‘I take a lot in my stride these days’

Kim Wilde has been topping the charts for over 40 years and there’s no stopping her now.

Kim Wilde burst on to the music scene in 1981 with her smash hit Kids in America when she was just 20. The daughter of legendary singer Marty Wilde, she went on to enjoy a huge career as a recording artist – and at 63 is still going strong. She also enjoys a parallel career as a gardener and has two grown up kids 0 Harry and Rose – with ex-husband, Hal Fowler. We caught up with the legendary singer to talk about rocking on into her 60s…

Hi Kim – how are you?
I’m fine now! We’ve had a domestic this morning which involved wasps – they were causing mayhem in my house! I’ve got pest control on their way. I don’t like to interfere in the life cycle of any living thing, but they’re not helpful in the house.

What are you working on at the moment?
We are putting out an album, literally mixing it at the moment. It’s called Closer – inspired by one of our most successful albums, Close from 1988. We wanted to create 10 more perfect pop songs. And hopefully have a big handful of hits!

When you say ‘we’, do you mean your band?
I mean my brother Ricky Wilde who I’ve been working with since Kids in America. And also my brilliant niece Scarlett Wilde. She’s been co-writing and contributing on the album in a really rather fabulous way that’s helped her auntie out – which is great as I’ve got lots to do in my life, so it’s nice to have some of the pressure off.

So it’s a real family affair!
I guess it is! And most of my band have been with me for over 15 year, some much longer. I didn’t really start putting the band together till I got back into the music industry after taking a step out. My career was kind of backwards – i started with the big hit record Kids in America when I was only 20.

That must have been amazing…
It was very intense. We were making lots of pop records and I was on planes all the time and going all round the world. I’d go to Japan and sit in a room for two days doing interviews, it was crazy. Live work stepped up for me in 1988 when I toured with Michael Jackson and then went up another level when I toured with Bowie in 1990 and that’s when I got a feel of how I could be as a live artist. I realised I really wanted to do it.

You’ve said before you had a crush on David Bowie?
Literally everybody had a crush on David Bowie! He was a quite astonishingly beautiful human being. He was also very nice and down to earth. There was no ‘I’m a big star – don’t come near me’ about him. At the end of the tour I gave him a Marty Wilde T-shirt and he was delighted with it.

Do you love the theatrical element of performing?
I do but I didn’t really get into that until I did my 2018 Here Come the Aliens tour. I had a reflective body suit that looked like I’d landed out of a space craft and hit the stage with my ray gun. I really liked that look. I’ve had some fabulous costumes over the years. I’ve got really into capes lately – and I’ve got some great sequinned ones.

Is it new audiences or old fans who come to your shows?
It’s a real mixture. We’ve noticed younger and younger people coming, as well as the one who look recognisably like they were around back in the day. They’re all really into pop music and they appreciate a great band. That’s the factor here – it’s not all about me, me, me.

Do you still get nervous before a performance?
Well, I take life a lot more in my stride these days, so I guess that spills onto the stage. After 40 years, I’ve got a way that I do things. I know how to unlock it at the right time.There’s always an incredible adrenaline rush before you go on. Then after the tour you get ill, and you collapse in a heap somewhere.

You’re very interested in UFOs. Have you seen any recently?
No, I haven’t. It’s disappointing, but I’m always looking…

How do you like to wind down and relax?
I love gardening. I walk my dogs. I’ve got two beautiful Airedale terriers Misty and Beau; one slept on my bed last night – that was so naughty… I try not to have them on the bed, but they talk me into it! Otherwise, I work out a few times a week in the gym. I jump in a cold pool most days.

How is your dad, Marty?
Great. He’s got a new single out called Rise. I am very proud of him. He’s 85 and he still drives himself to his own gigs and back, he’s still got a really strong voice and he’s just about to start a one-man tour.

Do you think your kids are proud of you?
They have a healtyhy disregard for it. They are much more interested in me as their mum. As long as the fridge is full of nice stuff, they’re happy!

3 quick-fire questions

What are your watching on TV?
My daughter and I were watching Kaos with Jeff Goldblum. I like anything with a bit of magic as I really do believe in it.

Best food?
I make a mean spaghetti Bolognese.

Bad habits?
My kids used to complain about me not listening to them – my hearing took a bit of a bashing in the Eighties. We laugh about it, but it’s true – I am often completely off course!