Liza Minnelli’s ex husband shares his crazy world with us.
For a troubled time, David Gest was known as that weird-looking bloke who married Liza Minnelli. Who could forget their bizarre wedding featuring Michael Jackson and Elizabeth Taylor as Best Man and Matron of Honour? Their union ended in tears. David claimed Liza bashed him, the papers had a field day. With his hair plugs and high cheekbones, he was painted as the ultimate freak from a twisted side-show.
But now, thanks to his big-hearted performance in UK-TV’s reality series, I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here, David, 54, is enjoying a new found wave of popularity. Woman’s Day caught up with Mr Gest for a decadent, refreshingly frank, over-the-top interview that was so long we couldn’t fit it all in the magazine — so we’ve published the rest here on the website.
For more of this interview, see this week’s Woman’s Day (on-sale December 3, 2007).
Some very cruel things have been said about your looks.
I don’t know why they do that.
Hugh Jackman played Peter Allen, Liza’s first husband. Who would play you, Andrew Lloyd Webber?
(Roars with laughter) No. Nicholas Cage.
Tell me about Jason Donovan, you guys have really become great mates? He’s a great guy, he’s rejuvenated himself. He went through that bad period. But he got off the drugs. He’s got two kids, I’m their uncle. We’re like two brothers that fight constantly but love each other.
Do you secretly wish that Jason and Kylie got back together?
No. That was yesterday. He’s got a lovely girl, Ange, and two great children. I haven’t met Kylie… Oh yes I have. I forgot. That’s what’s happened to my memory thanks to Miss Minnelli.
It must be great to be free of that Mr Minnelli tag?
Oh it’s the best thing in the world.
Those crosses around your neck, what do they mean?
They mean I’m a good Christian. I believe in Christianity. I converted when I met Liza to be a Methodist. I believe Jesus Christ is the Son Of God. I’m being totally serious. God changed my life in that jungle. I learned to be who I want to be. I believe in God strongly.
You’ve got a lot of young friends.
They’re all young. That whole life that I used to have has changed. When I was younger my best friends were Gene Kelly, Robert Mitchum, Joel McCrae. My second mother who really raised me is Jane Russell who is a legend. She knows me and I’m a little f***in’ rascal. But now I’m having fun in Camden in London. Go to the bars. And I’m doing Panto this year.
So England is home?
Yes, I’ll die there. I bought a home in Cambridge.
You’re very approachable, you stop and say hello to everyone.
Anyone who comes up to me of course I say hello. They made me.
You showed your determination to be normal on the show even cleaning out the toilets.
I did all the pooper scooper stuff. You couldn’t be a star there. I had to put myself in a different place. I decided, yes, I’m going to do this and I’m going to work with everyone here and make it a party. Which I did. I made it a team effort, I didn’t care about winning.
You didn’t flinch at the challenges the show threw your way. Nothing scared you. Does that come from hanging out with Michael Jackson where you were surrounded by snakes and bizarre creatures?
Yes.
Did you battle with anorexia.
No, again, that’s another piece of crap cooked up by a PR person.
You believe you made Liza a beautiful woman again.
The world can judge that. She was 249 pounds when I met her. Five months later, she’s a 109 and hot as can be. And anybody that would look at her would want to get her in bed she was so gorgeous. But it’s not so much the weight loss. I’ve learned now its not the way you look on the outside, it’s how you look on the inside that is so important. I think it takes a while to learn that. I could marry someone now who is heavy-set and not think twice about it if they have a good heart. They’ve just got a bit more to love and what’s wrong with that?
Do you miss her?
I don’t miss her, but I used to go to sleep on her left breast each night and it was a very comfortable pillow.
You saw what the tabloids did to Michael Jackson, but they went on to crucify you too?
Yes, Whitney said to me just after I married Liza, “Welcome to the club.” I’ll never forget that. I was sitting with Whitney Houston in my bedroom — me, Whitney, Bobby Brown and Liza. Little did I know how scary that club could be.
Read the rest of this interview in Woman’s Day (on-sale December 3, 2007) — David dishes the dirt on his marriage to Liza and gives us the details about his plastic surgery.
I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! premieres on UKTV on Foxtel, Optus and Austar on Monday, December 3 at 7.30pm.
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