Theatre and shows
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Ready to go nuts at the Cliffs
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| David Gest |
ZANY, outrageous, eccentric, crazy or just plain weird? David Gest has been described as all of the above and he relishes every description.
He begins our chat with a tale of an aunt who lives in Southend an drank 50 cups of tea a day.
You are never quite sure if he is on the level and, when the story quickly descends into the sort of joke you can't publish in a family newspaper, you realise his grip of reality and fantasy is fairly tangled.
One fact that is certain, is the 54-year-old American former husband of Liza Minelli has definitely made something of a mark on the British public, thanks to his appearance on last year's I'm a Celebrity... when David went straight from zero to hero.
"That show really turned my life around," says Gest in a rare moment of seriousness. "Before that people had only known me because of who I was married to and they had an idea of me from what they had read."
Any preconceived image people had of Gest was cast off almost immediately thanks to a bushtucker trial. Viewers saw Gest endure standing in a glass box with cascading jungle water and all manner of creepy crawlies. He calmly collected the six required tokens and, once out of the box, news he still had a mammoth spider attached to his back failed to faze him.
At the start many may have dismissed the Hollywood record producer - he went in with odds of 50-to-one. But his efforts in the bushtucker trial, combined with his entertaining, if slightly unfeasible, tales about his best friend Michael Jackson and his range of imaginary characters - including the Little People of Davidland and the Tess Tickell Dancers - meant he soon gathered an army of fans, finishing second to former Busted star Matt Willis.
"When I came out and saw all the clippings I was overwhelmed," says Gest, " I was so moved by what I read and what people said. It was an amazing feeling to be loved."
He continues: "It is a wonderful thing to be loved. I never had love as a child so I feel very blessed."
The success of I'm a Celebrity... led to Gest being given his own show, This is David Gest, as well as him being a guest judge on Simon Cowell's Grease is the Word talent show and its sequel Greased Lightning.
"I can't believe how my life changed," he chuckles, with the sort of deep rich laughter that encourages to you join in, even if at times you are unsure what the joke is.
"I went from being happy in the background of all the shows to being in the spotlight. I had no experience and all of a sudden had my own shows - it was an honour and a thrill. I love the English people - they get my sense of humour."
| David Gest is Nuts - My Life as a Musical. Friday, March 7, 2008, Cliffs Pavilion, Station Road, Westcliff. 8pm. Box office: 01702 351135 | |
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The star has now set up home in Cambridgeshire, but he reveals: "I can't just go out now, that is the difference, without being bothered.
"But the response is fantastic and these are the people who made me, so I would never turn away."
Gest may not have been well known before his trip to the Australian jungle, but he was certainly a player in the showbiz stakes.
Having been born in Los Angeles, his childhood friends included Michael and Tito Jackson and he even dated their sister LaToya at one time.
Thanks to his subsequent career as one of the biggest music producers in Hollywood, he knows how to name drop.
He signed up the likes of Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Christina Aguilera, Shakira, Destiny's Child and Alicia Keyes for his famed Madison Square garden concerts and his 30th anniversary tribute concert to Michael Jackson was watched by 44 million viewers - one-in-four households in the States.
His conversation is peppered with references to his "dear friends", not least the Jacksons, and a host of other stars, and his latest venture has enlisted the help of some of those buddies to produce a show of his life.
David Gest is Nuts - My Life as a Musical kicks off a nationwide tour in February next year and arrives at the Cliffs Pavilion, Westcliff, on March 7, 2008.
"It is going to be an absolute blast," Gest insists. "In my wildest dreams I never would have believed I would do something like this.
"When I told Michael and Tito they laughed when they heard I would be singing and dancing a show of my life. Both said who cares?', but I thought I'll show you', and told them you wanna see what I'm gonna do'," he guffaws.
The show features many of the imaginary characters Gest made famous in the jungle, as well as a raft of celebrity pals including Coolio, Gloria Gaynor, Candi Staton, Shalamar, Deniece Williams, Billy Paul and the Weather Girls.
"They are so happy for me," says Gest, "and say at last people are seeing the David Gest we have known all along and that you are nuts!'
"This show is for anyone from the age of eight to 98. I am really excited about it. I want people to know they are getting all of these people on stage, not just me. They are all friends of mine who will be playing for you."
And what of that most famous of friends? "Michael said he wants to see what I am doing and I would love him to come over. I never would have believed I would be doing it myself," he laughs.
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CommentPosted by: painter, mayland on 7:03pm Mon 17 Dec 07
weirdo
Posted by: bob, southchurch on 8:28pm Mon 17 Dec 07
He IS nuts, Ban the Burgger.
He IS nuts, Ban the Burgger.
Posted by: howler, basildon on 9:42pm Mon 17 Dec 07
yep definitely something amiss with this chap!
Seems as weird here as you would imagine!
yep definitely something amiss with this chap!
Seems as weird here as you would imagine!
Posted by: A Ratepayer on 8:02am Tue 18 Dec 07
There's more plastic in his face than in a Tupperware factory
There's more plastic in his face than in a Tupperware factory
Posted by: ShipShape, Basildonk on 2:51pm Tue 18 Dec 07
So.....
Is he an unwelcome Gest?
..I'll get me coat..
So.....
Is he an unwelcome Gest?
..I'll get me coat..
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