Date: 18 November 2020
Originally published in: Thüringische Landeszeitung (Germany)
Written by: Alexander Nebe
Kim Wilde is celebrating her 60th birthday today. In the interview, she reveals her strategies for life.
With more than 30 million records sold worldwide, Kim Wilde is still one of the most successful European pop stars of all time. The singer, who turns 60 on Wednesday, recently released the deluxe version of her Christmas album “Wild Winter Songbook”, which contains six bonus tracks.
What do you think is essential for a successful Christmas?
I can do without gifts and lavish food if necessary. But I want the whole family to be around me – and without a large tree with lush decorations, nothing works for me. I have a lot of decorative elements that I bought together on various visits to German Christmas markets. This year I’m really looking forward to decorating the Christmas tree.
Why?
Because of this damn virus, 2020 was really an especially tough and exhausting year. That is why I long for a conciliatory end all the more. I can only hope that it will really be a Merry Christmas. No one can predict at the moment how the corona contact restrictions, which we currently have in England, will continue. Hopefully all family members can get together too. Anything else would be a drama for me.
Speaking of drama. Can you believe you will be turning 60 these days?
So old already? That’s horrible! (laughs) I honestly admit that getting older physically gets on my nerves a little at times, but that’s life. I take it and make the best of it. Why should I fight something that I can’t change in the end?
What is different today in direct comparison with the younger you?
I take much better care of myself, my body and my soul
Wellbeing. As a young woman, I was so much tougher on myself. I developed humility and gratitude.
Today I am also very grateful for the little joys that life has in store for me every day. Things that I took for granted as a young woman and therefore never registered.
How do you feel about fitness training?
I force myself to do sport three to four times a week – even if sometimes I just hate it and don’t feel like it at all. But I pull it off with dumbbell training and yoga. Because it just has to be easy. The body is our temple and we must take good care of it accordingly. Therefore, with very few exceptions, I don’t drink any more alcohol.
Was there any initial spark for your decision to put alcohol on the red list?
That was six years ago when I toured Germany with Alice Cooper. I got to know him better and was very impressed by how incredibly fit and energetic he was in his mid-60s. As a young man, alcohol and drugs had almost destroyed him, but he has been dry for decades. And then I thought to myself: It might not be a bad idea from now on to only focus on sex and rock’n’roll and to forego the “drugs” in the form of drinks.
How old do you really feel?
At times, I still feel like I’m 30. But when I’m chatting with my closest friends, for example, whom I’ve known since I was a teenager, reality sometimes catches up with me pretty quickly.
In what way?
In the past, our conversations were often about men, lovesickness, or sex. Today we land far too quickly on topics such as back problems, hot flashes, the problems of our now grown-up children or the best hair tinting agents. (laughs)
