Excitement rippled through Yeovil yesterday when a visitor at The William Dampier Wetherspoons believed they had spotted William Shatner, the iconic actor best known as Captain Kirk from Star Trek. The visitor claimed Shatner was enjoying a pint and showing interest in Yeovil Town F.C. and local Somerset ale.
A local shared with SomersetLive, “I’m in Yeovil Wetherspoons now and you’ll never guess who’s here. Only Hollywood star William Shatner! I even snapped a picture. He talked about a recent hospital stay and being in town for an old friend’s birthday. He apparently loves Somerset and ale!”
Curious to confirm the claim, SomersetLive reached out directly to William Shatner on social media, posing the question, “Have you by any chance been in a Wetherspoon pub in Yeovil, Somerset?” Shatner’s reply was ambiguous and did not confirm the sighting.
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The pub’s manager was also questioned and responded, “The pub manager is not aware of a visit to The William Dampier by William Shatner.” While not an outright denial, it raised doubts.
More conclusive information came from Shatner’s representatives, who stated, “Unfortunately none of this is true. Mr. Shatner has not been in the UK since Covid canceled one of his tours in November 2020.” They added that while Mr. Shatner has not visited Yeovil, he is scheduled to return to the UK for conventions in Liverpool and Edinburgh in 2026.
So, it appears the mystery visitor was not the Star Trek star himself, and the USS Enterprise remains absent from the Yeovil Wetherspoons parking lot—for now.