I don't know why but over the last day or so I've been getting a sudden influx of emails from abroad asking for my autograph. This one is typical (I have disguised the address in case it is genuine):
Dear Richard,
We are great fans of you in France and we would appreciate if you could send us a dedicaded photo at the following address :
Rxxxx Axxx-Lxxxx
xx, route de xxx
xxx xxxxxxxxxx
France
Many thanks in advance.
Best regards."
Usually I will happily send autographs to anyone who wants them. I've got about 5000 programmes from my various shows to get rid of and if people want them them (especially if they're prepared to make a donation to SCOPE) then I am happy to post them out. But it seems unlikely that I would have a fan in France, especially at a time when I am getting similar though not identical requests from people in Spain and America. The only similarity is that none of them really seem to make any commitment to saying what it is about my work that they like, or how they have possibly heard of me.
But if it's a scam of some kind then what's the point of it? I know there is money to be made in autographs (though not sure there's much to be made in mine), but then it still seems a roundabout way of getting them and still doesn't explain why they have contacted me. Maybe it's some kind of web-based competition to see who can get the most autographs from very minor British comedians.
I've emailed back to all the people asking them to explain how they have heard of me or what piece of my work it is that they particularly enjoy, but none of the ones from abroad have done so yet.
Having said that I do like the line where the autograph hunter says "We are great fans of yours in France" which seems to suggest that the entire French nation enjoy my work. I suppose it's possible. I've been doing the
pomme de terre material for almost a week now and word must have go back and of course have called my show
menage a un which clearly will also pander to the Gallic market. I suppose there is a possibility that I have suddenly become internationally famous and that explains the emails. If anyone knows what's going on and why there is this sudden interest in my signature then please do get in touch.
