Kylie Queen of the World Read online

  Someone the team were prepared to sign, however, was Kylie’s old chum Jason Donovan – actually then still her boyfriend – whom some people suspected of being slightly jealous of Kylie’s success. He followed Kylie to the UK to talk to the producers, although he remained outwardly cautious. ‘We’re talking about it, we’ll just have to wait and see,’ he said in an interview before his debut on Terry Wogan’s talk show.

  ‘It’s on the cards and hopefully it will all come together in a week or so.’ And were he and Kylie actually more than just good friends? asked an interviewer, given that the two had resumed their cat-and-mouse game with the press. ‘I have known Kylie since she was 13 and I can’t see why people can’t understand why we can still be friends and not have a relationship,’ Jason snapped. ‘I haven’t got a girlfriend, I’m a free body and I would certainly think twice about marriage. But I’m only 19, I’ve got a lot of things to do and I don’t really want to be tied down.’

  Kylie felt the same way – she had by now quit Neighbours for pastures new, and Jason shortly afterwards followed suit, but she vehemently denied suggestions that she thought she’d got too big for the show. ‘It really hurt that people thought that,’ she said. ‘They think I’m made of steel but I’m not.’ In fact, Kylie was well aware of how fortunate she’d been. ‘I owe a hell of a lot to Neighbours and I will always remember that,’ she said at a later date. ‘Okay, so it isn’t Gone With The Wind, but it’s popular, very popular, and I’m proud to have been associated with it.’

  On another occasion, however, a different version of the truth seemed to emerge. It suggested that Kylie had always seen Neighbours as nothing more than a stepping stone to higher things. ‘Naturally I welcomed the opportunity of appearing in it, because it opened the show business door to me,’ she said in an unguarded moment. ‘But I couldn’t wait to get out of it as soon as possible. I never liked soaps, whether they’re home produced or imported. To be honest, and in spite of its success, Neighbours is rough. I mean, if you analyse it, it’s the story of three families and everything happens to them. It’s all rather implausible and sometimes I have to grit my teeth when I film an unlikely situation. I shudder at the speed it’s turned out day after day. The writers are usually still working on the script when we’ve started filming.’ Suddenly she collected herself. ‘Of course, I’m not complaining,’ she added hastily. ‘Neighbours has been marvellous for me. I’m just amazed that so many people are addicted to it. Trouble is that it gives a completely distorted view of normal life in Australia.’ In fact, Kylie was already ready to leave Oz. ‘I want to operate out of London because that’s where it’s all happening,’ she revealed.

  Not all her Neighbours co-stars were as supportive as Anne Charleston had been, though, especially when Kylie appeared to be letting her fabulous success go to her head. In November 1988 she was in Britain for the Royal Variety Command Show, as was the rest of the cast of Neighbours. Kylie, who by now also had a successful singing career, refused to allow herself to be photographed with them. ‘I just don’t know what’s got in to her,’ spat an unnamed Neighbours star. ‘She’s got her own life now,’ said her erstwhile co-star Stefan Dennis. ‘I suppose that’s it as far as we’re concerned.’ They were bitter words – but the truth of the matter was that Kylie really was about to leave all her old co-stars behind.

  It would take a while for that new life to be sorted out. As it happens, her next starring role was to be in a much-derided film entitled The Delinquents. But before she started work on that film, in an odd foreshadowing of what was to come, Kylie was talking excitedly about appearing in a TV film set in the 1950s, in which she would play a priest’s mistress. ‘It’s a long way from Neighbours, but it sounds like good fun,’ she gushed. ‘It’s a Fifties love story and looks steamier than it is. I’m not going to do any sex scenes.’ Intriguingly, when Kylie was asked who she would like to take on the role of the priest, she named two people. ‘I would be thrilled to make love to either of them … on screen,’ she confessed impishly. ‘They are my heroes.’ Mel Gibson was one – hardly a surprising choice given that Mel was and is a leading Australian heart-throb. The other name was one that was known not for acting, but for music: Michael Hutchence.

  First, however, it was time for one of Kylie’s more misjudged adventures: a starring role as 15-year-old Lola in the £10-million film The Delinquents. Set in 1950s Australia, the film tells the story of a young couple who battle to be together against all the odds: separation, abortions, passionate love scenes, drugs, drink, a fate involving working in a launderette and a topless Kylie all combined to shock a few delicate souls and launch Kylie into a career as a sex bomb. She had made it as a television star and a singer, so why not as a film star too?

  No reason at all really, except for one: the film was absolutely terrible. For some reason, all of Kylie’s movies, with the one exception of Moulin Rouge, have been best forgotten and this one really is no exception. You can sometimes tell when a film is going to be a real turkey right from the outset – something that is certainly the case here. A very early warning signal should be that the teenagers’ disaffection would appear to stem from not being able to get in to the cinema, not because they were disruptive influences, but because the auditorium was full. There may be less plausible reasons to take against society, but it’s hard to think of one off-hand.

  There were other early hints that the film might not live up to expectations. First David Bowie, who was supposed to have been writing the music for the film, pulled out because he hated the script. Then Pete Waterman, no less, refused to be involved, because the film-makers wanted him to remix a string of 1950s rock ’n’ roll originals, as opposed to writing original music for the film. ‘They basically wanted rehashed oldies and I don’t see the point,’ he commented, tersely – though after a plea from Kylie, he did help her out with one song: ‘Tears On My Pillow’, which gave her another hit single.

  Whatever its shortcomings, this was Kylie’s film debut, and one clearly influenced by her heroine Olivia Newton-John. Like Olivia in Grease, Kylie was transformed in the course of the film from sweet girl to pouting sex bomb, but that’s pretty much where the resemblance between the two films ends. With hindsight, that might have been to Kylie’s advantage, given that her staying power has quite matched that of her idol, but at the time everyone, but everyone, saw her as the next ONJ. ‘Hollywood is her ultimate professional goal,’ explained a friend. ‘She has been compared to Olivia Newton-John because she is Australian and because she combines singing and acting. Olivia is certainly one of her idols. Kylie would love to do what she has done.’

  Kylie was certainly in one of her more driven modes. At her twenty-first birthday party, she surprised her family and her friends when she made an emotional speech apologising for not being able to spend more time with them and promising to do so in the future. She also confessed to lingering doubts regarding her star status. ‘I can’t be too comfortable with where I am because I could be a nobody tomorrow,’ she confessed. ‘The demands never end. You really are giving away a part of yourself. When I am tired and think I don’t want to do this anymore, I just tell myself that I might not be here in a few months and that there are millions who would kill to be where I am. It’s lonely at the top sometimes. There are so many people who want me to do things and I feel I can’t let them down.’

  To be honest, not everyone realised she was at the top. Charlie Schlatter, Kylie’s American-born co-star in the film, remembers when he was first told the identity of his partner in crime. ‘I didn’t know who she was,’ he admitted. ‘I had no idea how big she was in Britain and Australia until the film company told me and said they thought she would be a good actress.’ He learned pretty quickly who Kylie was, though: over in Australia Charlie was just a little-known Yank actor lucky enough to be cast alongside the nation’s sweetheart.

  Neither was their first meeting particularly auspicious. Charlie had just got off an 18-hour flight from the United
States and was in no fit state to meet anyone. ‘I said, “I’m sorry I can’t even focus on your face, I’ve got terrible jet lag,” Charlie recalled. ‘But the next day we read the script and we had a really nice friendship. When I first saw her I was glad she was shorter than I am [Charlie is 5’7”]. I thought, I am going to look good. She is very normal, very down to earth. She didn’t go on about what she was doing. I didn’t know if it helped that I didn’t know who she was, but it certainly didn’t hurt, either.’

  Kylie quickly endeared herself to everyone on the film with her freshness and generosity: aware that many people would be expecting Kylie the diva, she was at pains to assure them that she was really part of the crew. She also paid for an impromptu birthday party for Charlie at the end of the first day of filming, a very wise act indeed on her part that made her popular with everyone. ‘Kylie was very generous, very much the leading lady, which was very impressive,’ said Todd Boyce, who also played a part in the film.

  There was the inevitable speculation about an off-screen romance, not least because the two stars of the film were seen taking bicycle rides together (in fact, they were rehearsing scenes in the film) but in this case the rumours really would seem to be completely unfounded. ‘Charlie’s a great mate, but that’s just about it, I’m afraid,’ said Kylie. It was, however, a first experience for both in that neither had done explicit on screen love scenes before. ‘It was not as erotic filming a love scene as some people think,’ revealed Charlie. ‘It was a lot tougher than I thought it would be. It was the first time I had done love scenes on screen, which was one of the reasons I chose to do the film.

  ‘I have never played a romantic character before. I think it helped that it was the first time Kylie had done a scene like that, too. There was a lot of raw energy there, which was good because some things took a lot of takes. But she was really professional about it. There was one nude scene, though I had to do it on my own and it was a closed set because they don’t want to make you feel uncomfortable. But when I looked up, all the crew there were women. It was very funny. The crew were great, they were real ladies and gentlemen.’

  By this time, as news filtered out that Australia’s sweetheart was to be filming some truly shocking scenes compared to her previous work on television, the film was beginning to provoke a tide of moral outrage. Charlie was scathing. ‘I really feel bad for those people if their lives are so sheltered and all they have to complain about is this,’ he raged. ‘I am 23. I want to do projects that are fun or say something socially or spiritually. Sexy is such a tough word to define. To me a woman with thick wool socks can be sexy. It is not a sexual movie. It is not pornography. There is one love scene in it, the first time they make love, when their characters are very uncomfortable. I think some people might experience that discomfort again, recalling the time they lost their virginity. I think it is fine to make someone feel like that, to put them in touch with that feeling.’

  It seems incredible now that anyone was so shocked by the film, but many people were genuinely taken aback that their favourite TV star was showing an altogether less wholesome side. One commercial for the film was banned on British television because, according to the IBA and ITV Association, it ‘contained material that was too near the knuckle’. (The clip in question had Kylie gazing at Charlie and saying, ‘Make love to me,’ followed by the comment, ‘I love the way he looks when he’s just about to …’)

  Kylie herself reacted angrily to the ban and defended her character. ‘Lola is very powerful and very sensitive and she goes through a lot of changes,’ she insisted. ‘I felt there was something there I could grab hold of, whereas a lot of the scripts that were offered to me before were pretty crummy. There were a lot of seductive scenes and that sort of stuff and a lot of the characters that were a complete copy of Charlene and I wanted to get away from that.’

  And then there was Kylie’s ambition. With every success she’s had in her life – and with every failure, too – Kylie’s ambition has grown and now, with her first film on the go, her desire to succeed was more intense than ever. ‘I always think there’s more to do,’ she said. ‘And I’ve got so much more to learn. This is my first film. I’ve never done theatre; I’ve never done songwriting; I haven’t done much live work. There’s a multitude of things to do. I’m interested in things outside of entertainment as well, and although I feel older than 21, I have to remind myself that I am 21 and I’ve got a lot of years ahead.

  ‘This was my big one, my debut. You can’t do a debut again, can you? You only get one chance at it. I think I was a little bit nervous because there are so many expectations of me. But I’d just like to do a good job for myself.’

  Kylie admitted, however, that it was a big change for her image to go from sweet little Charlene to raunchy ol’ Lola. ‘When I think everyone’s going to see it, it makes me blush,’ she admitted happily. ‘But I still feel I’ve done the right thing. You don’t see me completely nude. And at least I feel like I’ve grown up. I don’t think I’ll lose any fans. I may gain wider acceptance.’

  And then the film opened. For an all-too-brief spell, it looked as if The Delinquents might actually do well. It took about £1 million in its first few days and looked as if it might even overshadow Batman, which had also just come out. A Warner Brothers spokeswoman declared, ‘We don’t have exact figures but The Delinquents has had a huge opening. It’s not as good as Batman yet, but it’s definitely up there.’

  And then reality hit. One review (one of the kinder reviews, at that) put the film straight into the top ten worst movies of 1989. ‘Poor old Kylie,’ it said. ‘She loses her virginity at 15 to a teenage rebel. Her mother drags her off the train taking the couple to a new life and forces pregnant Kylie to have an abortion. And that’s just for starters! I imagine we’re supposed to take this load of old Australian codswallop seriously. But you would need a heart of stone not to laugh helplessly at the ludicrous plot and awful acting. Kylie’s fans will probably love every awful minute. Others should avoid it like the plague.’

  Most critics were harsher still. ‘Images stick in the gullet,’ snapped one. ‘The 15-year-old Kylie character Lola (cliché Lolita connotations here) being driven to the abortion clinic by her evil and selfish mother; Lola staggering out after the abortion, barely able to walk; sheet tossing sex scenes every five minutes (or so it seems) after boy meets girl; bare breasts and buttocks; sex, sex and more sex, with Kylie’s crackling and cockatoo whooping.’ And from another: ‘Pulp fiction manipulated by an army of fat cats counting shekels behind the myth that is Minogue.’ And another: ‘Ultimately, The Delinquents is a weakly handled, insubstantial film. Kylie has as much acting charisma as cold porridge.’

  Poor Kylie. It wasn’t what she had expected at all and although the film briefly topped the charts in Britain and got to number three in Australia, it flopped in the United States and is now remembered as a severe embarrassment for all concerned. More recently, nude shots were published in the newspapers that were actually stills from the film of Kylie lying naked on a bed. The star did not take this reminder of her past very well; she was absolutely furious. ‘The last thing Kylie needs is someone digging out old pictures to ruin things for her,’ a friend told the press.

  The pictures ruined nothing (these days the great viewing public is far more interested in the mature Kylie’s bottom than the ingénue Kylie’s nakedness) but they certainly reminded Kylie of a film she would really rather forget. And even back then, as the reception to The Delinquents became increasingly hostile, she quickly started sounding more resigned as to whether her fans would like the film or not. She also hastily started talking about her next project – a second album called Enjoy Yourself with Stock, Aitken and Waterman. As a matter of fact, all things considered, Kylie was appearing remarkably upbeat for a woman whose cinematic debut had been so well and truly panned. At first, onlookers put it down to the resumption of her musical career. But her latest collaboration with her mentors was not the only
thing putting a spring in Kylie’s step – something, or rather, someone – was providing a distraction from the dismal reviews, too. Kylie’s relationship with Jason was – unbeknownst to the latter – finally at an end. She had met another man.

  5

  Corrupting Kylie Minogue

  It was a beautiful day to be flying across Australia. The sun beat down from the cloudless azure sky; far below, the dramatic landscape of that great country stretched as far as the eye could see. Bob Hawke, the Australian prime minister, stretched out in his chair and relaxed. Suddenly, behind him, he heard a giggle. Then another one. And then another. Bob turned round.

  The first-class cabin of the Qantas airliner was nearly empty, but two rows behind him, he spotted a couple who appeared to be sitting in one seat. Both looked vaguely familiar and just as Bob was about to turn back, the male half of the couple happened to look up and catch his eye – and it was at that moment that Bob suddenly realised what was going on. He gave a quick wink and settled back in his seat. Bob Hawke, the Australian prime minister, had just caught Michael Hutchence and Kylie Minogue apparently having sex on a plane.

  ‘Not in the toilet,’ insisted Nick Egan, a great friend of Michael’s, who was clearly keen to clarify the situation when news of the incident got out. ‘On the seat just behind him. She was so small he just put a blanket over her. Two rows ahead was Bob Hawke who happened to look round and catch a look back – and gave them a wink in the middle of the act. That’s perhaps the sort of thing Kylie wouldn’t have done a couple of years beforehand …’

  You can say that again. By then, Kylie and Michael were nearly a year into the relationship that had changed her life and still no one could believe it: Kylie Minogue and Michael Hutchence? Michael Hutchence and Kylie Minogue? But the rumours were true: the most unlikely couple in show business were indeed together and both were revelling in it. When asked what he was up to with Kylie, Michael replied with a chuckle, ‘I’m just corrupting her at the moment – it’s my hobby. Or perhaps she’s corrupting me, I dunno, it works both ways.’