Date: 24 September 2004
Originally published in: icBerkshire website (UK)
Written by:
During the 1980s, Kim Wilde was a pop icon but she has reinvented herself as a gardening guru. The daughter of Vernon Girls vocalist Joyce Smith and one-time Blackheath singer Marty Wilde, Kim was destined to follow in their footsteps. The 43-year-old is now on shows such as Garden Invaders. She tells Sarah Thomas what makes for a cracking weekend…
What’s your dream Saturday night?
At the moment, I’m quite busy, so just being at home and snuggling up with my family, putting on a DVD and having a takeaway is my dream. I love staying in and relaxing with them.
What do you do to get ready for it?
A long soak in the tub with lots of lavender fragrance. I get plenty of nice nibbles in that I know the kids love, then we can all veg out on the sofa.
If you could make one law about Saturday nights what would it be?
No one should be allowed to call you.
What’s the best Saturday night you’ve had?
It was my first date with my husband, Hal. He took me to The Ivy, the famous restaurant in London. I’d never been there before and we were the last people to leave. Six months later we got married, so it was a real whirlwind romance.
Who would you most like to spend your weekend with?
My family. My little girl has just started school so I feel like I want to spend even more time with her to boost her confidence and keep her calm for when she puts on her new uniform and becomes a big girl.
Do you live for the weekend and free time?
I really do. I work a lot from home which is great so it’s different from the lifestyle I used to have. The reason I love being here so much and being with my family is because I remember what it was like living out of a suitcase. I really appreciate what I’ve got. It’s so precious and I want to enjoy every minute of it. As well as my husband and kids, we’ve got a big extended family and we try to see them as often as possible.
What sort of Sunday person are you?
Sunday can be an especially lazy day, but we invariably end up in the garden. The children love mucking around there.
How do you handle hangovers?
Thankfully we don’t get too many. Since we’ve had the children, things have been different. They get you up early and want breakfast.
Where is the best place for nightlife?
I’ve never really been a nightlife girl. I remember having some great nights out in London during the 1980s, though, and I remember going to a few really cool clubs in New York.
What did you do last weekend and what are you planning this time?
This weekend we’re having a big party for our anniversary because we’ve been married eight years and we’ve invited all our family and friends. Last weekend we were gardening, working in our aromatherapy area.
The children love being in there and smelling the plants. We’ve got a big garden and I try to make it somewhere fantastic for the children to be, but you don’t need a big space to do that. It’s really just having the time to be out there and making the most of it.