Jackson Rathbone’s Shout Out: From the Fan’s Point of View

Remember the other day when the below Jackson Rathbone video popped up and we were trying to figure out the context? We recognized YouTube Vlogger and Twilight fan Nutty Madam in the footage and she graciously agree to provide us in her own words with the background as to exactly what the situation was.

When I received a Facebook message from ITV back in January, my first instinct was that someone was playing a hoax on me! I’ve been privileged enough to have a few TV appearances and to be invited to appear on ITV2 was a huge opportunity. I contacted the sender, Nina on the number she left me and had a 2 hour phone call in which i explained the entire Twilight community to her. She seemed shocked by the scale of the fandom and she asked me if i would be willing to appear on a new show called OMG With Peaches Geldof. It became clear that i was to be used as a stereotype for Twihards and i was keen to try to show a different side of myself.

Whisked to London the following day to meet the producers of the show, I explained about conventions, my videos, the Twilight community and the books and movies. It was then that we discussed the possibility of getting some unseen footage that i would be filmed reacting to. Never guessing what was to be arranged, i was told that I’d be given a remixed trailer and filmed before the show.

The following week i was again summoned to London, this time to film a VT. It was then that i was told more about the style of the show. It was to be a warts and all, real life, shocking, tell all of my time as a Twihard. Peaches would be grilling me about my obsession with the help of Aled and Emma, her co-presenters and with the participation of the audience. I was horrified to find that the studio had been booked for the weekend of 18th February, the same weekend of Eternal Twilight 5. I’ll be honest, i was tempted to pull out of the show. Missing a whole day of a con was too much to bear but the producers assured me it would be worth it.

As the weekend of ET5 approached, i busied myself with the usual preparations for a con. 3 days before the event i heard from the producer again. I was asked if i wanted to bring any friends along and i gave her a list of 6 names, at which time we were encouraged to dress fancy for the show. Increasingly suspicious of some fabulous surprise i tried (and failed) to keep calm for the rest of the week.

With the first day of ET5 over, i began to wonder what might be in store for me the next day? Would i be horribly embarrassed? Would i regret the decision to appear on the show? Throwing caution to the wind i packed my things up and headed once again to the capital. Arriving at Euston station i was greeted for the final time by a car and taken to the studio.

On arrival i wasn’t allowed to go into the studio, instead being taken straight into makeup and then to the green room to wait for my interview. I’d not been asked to film my reaction to the proposed trailer remix and i was curious as to what might be planned. 2 hours passed and my friends arrived. After being given a dressing room to get changed in, i was shown to the studio at last! Having had no idea what to expect i found myself shaking with nerves. Being shown no more than where i was to walk when my intro was played and where to sit i returned to the green room.

At around 4.30 p.m. i was taken back into the studio and my interview began! Peaches asked me several questions. Why Twilight? Did i realize how my reaction videos sounded? did i have a life outside of Twilight? I grabbed my chance to show that Twilight fans are just normal people who are passionate about something. There were people in the audience who were asked their opinions and Eric, a comedian who i had a slight disagreement with! By the end of my interview there seemed to be no hope of a surprise of any kind and then Peaches asked me if I’d seen every video of the cast? Instantly suspicious i said i thought there was very little i hadn’t seen! I looked up at the screen and instantly recognized Chaske! I was shaking and crying as i listened to him tell me that he was grateful for my support and that the films were all for me. Thinking my day couldn’t possibly improve i was asked what i thought of the message. I explained that I’d met Chaske on several occasions and that it was lovely to see that he was willing to take time to do something nice for his fans.

Expecting to be thanked and shown off stage i was instead told that there was more. I looked up to the screen again and saw Jackson. I can’t put into words how much it meant to me. I’m lucky to be able to go to conventions and meet the cast of the Saga but there have always been a few people who i haven’t been able to meet. Rob, Kristen, Taylor and Jackson. Of the four I’d always assumed I’d some day get the chance to meet them, perhaps to get an autograph or a photo on the red carpet. If you’d told me on the day i made my first reaction Trailer that i would have my own world exclusive video message from Jackson Rathbone, I’d have thought you were mad! Yet here i was in a TV studio being told that my videos are infamous and being called Darlin!

After my interview i watched the rest of the show from the audience and then with a whopping great cheesy grin on my face, made my way back to ET5 to tell my friends what had happened. I can’t thank Peaches and ITV2 enough. I’ve had too many once in a life time experiences and i feel spoiled. I won’t be stopping my crazy videos anytime soon, they are getting the desired result after all! Onwards and Upwards.