'I miss my anonymity,' says airport hero Smeaton

Published on Tuesday 11 August 2009 00:27

GLASGOW Airport terrorist attack hero John Smeaton has spoken out over the difficulties that his celebrity has brought him.

Speaking during a preview of his new Edinburgh Fringe Festival show, An Audience With John Smeaton, he said that he found it hard to walk down streets without being stopped.

"There is nothing better than having people come up to me and patting me on the back, it's lovely," he said. "But losing your anonymity is just not as nice as you'd think. I miss being able to walk down the streets, to be drunk and have nobody say anything about it."

Smeaton will be appearing along with veteran Scots comedian Arnold Brown at the Assembly Rooms later this month, talking about his experiences since coming to prominence during the terrorist attack on Glasgow Airport in 2007, where he worked as a baggage handler.

The 33-year-old tackled one of the men who had attempted to drive a Jeep into the terminal, and then helped to drag an injured man to safety. Since then he has become an international celebrity, meeting world leaders and receiving a number of awards for his heroism.