“I used to look like a female Hulk Hogan!”

Kim Wilde may be shooting up the charts with If I Can’t Have You, but she’s still got time to sit down and talk about all sorts of weird things, including Take That, Chris Evans and female wrestling! Nigel May tuned in…

What was the first song you ever sang?
“I can remember singing along with Anyone Who Had A Heart by Cilla Black when it was on the radio. I was three or four. I sang a lot with my dad (50’5 rock star Marty Wilde) in studios. Even though he was a famous singer, we didn’t have a showbizzy family. 1 think the most exciting thing 1 ever did was speak to Lulu on the phone!”

What were you like as a 10-year-old?
“Very average! I was dreadful with school subjects like Maths, but I liked Sports. My specialities were the lOOm sprint and the shot putt. I wanted to break the shot putting record but there was this huge girl in the year above me. She won it hands down!”

Have you got any nicknames?
“Friends call me ‘Smithy’ because my real name is Kim Smith. Also my brother calls me ‘Coo’. He’s ‘Roo’ and we’ve got two friends called ‘Hedge’ and ‘Nangrel’. I don’t know where they came from.”

What TV programme gets up your nose?
“Most soaps, especially Home And Away and Neighbours! I’ve only watched them occasionally but the acting is so hammy’ I like chat shows and I love The Big Breakfast. Chris Evans is such a good presenter, I’m a big fan of his.”

Have you met Take That yet?
“I appeared at a Capital Radio concert with them. I’m crazy about them. Their songs are excellent! I loved A Million Love Songs and Why Can’t I Wake Up With You. I thought I’d faint when I met them, I honestly did. I’d do a duet with them if they asked, I’d do anything for them: they’ve only got to ask.”

What’s your passport photo like?
“I’ve had it changed recentIy, so it’s not too bad, but the 10-year one I had before that was dreadful! 1 had it done when I’d just left art college and I looked like a female wrestling champ! Spiky blonde hair and a pudgy face. It’s a really scary mug-shot.”

Would you like to get into acting?
“I’ve had offers, but pop stars are generally bad actors! For one of my videos I had to act like 1 was in love with this guy and swan around looking dreamy. 1 was dreadful! Mind you, the guy ended up playing Marcus Tandy in Eldorado! 1’11 leave acting to the pros.”

When did you last go on holiday?
“I went to Thailand in March for two weeks. It was fantastic, but 1 thought I wasn’t going to ever get back! Me and a friend were on this boat in the middle of the sea and the engine cut and water started pouring in! This boat was packed with people and I’m thinking ‘oh no, we’re going to sink and there’s bound to be sharks in the water!’ A complete panic! We were onIy stopped for 10 minutes, but it seemed like forever.”