Marie Claire UK Marie Claire UK
  • Fashion Fashion
      • Fashion
        • View all Fashion
        • Fashion Trends
        • Shopping
        • Watches and Jewellery
        • Fashion News
  • Beauty Beauty
      • Beauty
        • View all Beauty
        • Fragrance
        • Hair
        • Make Up
        • Skincare
        • Nails
        • Marie Claire Beauty Awards
  • Health Health
      • Health
        • View all Health
        • Fitness
        • Nutrition
        • Female Health
        • Wellbeing
  • Life Life
      • Life
        • View all Life
        • Opinions
        • Travel
        • Sustainability
        • Weddings
        • Money & Work
        • Competitions
  • Culture Culture
      • Culture
        • View all Culture
        • TV and Film
        • Celebrity News
        • Books
        • Royal News
  • Vouchers Vouchers
      • Clothing
        • View all Vouchers
        • Mint Velvet
        • Karen Millen
        • H&M
        • nobody's child
        • ASOS
        • ARKET
        • MANGO
      • Designer Clothing
        • View all Vouchers
        • Reiss
        • THE OUTNET
        • SSENSE
        • Mytheresa
        • Liberty London
        • Selfridges
        • Farfetch
      • Accessories
        • View all Vouchers
        • AllSaints
        • Aspinal of London
        • Charles & Keith
        • River Island
        • FitFlop
        • Kate Spade
        • Vagabond
      • Jewellery
        • View all Vouchers
        • Pandora
        • Abbott Lyon
        • Goldsmiths
        • Beaverbrooks
        • Astrid & Miyu
        • Swarovski
        • Angara Jewellery
      • Beauty
        • View all Vouchers
        • Sephora
        • Cult Beauty
        • Space NK
        • Dyson
        • Clarins
        • Look Fantastic
        • Clinique
      • Activewear
        • View all Vouchers
        • Lululemon
        • Gymshark
        • Sweaty Betty
        • Nike
        • adidas
        • New Balance
        • Helly Hansen
  • NEWSLETTER Signup to our newsletter
  • logoCreated with Sketch.
    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!


    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    You are now subscribed

    Your newsletter sign-up was successful


    An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
    Trending
    • Women in Sport 2026
    • Marie Claire Masters
    • Autumn Winter 2026
    • Nail Trends 2026
    • Best Investment Bags
    • Best Perfumes
    1. Culture
    2. Celebrity News

    17 of the best celebrity photobombs of all time

    Celebs, they're just like us. They like to ruin each other's photos too.

    By Marie Claire
    Published 23 May 2016 In Buying Guides

    When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

    Celebrity photobombs.jpg
    Celebrity photobombs.jpg
    (Image credit: David Fisher/REX/Shutterstock)
    • Facebook
    • X
    • Pinterest
    Share this article
    Join the conversation
    Follow us
    Add us as a preferred source on Google
    Subscribe to our newsletter

    Celebs, they're just like us. They like to ruin each other's photos too.

    Celebs, they're just like us. Apart from the gabillion pound salaries, stylists, perfect bodies, perfect skin, international travel and teams of people do do everything for them. So, okay, they're not really like us at all. But one of the few things we do have in common with these stars, is that famous or otherwise, it's really fun to upstage someone else's photo. If you've ever looked back through photos from a night out and realised there's someone behind you pulling focus, then you're in very good company.

    For the uninitiated, photobombing is when someone who isn't supposed to be in your picture, decided that they want to be in your picture. It's not new, people have definitely been doing it since the camera was invented, but recently, the celeb set have embraced it in a big way.

    It's all the range on the red carpet. Even really serious actors like Meryl Streep and Dustin Hoffman are at it. Even the actual Queen of England has indulged in a little photobombing (though we're not completely sure she did it on purpose).

    So why has photobombing become all the rage? Our guess is that it's because celebrities get a bit bored. It might look exciting and glamorous from the outside, but by the time you've walked fifteen red carpets in one week, you need something to liven up the process of walking quite slowly and having your picture taken.

    Sometimes it's a celebrity sneaking into another celebrity's photo, other times it's a celebrity popping up in a regular person's pics, or it might be a regular person sneaking into a picture taken by a famous person. Either way, there's something universally funny about a photobomb.

    Meryl Streep

    Meryl Streep

    celebrity photobombs
    (Image credit: BFAnyc.com/REX/Shutterstock)

    So who could possibly upstage the beautiful, talented, Oscar winning actress Julianne Moore on the red carpet? That would be beautiful, talented, multiple Oscar winning actress Meryl Streep. Oops.

    Jane Fonda

    Jane Fonda

    celebrity photobombs
    (Image credit: Startraks Photo/REX/Shutterstock)

    Clearly Jane still thinks it's important to work out every muscle in the body, including the tongue, given this attention grabbing pose with Melanie Griffiths.

    The Queen

    The Queen

    celebrity photobombs
    (Image credit: Jayde Taylor/REX/Shutterstock)

    You know how it goes, you're taking a selfie with your bestie after a game of hockey, and when you check it back you realise the actual Queen of England has got herself into the background. Classic.

    Jared Leto

    Jared Leto

    celebrity photobombs
    (Image credit: David Fisher/REX/Shutterstock)

    Anne's face looks like an older sibling with an irritating younger brother. Which is probably because this picture is just one of about twenty of Jared bombing her. Lucky Anne.

    Dustin Hoffman

    Dustin Hoffman

    celebrity photobombs
    (Image credit: Guy Bell/REX/Shutterstock)

    You'd have to be an actor of serious international standing to get away with pranking national treasure Dame Judi Dench. Which is probably why Dustin Hoffman is the only person on record ever having done it. Good on you, Dustin.

    Oprah

    Oprah

    celebrity photobombs

    Sometimes having your photo bombed is annoying. Sometimes it's a dream come true. Kerry Washington definitely felt it was the latter. "Best photobomb ever!" Kerry wrote under the picture.

    Adele

    Adele

    celebrity photobombs

    Adele fan Kerry Scot was taking a cheeky photo of her favourite singer, when Adele noticed and decided to get involved in the action. The photo promptly went viral.

    Hilary Clinton

    Hilary Clinton

    celebrity photobombs

    Even when you're Kim Kardashian,Queen of the selfie, it's not every day you get to take a picture with a presidential candidate. Which might be why husband Kanye West decided he wanted a slice of the action too.

    Meredith the cat

    Meredith the cat

    taylor swift cat

    Everyone knows that the real star of Taylor's Instagram are her cats, Meredith and Olivia. Even in a selfie with Swifty and Sarah Hyland, the feline manages to steal the spotlight. Good work Meredith.

    Simon Cowell

    Simon Cowell

    photobomb
    (Image credit: James Shaw/REX/Shutterstock)

    They've had a complicated ride over the years, from best mates to worst enemies and back again, but that doesn't seem to stop Simon from getting cheeky with Cheryl on the red carpet.

    Kris Jenner

    Kris Jenner

    photobomb
    (Image credit: Beretta/Sims/REX/Shutterstock)

    Apparently watching Kris Jenner play with an oversized Chanel handbag was so fascinating that this young women was willing to risk some serious face damage. We're willing to bet she regrets it, since this accidental photo bomb went viral.

    Channing Tatum

    Channing Tatum

    photobomb
    (Image credit: David Fisher/REX/Shutterstock)

    What's better than one Magic Mike star? A double helping. Channing Tatum muscles in (get it?) on this pic with co-star Joe Manganiello.

    Kim Kardashian

    Kim Kardashian

    Kim Kardashian

    We've all had that moment when a lovely picture is ruined by strangers in the background. Only in this case the woman in the front of the picture is heiress Alice Bamford, and the strangers in the background are mega stars Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, who were dining with baby North at the Nobu LA.

    Karl Largerfeld

    Karl Largerfeld

    Karl Largerfeld

    Kelly Brook illustrates here the lesser known art of the reverse photobomb, where she captures herself in a picture without actually having to ask the super-famous designer if he'd like to pose next to her.

    George Clooney

    George Clooney

    George Cloony

    Don't you just hate it when you're relaxing at your villa in Ibiza and George Clooney jumps in and ruins it? Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber probably do.

    David Miliband

    David Miliband

    David Miliband

    This picture of Ed Miliband and Laverne Cox might just be about to join the hall of fame for weird celebrity photos, alongside the time Martine McCutcheon hung out with Michael Jackson at Liza Minnelli's wedding. Admittedly it makes a bit more sense when you realise they're both being given honorary degrees from the New School in New York.

    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!

    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
    Marie Claire
    Social Links Navigation

    The leading destination for fashion, beauty, shopping and finger-on-the-pulse views on the latest issues. Marie Claire's travel content helps you delight in discovering new destinations around the globe, offering a unique – and sometimes unchartered – travel experience. From new hotel openings to the destinations tipped to take over our travel calendars, this iconic name has it covered.

    Read more
    Cara My Life in London
    Fashion Cara Delevingne on Designing Her First Collection for Topshop and London's Best-Kept Secrets
    AI Edited My Face Without Asking: Side by side comparison of my face before and after inputting into AI
    Life I Asked AI to Add a Dog to My Photo. What It Did to My Face Left Me Unsettled
     
     
    Luke Hersheson My Life In Hair
    Hair I Spoke to the Super Stylist Behind Victoria Beckham's Iconic Bob—Here Are His Thoughts on Great Hair
    Zendaya Vintage T-shirt
    Shopping This Trending T-Shirt Style Comes Approved by Zendaya and Alexa Chung—And It's So Easy to Throw On With Anything
     
     
    Latest in Celebrity News
    Olivia Rodrigo performing on stage in a babydoll dress that sparked online debate, later prompting the singer to speak out about the sexualisation of girlhood and double standards facing young women.
    Celebrity News “We Really Normalise Pedophilia in Our Culture”: What Olivia Rodrigo's Babydoll Dress Backlash Reveals About Girlhood
    Meghan Markle in 'With Love, Meghan'
    Celebrity News Meghan Markle’s Sweet Glimpse Into Sussex Family Life Is Going Viral
     
     
    Anne Hathaway attends the premiere of The Devil Wears Prada 2
    Celebrity News Anne Hathaway Has Spoken Out About Her 10-Year Health Battle
    The Prince and Princess of Wales visit the Isles of Mull and Iona
    Royal News Royal Experts Predict a Major Milestone From Princess Kate This Autumn
     
     
    Latest in Buying Guides
    Mariko Kuo
    Shopping I’m a Corporate Lawyer, and This is How I'm Wearing these 3 Trouser Trends at Work
    Best products for frizzy hair in the rain
    Hair Autumn Rain Wreaks Havoc on My Frizz-Prone Hair—These Are the Products That Keep It Smooth Without Weighing It Down
     
     
    AW26 Shoe Trends
    Shopping From Heeled Loafers to Square Toes and Lace-Up Courts, Consider This Your Guide to Autumn's Defining Shoe Trends
    30 AW26 BUYS
    Fashion 30 of the Most Sought-After New Season Buys to Kick-Start Your Autumn/Winter 2026 Wardrobe
     
     
    logoCreated with Sketch.
    • Site Archive
    • Contact Future's experts
    • Contact us
    • Terms and conditions
    • Advertise with us
    • Privacy policy
    • Cookies policy
    • About us
    Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google

    Marie Claire UK is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

    © Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.