Las Vegas Weekly

March 22, 2010 · 1:09 PM

Photos: David Hasselhoff talks reunion, Knight Rider, new shows

By Robin Leach

Catherine Hickland and David Hasselhoff at the Knight Rider Festival on March 19, 2010.

Photo: TVT

Former Baywatch and Knight Rider star David Hasselhoff turned his Las Vegas visit into a jam-packed and nonstop whirlwind that included a reunion with his ex-wife actress beauty Catherine Hickland for the first time in 22 years. While here, David, who was mobbed by crowds wherever he went, chatted with me and revealed that he has plans for a new Las Vegas show.

Our contributing photographers were with him every step of the way. Tom Donoghue discovered David greeting Planet Hollywood casino players in the Heart Bar, Scott Harrison found David at Pink’s Hot Dogs at Planet Hollywood’s Miracle Mile, and Erik Kabik joined me downtown at Fremont Street Experience for the Knight Rider Festival. Plus, our Saturday posting includes YouTube videos from Richard Corey.

Before his one-day whirlwind was over, David even visited George Wallace’s comedy show at the Flamingo and wound up onstage with the comedian. But the highlight of the visit was the reunion with Catherine, who appeared with David on Knight Rider and who now lives here and is a successful author and hypnotist.

High winds canceled Catherine’s flights home from L.A., so she drove through the desert on I-15 so that she could have her own Knight Rider car in place for two wedding ceremonies before the festival kicked off with 17 cars and one Lone Ranger horse ridden by Paul Casey, who organized the event.

“It’s the first time we’ve seen each other in 22 years,” Catherine told me. “It didn’t feel strange or uncomfortable. It felt like seeing a really good friend after a very long absence. I only found out 24 hours before that we’d both be at the Knight Rider Festival together. He’s looking really great.”

David, 57, returned the compliment, tweeting to his followers: “She’s still looking hot. Great to see her again.” They even posed together for me for this exclusive photo inside the original Knight Rider car KITT. My adventurous pal Jack Gill, who did all the Knight Rider stunts for David, was there with his wife actress Morgan Brittany and their daughter Katie.

Our Merry Mayor of Mirth Oscar Goodman took to the 1st Street stage opposite the Golden Nugget’s Golddiggers Lounge and with certificate in hand proclaimed it David Hasselhoff Day.

In a video interview that we posted on Twitter from Fremont Street, David told me: “It’s the first time I’ve ever had a day named after me. I think we have to rename it, though, as a David Day Off rather than the longer Hasselh-off!” (You can check my Twitter account for all the live stories and photos we posted during the kickoff ceremony Friday.)

He added, “It’s good to be back in Las Vegas. I love it here. I think it’s going to be very soon now that I’m back here with my own show. I have a musical show like The Rat Pack meets The Hoff meets Knight Rider. We just performed it, and it went great. We’re getting offers. I’m talking with hotels here. Maybe I start downtown. I like it here. It has the old Vegas vibe and then move it to the Strip later. What do you think?”

David revealed that he’s been helping his two teenage daughters Hayley and Taylor with their careers, and in turn they are helping him with his new show appearing as The Hoff-Spring! They will all appear together in a new A&E reality TV series that David filmed segments with the camera crew at every stop on his Las Vegas trip. The 10-episode half-hour series is set to air late spring or early summer.

“I’m the busiest I’ve been in a long time,” he told me. “I’m going over to Germany, where my music business is still extraordinarily big. I’m recording a new romantic songs CD, and for PBS, we will shoot that as a special in the castles of Ireland, with the Celtic women dancing in unison with me.”

David, who was last here starring in Mel Brooks’ award-winning musical The Producers at the Paris, summed up: “I always have the best time here in Las Vegas. I can’t wait for my new show to start here.”

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

Follow Robin Leach on Twitter at Twitter.com/Robin_Leach.

Follow Vegas DeLuxe on Twitter at Twitter.com/vegasdeluxe.

Follow VDLX Editor Don Chareunsy on Twitter at Twitter.com/VDLXEditorDon.

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