Gest Postpones Concert Extravaganza Due to Injury

Outrageous American producer and reality TV star David Gest (pictured) has postponed the tour of his show David Gest … My Life! A Musical Concert Extravaganza, which was due to launch a UK regional tour next month, due to a rehearsal injury. The tour will now commence in January 2009.

The injury occurred on Tuesday (9 September) as Gest was rehearsing a “quadruple flip” and was twice caught “improperly” by a fellow dancer, causing damage to his tibia (shinbone). According to a press statement, he will now travel to the US for a skin graft operation done by his “personal surgeon”.

Gest, whose varied career has encompassed work as a TV producer, concert promoter and reality TV personality, is probably best known for his high-profile relationship with Liza Minelli, who he married in 2002 and divorced a year later. According to press material, the new show “encompasses the story of Gest’s life with comedy and music”, and includes “over 20 top five records, all performed by the original artists”.

Those artists include Russell Thompkins, Jr & The New Stylistics, disco group Shalamar, Motown duo Ashford & Simpson and “very special guest star” Peter Andre. Speaking about the show, Andre said: “This is going to be an extraordinary tour, and we believe people will be amazed at David’s versatility as a performer.”

As well as the musical acts, choreographed by Emmy-nominated Brian Thomas, Gest will enact characters he “made famous in the jungle”, as part of his appearance on ITV reality show I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here! in 2006.

Gest, who had initially planned to tour the show last year but had to postpone due to another injury, said in a statement: “I wanted to move the tour to December but there are no available dates, so part of it will take place in January 2009 and the rest in June 2009. I am so looking forward to this tour and I hope the old adage is true, the third time’s a charm.”

The tour was originally due to kick off in Manchester on 4 October 2008, followed by stops in Blackpool, Liverpool, Wolverhampton, Croydon, London and Cambridge. New dates are yet to be announced.

– by Theo Bosanquet