better then Nicodemou. She has spent the past 10 years playing Leah. the 32 year old says growing up on the soap has been one hell of a journey.

"Leah is just a couple of years younger then me, so she is a growing woman and i guess I've changed with her and shes changed with me." She says

Nicodemou and Lasance agree they couldn't have asked for a better education in filmaking.

[mbi615]

Thanks Megan for typing the whole article out!

As much as I love the stars of H&A and other shows, I think stalking them is just taking one step too far. It's also good to hear that Todd's come out to talk about the Facebook dilemma coz there has been a lot of confusion over it.

Stalking someone is just too creepy.

[emmasi]

It's sad that he can no longer communicate with his friends and family on Facebook like a normal person, or even with respectful fans who just want to say "hi." It's such a shame that some people take it way too far and ruin it for everyone, especially the celebrities that they supposedly "love." Here's a tip, if you love someone, DON'T make their life a living hell!

[Barbara]

Thank you for taking the time to type this article.

I don't get some people. How can someone call themselves a fan if all they do is stalk or bother their favourite actor/singer/etc? If you really love and admire a celebrity, shouldn't you respect them and give them some privacy? Most people would like to meet their favourite celebrities but that doesn't mean you have to stalk them or bother them, their family and friends or pretend you're them and hack into their facebook or myspace accounts.

Celebrities are normal human beings and deserve some privacy as well. I know being famous means you have to be in the public eye but that doesn't mean the public has to know every single detail of their private lives.

I wonder how these stalkers would feel if they were the celebrities and they didn't get any privacy. I bet they wouldn't be pleased either.

[aussie_female]

yer i met todd at telethon and asked him about facebook as there was one fake starrting trob for me calling me a whore ect i know it was him so i got that one a a few more taken of facebook.it got so scary even todds aunty belived it was him and got fans to go to the home and away set to meet him but of course he wasnt there

[richleamington]

Wouldn't you just create an anonymous Facebook account?

As for the stalking thing, its just weird but sadly it happens. Personally I was happy going to North Palm Beach and talking to the guys there between filming. I'll do that next time I go.

Mind you I did hang around a bit on the balcony of the golf club to see if Bec Cartwright would walk by, lol.

[Symphony]

Thanks for typing it up! Sheesh, if things are this bad from being on H&A ... imagine the life of a movie star - like from a teenage fangirl film like Harry Potter / Twilight! Crazy business!

[SummerBayLocal]

Um, Moya, I seem to recall you were one of those fans who went to Palm Beach often to see Todd Lasance. Heck, you even got him to do a video introduction for your fan site for you.

[superman's girlfriend]

It was me... I love Todd Lasance

[j.laur5]

Like having interview with Ada. Leah my favourite character on Home and away.