The title of this series suggests we don't know who the real David Gest is -- just his media persona. So This Is David Gest aims to help open our eyes to the man behind the mischief..
Of course, I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here got their first, turning weirdo Gest into a lovable weirdo. The tabloids exaggerated perception of Gest for weeks before I'm A Celeb started (printing flabby photos of him in the ocean and reminding us of his wedding day "face-munch" with ex-wife Liza Minelli).
When we settled down to watch this monstrous, creepy, sinister little Yank.. we were pleasantly surprised to find a harmless oddity.
Gest may cut a bizarre sight, with his egg-head, jet-black goatee, wonky smile and balding scalp, but he's no monster. We Brits like eccentrics, so we warmed to Gest as he subverted our tabloid-fuelled expectations. He participated in jungle tasks and busktucker trials, told cheeky fibs, spun humorous stories around the campfire and flirted with the girls.
Unfortunately, now we really have created a monster...
Gest is currently enjoying post-jungle fame and has transplanted his life to the UK. He currently stars in high-profile show Grease Is The Word, has been confirmed as a new judge on this year's X Factor and has his own docu-series.
This Is David Gest is every inch as bad, yet perversely watchable, as you'd expect. It purports to follow Gest's every move and give us a flavour of his bizarre lifestyle... but it's actually just shameless self-promotion.
This isn't really fly-on-the-wall material, as Gest is completely aware of the cameras and to them at every opportunity like a little kid. Consequently, you're not seeing "The Real David Gest", you're seeing what he knows we liked of him in the jungle. Watch as he picks arguments, plugs his music work, references "classic" jungle comments 90% of the population have forgotten about now, and generally act kooky. It's an exaggarated performance.
What really came across is how poor D.G is nowhere near as in-charge as he likes to think -- certainly not over this documentary. As an American, he's from a culture that adores celebrity and treats anyone famous with respect (most of the time). In the UK it's different. We love our celebs too, but we also take a perverse delight when they're taken down a peg or two with "kiss and tell" tabloids stories and whatnot.
What's more, it's open season for anyone who appears on Big Brother and I'm A Celebrity. They're easy prey, particularly anyone who achieved their fame via such a show. Gest is oblivious to this cruel UK culture, so while we enjoyed him in the jungle, and his outburts amuse us on Grease Is The Word, he's just another plaything for us...
Consequently, he has lots of British hangers-on. Ex-Busted popstar Matt Willis (who was in the jungle with Gest) has co-written a song with him. The track has no chance of being released (it's circa '92 in quality), but Willis will get paid. Handsomely.
Y'see, Gest's a good contact to have in the music biz... well, it can't hurt to have him in your contact list, can it? Can it?
Louis Walsh turned up on the show, readily plugging his boy-band Westlife as if his career depended on it. Well, now Gest has his X Factor job, maybe it does...
The show ended with Gest attending a Westlife gig and singing "Mandy" with the boys.I asssume he was singing, anyway, even though it did seem they'd turned his microphone off to be on the safe side. For Gest, this was a "cathartic" moment that brought a tear to his eye back-stage. For Westlife it was just another opportune PR exercise by manager Louis.
Gest's just the latest celeb with a degree of goofy charm, to be giggled at and disposed of. Just like Chantelle from Celebrity Big Brother. Remember her? She had a similar series after she'd won Celebrity Big Brother called Living The Dream. A few other shows she starred in were soon canned when her star began to dim. Luckily for her, she managed to marry a popstar during her 15-minutes of fame... rescuing her from a bumpy return to Essex. She can now sometimes be found clamped to Davina McCall's, side like an adopted child, at various awards ceremonies.
The same will eventually happen to David Gest (not the Davina thing, just the slow fade to obscurity.) If he'd turned minds around in America, he'd be laughing all the way to the bank now (look how golddigger Heather Mills changed opinions in America just by dancing on TV!)
But in Blighty, it's a different kettle of fish....
Gest doesn't seem to realize it, but we're all laughing at him on this show, not with him. I'm A Celeb proved to us he wasn't a sinister creep, just a comical dweeb. Therefore, we don't have to feel bad about mocking him and his behaviour.
We're welcoming him with open arms, but everyone is sniggering and pointing a finger behind his back.
