80S POP ICON
DARLING of the 80s Kim Wilde was always one of the more grounded stars – but at 57 she’s re-launching herself with an album that’s out of this world.
She is hankering after a hit with Here Come the Aliens – her first release of original material since 1992.
The title proves her reported sighting of a UFO in 2009, the day after her friend Michael Jackson died, made quite an impact on her. But she’s beyond caring what people think of her belief in ET.
“It does make me grin when I think about the headlines, ‘Eighties icon sees UFO in her back garden’,” Kim laughs.
“And I can just imagine when I pop my clogs, it’s going to be up there amongst a few other descriptions of my life.
“But I feel older, wiser, calmer, happier and more comfortable in my own skin than I’ve ever been, right now.
Kim, who shot to fame with Kids in America in 1981, admits she still regularly searches the night sky, looking for the UFOs to return.
“I was with two other people in my garden and it did blow us all away completely,” says Kim.
“I’m so glad they were there too because I would have thought I’d imagined the whole thing otherwise.
“It was some kind of sphere – no one knows how big, but my feeling was that it was very, very massive indeed – doing really extraordinary things in the sky. I’m not quite the same person I was the day before to the day after, that’s for sure.
“I do still keep a very active look in the sky for things. I’m always looking up at night. And if I happen to be outside, I’ll always just wait for a few moments to see if there’s anything unusual before I go back in again.
“And the Internet’s there of course. Every now and again I go and have a look for recent sightings.”
Kim has always been used to hanging out with stars, but despite touring with the David Bowie and Michael Jackson, she became tired of fame.
Instead she retreated into her passion for gardening and the odd West End musical. And when she did release music she focused on the continent – relishing the fact that she could go incognito in her home country.
“I was quite happy keeping my head under the radar, if I’m honest with you,” she says.
“My career was very bottomheavy – a lot of hits to start with, then a few more, and then none.
“If I could book-end this career with a great, big hit album, I can’t tell you how big that smile might be on my face. I don’t think you’d be able to wipe it off for years.
“The public grew up with me and there’s a discernible affection that is very humbling and wonderful.
“It’s a phenomenal feeling to do what I do at my age. I know my father feels the same way and he’s nearly 80.”
Having showbiz parents, veteran pop star Marty Wilde and The Vernon Girls’