Penn Badgley "treated like royalty"

Penn Badgley has claimed that he makes an effort to remain grounded.

The Gossip Girl star told V Man magazine that the cast of the show is often "treated like royalty".

"I'm not just a teen star idol," he said. "I'm not just that. I've always tried to distance myself from the character. You don't want people to think of you as this one guy.

"You barely have to be famous for people to scream when they see you. In certain circles we're treated like royalty. We're treated like the Kennedys."

Extra security was reportedly needed on the Gossip Girl set recently because of over-enthusiastic fans.