Money and fame don’t stop stars from developing genuinely strange habits. This list rounds up thirty celebrities who’ve openly admitted to unusual fixations, from cereal to cockroaches, each one stranger than the last.
1. Shay Mitchell, Hot Sauce
Hot sauce goes everywhere this actress goes, tucked into her purse in a rotating trifecta that includes Sriracha, Tabasco, and an imported African chili oil. She’s described her meals as basically a vehicle for the condiment rather than the other way around. On National Hot Sauce Day, she even celebrated by posting a photo of dozens of Sriracha packets stashed away for personal use.
2. Daniel Radcliffe, Fantasy Football
American football captured this British actor so completely that he memorized over thirty NFL quarterbacks, including backups, after joining a fantasy football league. He’s said the obsession grew out of a desire not to embarrass himself in front of friends rather than any real competitive streak. Sundays are now reserved entirely for tracking games, with nothing else allowed to interfere.
3. Nicole Kidman, Cake
A slice of cake or pie shows up in this actress’s routine three or four times a week, a habit she’s openly admitted to despite otherwise trying to eat well. Her reasoning is simple: there’s little point in living if every treat gets cut out entirely. It’s a rare celebrity confession that skips the usual guilt and just embraces the dessert.
4. Kesha, Glitter
Sparkle has become this pop star’s calling card, with glitter showing up in her music, her wardrobe, and reportedly just about every corner of her personal life. It’s less a passing style choice than a genuine, long-running fixation that’s followed her since her earliest days in the industry. Fans have come to expect it as much as they expect a catchy chorus.
5. Emma Watson, Knowledge
Books and lecture halls hold the same appeal for this actress that magic once did for her most famous role, describing herself as genuinely addicted to knowledge. She kept up a full course load at an Ivy League university while simultaneously filming a major franchise, eventually graduating with a degree in English literature. Learning, she’s said, keeps her connected to the real world in a way that acting alone never could.
6. Cheryl Cole, Carrot Juice
Two large glasses of carrot juice start this singer’s morning, with as many as six more consumed throughout the day alongside smoked salmon. The habit reportedly began during a trip to South Africa and stuck around for the skin and nail benefits she says it delivers. It’s an intense commitment to a single vegetable that few people could realistically match.
7. Jason Segel, Puppets
Puppets have shaped this actor’s entire career, from writing a full Dracula puppet musical before it ever made it to screen to starring in and writing a major theatrical Muppets revival. He keeps his own personal collection, including a puppet built to look exactly like himself, once housed in a single dedicated room. He’s joked that the sheer volume of puppets in his old apartment may explain why he stayed single for so long.
8. Elton John, Flowers
Fresh flowers arrive so constantly at this legendary musician’s homes that his annual spending on arrangements reportedly reaches well into the millions. Entire rooms have been dedicated purely to displaying them, refreshed regularly rather than left to wilt. It’s an extravagance that’s become almost as well known as his music catalog itself.
9. Scarlett Johansson, Buffalo Wings
Buffalo chicken wings became this actress’s guilty pleasure even while training intensely for a superhero role that demanded Olympic level strength and agility. She’s admitted she can’t stop eating them once she starts, joking that guests should be ready to roll her down the red carpet after enough servings. The contrast between the strict training regimen and the wing habit makes for one of the more relatable celebrity confessions.
10. Ed Sheeran, Ketchup
Heinz ketchup means enough to this singer that he’s had it permanently tattooed onto his arm, a tribute to a condiment he’s spoken about with genuine enthusiasm in interviews. The brand eventually took notice and leaned into the association themselves, treating the singer’s devotion as a marketing opportunity. Few musicians can claim a food brand as part of their personal iconography quite this literally.
11. Kristin Chenoweth, Quarters
Quarters hold a strange power over this Broadway star, who admits to hoarding them in jars, cleaning them with hand sanitizer, and getting an actual thrill from spending one. The habit reportedly traces back to lean years as a struggling actor in New York, worried about always having enough change for laundry machines. Decades of success haven’t loosened her grip on the collection.
12. Justin Bieber, Video Games
Gaming sessions have become a well-documented part of this pop star’s downtime, with hours spent locked into competitive online matches whenever his schedule allows. He’s spoken publicly about how much the hobby helps him unwind between tours and recording sessions. It’s a habit shared by millions of fans, which only seems to deepen the connection when he brings it up.
13. Emmy Rossum, String Cheese
String cheese travels with this actress everywhere she goes, kept as a low key snack she reaches for without much thought during busy days. She’s admitted she can’t keep a steady supply in the house because it disappears too quickly. It’s a habit she seems fairly relaxed about, joking that plenty of worse vices exist.
14. Rihanna, Fine Art
Fine art collecting turned into a genuine passion for this singer after she purchased a painting of Bob Marley from artist Ronnie Wood, a moment she’s described as the start of an ongoing habit. She approaches the hobby as a long-term investment rather than an impulsive splurge, carefully choosing pieces that catch her attention. It’s a quieter side of her public persona that rarely makes headlines compared to her music or business ventures.
15. Robert Pattinson, Antiques Roadshow
A British antiques appraisal show has captivated this actor since childhood, and he’s admitted he’d genuinely love to host it one day if acting ever took a back seat. He particularly enjoys watching ordinary people’s reactions when they discover an item is either worth a fortune or completely worthless. Alongside the show comes a reported habit of drinking hundreds of cans of Diet Coke, a detail that surfaced after someone went through his trash.
16. Adele, Fizzy Drinks
Fizzy soft drinks have come up repeatedly in this singer’s interviews as a genuine weakness, something she’s admitted to enjoying despite knowing it’s not exactly a healthy habit. She’s spoken candidly about small indulgences like this fitting into an otherwise disciplined lifestyle. It’s a small, relatable detail from an artist otherwise known for her powerhouse voice and carefully guarded privacy.
17. Mindy Kaling, Licorice
Australian red licorice earns a dedicated taste testing ritual from this comedian, who’s filmed herself sampling multiple brands and ranking them by color, texture, and flavor. She’s admitted disappointment when fans show up with the wrong kind purchased from a gas station instead of the real thing. Her final verdict landed on a specific brand, though she seemed happy to defend the honor of all the contenders.
18. Nicolas Cage, Unusual Collectibles
Unusual purchases have followed this actor throughout his career, including a two-headed snake, a pygmy heads collection, and an octopus he reportedly acquired specifically to watch it eat crabs. Financial records that later surfaced during legal disputes revealed just how much money went toward genuinely eccentric collectibles over the years. Few celebrities have built quite as colorful a reputation around sheer, unpredictable acquisition.
19. Paris Hilton, Skydiving
Skydiving turned into an annual birthday tradition for this heiress, who’s spoken about chasing the adrenaline rush every single time she jumps. It’s a surprising hobby for someone whose public image usually leans toward glamour rather than extreme sports. The consistency of the tradition suggests it’s far more than just a passing phase.
20. Jennifer Aniston, Yoga
Yoga has shaped both the physical and mental wellbeing of this longtime sitcom star, who’s worked with the same instructor for years perfecting poses like tree pose, which she can reportedly hold for an impressively long stretch. Her instructor has credited the practice with strengthening her balance both on and off the mat. Aniston herself has said the practice completely changed her life, not just her physique.
21. Johnny Depp, Toy Collecting
Toy and doll collecting has been a lifelong pursuit for this actor, whose personal stash reportedly includes vintage Barbie dolls alongside countless other figures gathered over decades. He’s spoken about the collection with genuine fondness rather than embarrassment, treating it as a meaningful piece of his identity outside of acting. The scale of the collection has grown large enough over the years to fill dedicated spaces in his various homes.
22. Lorenzo Amoruso, Baileys
A long recovery from injury in 1997 left this footballer with plenty of downtime, and Baileys Irish Cream became the drink that filled the gap. What started as a way to pass the hours during recovery reportedly stuck around long after he returned to the pitch. It’s a surprisingly mellow habit for someone whose career was built on physical intensity.
23. Ariana Grande, Halloween
Halloween outdoes every other holiday for this singer, who’s described loving being scared and looks forward to horror-themed attractions all year round. Her costumes have paid tribute to classic horror properties, transforming her into unsettling creatures rather than the usual glamorous character choices. She’s even joked that her childhood love of masks once worried her own mother about what kind of adult she’d grow into.
24. Cameron Diaz, Germaphobia
Door handles and shared surfaces reportedly make this actress deeply uncomfortable, leading her to avoid touching them directly whenever possible in public spaces. She’s spoken candidly about the habit in interviews, treating it as a quirky but firmly held part of her daily routine. It’s a habit shared by plenty of people, though rarely discussed as openly as she’s chosen to.
25. Jessica Simpson, Nicotine Gum
Nicotine gum became an unexpected fixation for this singer after trying it almost by accident, and the buzz it delivered was strong enough to keep her reaching for another piece. She’s been open about the habit in interviews, treating it with the same lighthearted self-awareness she brings to most of her public confessions. It’s an odd contrast to the wholesome image she built earlier in her career.
26. Elvis Presley, Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwiches
Peanut butter and banana sandwiches held a legendary place in this singer’s diet, often prepared with a generous amount of butter and fried until crisp rather than eaten cold. The combination became so associated with him that variations of it still carry his name on diner menus decades after his death. It’s one of the more enduring food legacies left behind by any musician in history.
27. Ozzy Osbourne, Sugar Puffs
A specific British cereal became so important to this rock legend that he arranged a standing deal with the manufacturer to ship boxes directly whenever his personal supply ran low. He’d apparently gone to considerable lengths trying to track it down locally in Los Angeles before making the arrangement official. It’s a surprisingly wholesome fixation from a musician known for a wilder public reputation.
28. will.i.am, Hand Sanitizer
Hand sanitizer travels everywhere with this musician, applied frequently enough throughout the day that it’s become something of a signature habit among people who know him well. He’s spoken about germs with genuine unease in interviews, treating cleanliness as a non-negotiable part of his routine. It’s a habit that suddenly felt a lot less unusual to plenty of people after recent years.
29. Katy Perry, Candy
Candy has come up again and again in this pop star’s interviews as an unshakable weakness, described with an enthusiasm rarely applied to something so simple. Her music and visual style have often leaned into playful, sugary imagery that mirrors the real life habit. It’s a fittingly bright and colorful vice for an artist whose entire aesthetic has always embraced maximalism.
30. Angelina Jolie, Cockroaches
Cockroaches developed into an unexpected culinary fascination for this actress after a trip to Cambodia introduced her to eating them, and the habit stuck well beyond that single visit. She’s passed the same curiosity on to her children, who reportedly eat crickets with the same casual enthusiasm most kids reserve for chips. It closes out this list as easily one of the most unusual food habits any A-list star has openly admitted to.
