Kim Wilde (41), the blonde girl who had fame all over the world in the eighties with songs like “Kids in America”, “Cambodia” and “You keep me hangin’ on” is again popular with the hit “Loved”. Everyone seems happy with that, except she herself. “I recorded that song in a few moments. The song was just to make the ‘Greatest Hits’ – that’s just been released – interesting for fans who have everything I recorded previously. A comeback wasn’t my intention. I am a mum of two and present a gardening program on British tv. I happily traded in the microphone for gardening pants.”
You wouldn’t give Kim Wilde her 41 years when you see her. She has gained a few pounds since she quit music, but the wild blonde mane and sensual lips, that she was famous for in the old days, are still there.
“When I just stopped singing, I have lost control, I’m afraid”, says Kim. “The pounds just kept coming. Finally there was no-one stopping me from eating or drinking what I wanted. I used to be on a constant diet, starting when the scale pointed one pound more than it should. I had an image of the blonde vamp and being slim and trim was crucial to that. I decided to tackle my being overweight some time ago myself. This time it’s less frustrating, simply because I decided to lose those pounds myself.”
Mama Kim
“I should have stopped singing a lot earlier, the last few years weren’t very good anyway. I did release singles, but they did little or nothing. I was a little afraid of the infamous black hole, but I didn’t really sit still for a moment. I became a mother and believe me, that takes up a lot of time and attention.”
The past two years Kim made the press again, although it wasn’t because of her musical exploits, but because she was running across the screen in gardening trousers like a female Mark Demesmaeker, you would know him from the VTM gardening programme Groene Vingers [Green Fingers].
“I moved to the countryside at a very young age with my parents and lost my heart there. Even when I had to move to London for my career I kept coming back. I find peace and tranquility there and I feel at home there. The hectic life in the city plus the busy existance as a popstar has never really agreed with me. Unfortunately I would take that out on people around me and on the press as well. That’s why people blamed me for being a bit of a diva (laughs)”
“The life I lead now agrees with me a lot better. I am at home often enough to see my children grow up. And when it’s been busy on the set of my tv program, I have more than enough time to wind down in my garden with some classical music.”
“My gardening program isn’t something to kill time. I have gotten the opportunity to turn my hobby into my profession. When British TV found out I had ‘green fingers’, they asked me for a test program. In the beginning people didn’t take me very seriously.”
“By now they know better because I’ve proved I know my business. I’ve even started following an evening course in gardening architecture.”
Trouble
“I like singing, and especially playing live. It’s all the trouble surrounding it that doesn’t appeal to me. It’s too busy for me. Now that the single Loved is doing so well, I like to be in the spotlights from time to time, it does appeal to my vanity. But being a singer full time is not an option. I don’t think I can or will sacrifice my private life ever again. I like playing popstar for a day, but for the rest of the time I choose gardening first!”
