article: Gest, who is a former husband of singer Liza Minnelli, died at the Four Seasons hotel in Canary Wharf. His friend and ex-bodyguard Imad Handi confirmed the news in a statement. American Gest was best known in the UK for his appearances on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! and Celebrity Big Brother. Showbiz world pays tribute to Gest He had planned to tour the UK in July with his latest show, called the David Gest Is Not Dead But Alive With Soul Tour! Several singers were due to appear on the tour, including Dina Carroll and Freda Payne. It was named after the mix-up on this year's Celebrity Big Brother, when Angie Bowie informed Tiffany Pollard that David - meaning her ex-husband Bowie - had died during their time on the reality show. Pollard broke down in tears believing Gest, who was ill in bed at the time, had died. Gest stayed in the Celebrity Big Brother house for 13 days but left the series on medical grounds. In 2007 he was admitted to hospital with chest pains and respiratory problems. One of the biggest successes during his career was producing the highest-rated special in US music history - 2001's Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Celebration. He was perhaps best known for his marriage to Minnelli. They were married in 2002 and officially divorced in 2007. He was also a childhood friend of Jackson and his brother Tito. Gest's name-dropping anecdotes and raucous tales of showbiz friendships during his appearances on reality TV shows won him legions of fans in the UK. He finished fourth in ITV's I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here in 2006, and later became a judge on talent show Grease Is The Word. In 2011, Sir Cliff Richard worked with Gest on his album Soulicious. Gest helped develop the concept of the album, which saw Sir Cliff collaborate with soul singers including Roberta Flack and Candi Staton. He later produced and directed the Soulicious tour. Mr Handi, who confirmed the news of Gest's death, described him as a "huge talent". "David was truly larger than life. He was not just a huge talent and a dear friend but a showbiz icon. "I know he will be missed by millions of fans around the world, and particularly in Britain, who came to love his charm and blistering one-liners." A Metropolitan Police statement said: "Police were called at 10:17 on Tuesday 12 April to the Four Seasons hotel, in Westferry Circus to reports of an unexplained death of a man in his 60s. "London Ambulance Service were called to the scene. Life was pronounced extinct at the hotel. A post-mortem will be held in due course. Next of kin are in the process of being informed." Police have said there appear to be no suspicious circumstances. Gest was born on May 11 1953 in Los Angeles, California. He worked as a music video and television producer and last year he toured the UK with David Gest's (I've Had) The Time Of My Life Tour - which
summary: Entertainer, producer and reality television star David Gest has died in a London hotel aged 62, a statement from his friend says.