David Gest entering the Celebrity Big Brother House earlier this year. Photo / Getty Images
David Gest entering the Celebrity Big Brother House earlier this year. Photo / Getty Images
A host of UK TV stars have paid their respects to music producer David Gest at a funeral service today in England.
The producer-turned-reality TV star was declared dead on April 12 after he was found unresponsive in his room at the Four Seasons hotel in London, aged 62.
Hisfamily and friends attended Golders Green crematorium in London to say farewell to Gest and they were joined by Coronation Street soap stars Kym Marsh and Ryan Thomas, former EastEnders stars Danniella Westbrook and Dean Gaffney and Gest's former Celebrity Big Brother housemates Stephanie Davis, Jeremy McConnell, Gemma Collins, Darren Day, and Kristina Rihanoff.
TV personalities Vanessa Feltz, Denise Welch and Christopher Maloney were also in attendance.
It is thought his ashes will then be taken to York, in northern England, where Gest has been living on and off in recent years.
Gest, who was married to Liza Minnelli between 2002 and 2007, was a close childhood friend of Michael Jackson.
He became better known as a TV personality in his latter years thanks to stints on reality shows I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! and Celebrity Big Brother, which he quit early on medical grounds in January.
Gest had been planning a soul concert tour ironically titled David Gest is not Dead but Alive With Soul. His friend Imad Handi has been given permission from Gest's lawyers to go ahead with the shows and the title will remain in a nod to his "mischievous sense of humour".
The title was inspired by a mix-up in the Big Brother house when contestant Tiffany Pollard thought Gest had died when Angie Bowie told her "David" had passed away - but she meant David Bowie.
The nine-date tour begins in York, England on July 1 and Band of Gold singer Freda Payne will replace Gest as host.
