David Gest

David Gest
Born	David Alan Gest
Spouse	Liza Minnelli (2002–2006) (divorced)

David Alan Gest (born May 11, 1953) is an American television personality, TV producer and concert promoter.

Personal life

Gest was born in Los Angeles, California and grew up in Southern California with Michael Jackson and Tito Jackson as childhood schoolfriends. He quickly became a successful music producer upon leaving school and was responsible for producing the highest rated musical special in television history in the United States Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Celebration on CBS TV which was seen by more than 44 million people, one of every four households in the United States. He won the NAACP Image Award for his production. He has produced more than one hundred specials throughout the world including evenings honouring Whitney Houston, Frank Sinatra, Bette Davis, Elizabeth Taylor, James Stewart, Janet Jackson, Julio Iglesias, Robert Mitchum, Ginger Rogers, Sir Anthony Hopkins, The Four Tops and many, many others. He also produced the highly acclaimed 'Liza's Back' starring Liza Minnelli on Broadway and in London at The Royal Albert Hall. He currently resides in England. He has just purchased a home in Cambridge. Gest is best friends with I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! winner Matt Willis who also featured on his show This is David Gest. Many other of his celebrity friends including Sir Cliff Richard, Beyonce, Westlife, legendary actress Jane Russell, the Jackson Family, Louis Walsh, Jason Donovan, Deniece Williams and dozens upon dozens of others appeared on the highly rated show. Gest sang on the show with Westlife in Dublin and Sir Cliff Richard in Paris. He also co-wrote the theme song with James Bourne for the show entitled This Guy is Crazy. The song was recored by his nephews, Tito Jackson's three sons, 3T.

Gest was married to actress Liza Minnelli and they divorced in 2006. Following his divorce, he dated 'I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here!' actress Malandra Burrows but is currently single.

I'm a Celebrity, Get Me out of Here!

Gest finished in 4th place on the 2006 series of I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! on ITV in the UK and proved to be extremely popular, with his wonderful stories as well as "Get Me Outta Here!" song with fellow contestant Toby Anstis. He lasted twenty of the twenty one days and was evicted from the show on 30 November, 2006. He was so popular on the show that he became the first contestant as well as American in the six year history of I'm a Celebrity... to sign a deal for starring on three prime-time series: This is David Gest, Greased Lightnin' and Grease is the Word all on ITV.

During his time in the jungle, Gest participated in two "Bush Tucker trials". One trial involved him being shut in a tank that was gradually filled with water, while his feet were chained. While this was occurring, he had to open several compartments to obtain "stars" that would earn his fellow contestants meals. However, when he opened the compartments, David was also joined in the tank by various animals, including crocodiles,alligators, sea serpents and spiders. Gest did not even flinch and told jokes as he gathered his stars. He was the first contestant to win big meals for the other contestants. In the other trial he was joined by winner Matt Willis and Jason Donovan. They had to slide into freezing water and throw a dart at a balloon to burst it to earn each star for the camp. Once again Gest appeared fearless.

As more than ten million people watched Gest each night for three weeks in November 2006, Tony Parsons of The Daily Mirror summed it up on November 20 2006, by stating:

There is increasing evidence that appearing on a show like I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! is not a career's death certificate but the kiss of life. David Gest has changed everything.

On November 19 2006, John Walsh of The Observer added:

The multimillionaire American showbiz impresario might indeed be a little flummoxed to discover what he has become since the new series of I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! He is now easily the most talked about element in the television show. Where two or three Britons gather by a watercooler, their talk is of Gest's oddball charm, his bracingly direct oneliners, his pop world anecdotes, his laconic valour in the face of creepy-crawlies.

While on the show Gest told many humorous bizarre stories that he claimed were true. These included a tale of a cousin who didn't eat fruit for a week and consequently died, one claiming that he was once forced to survive a week in the Grand Canyon after going exploring there, one about a hotel specifically catering to people with albinism called Albino Heights, one claiming that his father was a fisherman and his mother a nun, and he famously claimed that his maid is called Vaginica Seaman, apparently named after her mother's favourite body part. The charity he supported, Chinese Girls With Herpes (CGWH) also became famous as a result of the show. He returned to England as a star in his own right.

Other work

In January 2007, Gest appeared as a special guest as a judge on ITV1's Soapstar Superstar, for one night, replacing Michael Ball who was coaching the singers. He also made guest appearances on 8 Out of 10 Cats' and Never Mind the Buzzcocks.

Later that month it was announced that Gest had been signed for a one year deal by ITV1 to appear in his own reality series entitled This is David Gest. The show began on the 22 April 2007. He also took cameras for a rare glimpse of the Jackson family house in Encino, California, where he met Tito and his children as well as matriarch Katherine Jackson. The show was a huge success attaining number one in the ratings for the time slot for its first two weeks and number two for the next three weeks only being beat by 'Match Of The Day' sports events but still beating all the rest of the competition.

Following this Simon Cowell personally signed him to star as was one of the four judges on ITV1's entertainment series Grease is the Word which ran for four months as well as the ITV1 series Greased Lightnin'. He hosted The Friday Night Project on Channel 4 to rave reviews with Heat Magazine calling it one of the best performances by a guest host of the year. He also had a guest appearance on Peter and Jordan: The Baby Diaries.

His autobiography was released earlier in the year entitled Simply the Gest to rave reviews and is being released in paperback in October 2007. He will begin his first major tour of the U.K. on the 20 February 2008 at the Hammersmith Apollo, London for two nights when he stars in a new play entitled David Gest is Nuts... My Life as a Musical' with many of the characters he made famous in the jungle. He debuted a sneak preview of the show when he hosted 'The Friday Night Project' where he performed with the Little People Of DavidLand and the Chinese Girls With Herpes, both of whom will tour with him as well as the Von Snatch Family Singers and the Tess Tickle Dancers. The tour will take him to 28 cities and includes special guests K-CI & JoJo, Peabo Bryson, Shalamar, Coolio, Candi Staton, Martha Wash of The Weather Girls, Gloria Gaynor, Patrice Rushen, Deniece Williams & Billy Paul.

According to Heat Magazine & The Daily Mirror in London, David Gest is mobbed by people wherever he goes. He is also an avid football lover and attends many of Arsenal's games as he is a good friend of team member Mathieu Flamini.

In November 2007 Gest returned to Australia as Foxtel Network began airing the 2006 series of I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! which Gest appeared on in Australia and New Zealand. Gest also was seen on the top rated UKTV Australia show 'the Singing Office' where he was a judge with Jason Donovan for the finale of the series. Additionally, This is David Gest began airing in September 2007 in Canada on the STAR Channel. David Gest received Loaded LAFTAS' Award for 'Funniest Person In A Reality Series' on the 4 September 2007 in front of a star-studded audience. He will make his first appearance in panto on 13 & 14 December 2007 opposite Alfie Allen, Lily Allen, and Jamie Winston when he joins them in A Twisted Carol which is a take-off of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. The play is a charity benefit for Friends of Portobello. Gest is also making am appearance on the new Channel 4 prime-time show 'Alan Carr's Celebrity Ding Dong' in December 2007 and will also star on the 'Hodge and Podge New Year's Eve Special With David Gest' in Ireland.