David spills the beans about new love - May 16 2007
David Gest has lifted the lid on his romance with Malandra Burrows - revealing that things are "very good" between the new couple.

The music producer - who started dating Emmerdale’s Malandra after they co-starred on I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! - told how the pair recently enjoyed a romantic holiday together.

"We just got back from a wonderful vacation - we went to Devon and Cornwall," said the star, who was once married to Liza Minnelli.

"It was incredible. We went to the moors and we went horse riding together - I can ride. We really had a great time."

Meanwhile, David has announced that he’s become an ambassador of new children’s charity Caudwell Children, along with his Grease Is The Word co-star Sinitta.

The charity will be launched this Friday when it hosts The Bedrock Ball In London. The event combines a star-studded party and a charity auction, which will see lots like a dress once owned by Tina Turner being sold off to raise funds. Tina will also be singing at the event.

Caudwell Children helps youngsters throughout the UK by providing treatment, therapy and equipment. It also helps grant wishes for terminally ill children.

David ’not in visa crisis’ - May 4 2007
David Gest’s spokesperson has denied reports that he fled the UK yesterday after his visa ran out.

Newspaper reports suggested that the I’m A Celeb star was forced to rush to Ireland to get a new visa before his appearance as a judge on Grease Is The Word tomorrow - and that ITV bosses were anxious he wouldn’t make it back in time.

"His visa is not running out and in any case you don’t go to Ireland to renew visas," his spokesperson said.

"David went to Ireland for a day to comply with work permit guidelines which coincided with a trip he had planned to Ireland to see Westlife who he became friends with when filming the David Gest show.

"He will be back in the UK for Grease."

Earlier this week the 53-year-old admitted that he finds it hard to watch himself on the show because he looks "weird" and "crazy".

He said: "It’s hard for me to watch myself, I cringe. When I did see a little bit of it I thought the guy was definitely out to lunch. Crazy.

"I was doing a reality check - ’Is this really me?’ I guess it is me, but he’s weird."

David admits doing drugs - April 17 2007
David Gest has revealed that his liberal mum allowed him to smoke cannabis in his bedroom as a teenager.

The music mogul admitted smoking pot from the age of 15 - until a bad experience with angel dust put him off drugs for life, the Daily Mirror reports.

"Now I hate drugs. I constantly tell kids to stay away from them - they are the root of all evil," the 53-year-old said.

David added that when he was growing up it was "not unusual" to take drugs.

"I smoked marijuana perhaps twice a week, and took uppers and downers from the ages of 15 to 24," he admitted.

"But that wasn’t unusual then - it was towards the end of a hippy era. My parents know I took pot. In fact, my mother told me to go to my room to smoke so I wasn’t out somewhere getting into trouble.

"Each time she said that I wanted to do it less - it was all about rebelling."

David said his fling with drugs came to an end when he was offered what he thought was a joint, but it turned out to be angel dust.