SPOTLIGHT: THE HOFF

When we heard the legend that is David Hasselhoff was dropping by G-A-Y this Saturday, not only introducing his daughters’ new group Bella Vida but also to perform, we knew we had to get ‘The Hoff’ on the phone. Here Lee Dalloway finds out just what he’s up to in London Town…

David Hasselhoff The Hoff

LEE: Hello sir, how are you?

DAVID: I’m really good thanks buddy; I’m overwhelmed with women in my life right now. My girlfriend’s just arrived with loads of bags and my daughters are about to launch ‘Kiss Kiss Bang Bang’… [Stops and talks to someone else] What? Are they from that shoot? Oh yeah I think I stole them… [Back to QX] I want to help my girls but I want them to get from under the wing of The Hoff and do everything by themselves…

I was going to ask if you had much of a hand in your daughters’ careers?
We’re doing it organically. I tell them ‘I can’t buy your careers. You’ve gotta write music, study it, take voice lessons; the audience will respect you if you’re doing it yourselves.

Is it weird to see your little girls all grown up?

The best part is they’re really good. They have no fear on stage. Some guy just jumped up on stage and my daughter just nailed him, like I would. They’ve really got the Hasselhoff spirit; they respect the business, they know how hard I work. They’ve had to defend their parents and fend off the paparazzi. I tell them we have the same problems as everyone else except people want to put it in newspapers. They opened to 10,000 people in Vienna with me last January. They’re doing incredibly well.

So you’re back in London?

Yeah, we’re in East London in an apartment in a Pakistani area. I get people shouting at me, ‘You’re from Baywatch’ and they keep bringing me free food. I keep telling them “I can’t take that spicy stuff, I have a tough stomach!”

You’re not in a fancy hotel?

Fuck that, I like the people; I don’t want to be in a hotel. I don’t like the concierge and people coming in and out. It’s a rough neighbourhood over here, it reminds me of New York, but the people are real. There was a security guard when I was shopping in Sainsbury’s who was from the Congo. I’m like, “You know me from the Congo? Are you serious?” He says, “Can I have a picture?” Of course you fucking can! To affect someone all the way over in the Congo, that’s a great honour for me.

You must get recognised everywhere…

EVERYWHERE. Sometimes it’s great, like when you go out to clubs. I just turned 59 and the ladies are still coming over to me [laughs]. When me and my girlfriend had a few days off we went to Malibu. There were about 100,000 people on the beach and we had to get six police officers to walk us through. There was a ‘Don’t Hassle the Hoff’ team with wigs and chest hair, the whole place was chanting ‘Hoff ‘Hoff’. But we’re able to just be people and not talk about showbusiness; it’s nice to have someone in my corner to laugh. Our favourite thing is to sneak off to St James’s Park and lay out.

What can we expect for your performance at G-A-Y?

Oh wow, we think this is a really crazy chance to launch and do something different. I can’t wait to do a version of ‘Jump In My Car’ complete with guys in hot pants!

Are you prepared for the male attention? You can’t throw that furry chest rug in our faces for thirty years and not expect us to throw our knickers at you….

[Laughs] I’m going to leave that to the other boys; Hunks in trunks, baby! And drag queens in Baywatch bathing suits. I already did drag in a show called The Producers, so I’m gonna leave other people to do that too.The Hoff David Hasselhoff

You’ve been in the UK for Britain’s Got Talent. How did you find touring the UK?

I have a whole new following with BGT. I tell them I’m sorry that I don’t always understand the accents. They say, “No we think that’s funny. We don’t understand people from Scotland and Wales either!” I can’t understand a word my girlfriend says. She’s Welsh, and she has to say the same thing four times!

What differences have you noticed in BGT and America’s Got Talent?
The audiences here like to sing, and they’re more aggressive. If they don’t like you, they just start booing the shit out of you! But the talent’s similar.

What’s next for you?

I want to do my own show. I go to universities and do crazy gigs and discos but I want to more of a sophisticated show, like ‘An Evening With The Hoff’! I want to sing songs that mean something to me and let people know where I’m at. Being in front of the camera, being in Baywatch and Knight Rider, how it’s affected my life in an amazing way and also when it’s affected me negatively. The public and my fans have truly helped me when I’ve been through tough times and I want to thank them for that.

Don’t miss ‘The Hoff’ and Bella Vida at G-A-Y (Heaven, under the Arches, Villers Street, Charing Cross, WC2) this Saturday 20th August.

 

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