After stumbling upon an article a few days ago that suggested most celebrities do not speak to their followers and should actually be put into Twitter lists of their own so we can all check on what they are saying about themselves when we have the time, I thought I would provide some examples of celebrities I follow who DO use Twitter to have two way conversations with their followers and actually use the Twitter branch of Social Media to speak to their fans.

• Stephen Fry is one of the most famous celebrities using Twitter and to be honest he tweets about all sorts – it can be witty, it can be personal, it can be random – he does engage with followers. He has been talking about clay pigeon shooting, Omegle and lunch today.
• Duncan Bannatyne has used Twitter to show the more personal side to the multi-millionaire “Dragon” that sometimes scares contestants on the BBC show Dragon’s Den. I have learnt that he is enthusiastic about charity and recognising achievement. Duncan also engages with followers.
• Dannii Minogue has used Twitter really well to respond to many of her fans, as well as fans of ITV’s The X Factor. In the past, pop-music fans may have drawn a picture and popped it in the post to their idols – now they can take a twitpic and within minutes there is a chance they will receive some feedback!
• Mark Bright loves talking about football (soccer to Yanks) and sport. Many Twitter users also love talking about football and sport. Mark gives fans a chance to talk to an ex-professional player as the action is happening out there on the pitch.

I think that these celebrities have used Twitter to help brake down barriers and speak directly to fans and the general public. That is why I will continue to follow them and big up others who do the same! They must get bucket loads of messages and so can’t physically respond to all of them – but at least they make an effort.

What celebrities do you follow that try to engage with their followers?

Do you think more celebrities will use Twitter in 2010 to help brake down barriers with the wider public?

Update:  More celebrities recommended for two-way engagement

Jed Langdon recommends:

- Jason Manford – http://twitter.com/Jason_Manford
- Peter Serafinowicz – http://twitter.com/serafinowicz
- Matt Horne – http://twitter.com/mfhorne
- Alyssa_Milano – http://twitter.com/Alyssa_Milano

Feel free to make your own recommendations.

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