In the name of the father

It’s a beautifully sunny Saturday afternoon in April, and Calum Best – best known as the famous-for-being-famous son of late football legend George Best – is keeping Hot Press waiting in the bar of the Galway Radisson Blu.

In town to make a paid personal appearance at Movida nightclub, he was taking a shower in his room half an hour ago. Given the handsome 30-year-old’s red-top reputation as an arch-lothario, we decide he’s probably shagging the maid. Or possibly, the maids.
When he eventually comes down, he walks over, firmly shakes my hand, and apologises. “Really sorry about the delay, babe,” he drawls in an accent that oscillates somewhere between Californian and London. “Can you give me another minute? I’ve just got to check something at the front desk.”
I turn to the photographer. “Did he just call me ‘babe’?”
My ears weren’t deceiving me.
The only son of George Best and his Playboy Bunny wife, Angie, Calum was born in San Jose, California, in 1981. His parents divorced when he was five and, although he remained in irregular touch with his father, Angie raised him alone in LA. Calum began modeling in the US in his mid-teens, but wasn’t known on this side of the pond until he moved to London in his early twenties. Shortly after his father’s death from alcoholism in 2005, his colorful personal life began providing fodder for the tabloids, as he slept and snorted his way around the world. Rightly or wrongly, he has been romantically linked to various high profile models and celebrities, most notably Lindsay Lohan, Agyness Deyn, Kate Moss and Simone Sofia.
Although he has appeared in countless reality TV shows and has his own fragrance (Calum), nobody is quite sure what he really does for a living.
Ten minutes later, we’re sitting on the hotel terrace with a couple of cold ones. He tells me he doesn’t really know Hot Press, but has done some research. “I was in Dublin last weekend doing a TV show and I talked to this girl, Rosanna Davison. I asked her about it. She said, ‘Yeah, they like to find out, like, the sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll about things’. And I thought, ‘Fair enough, really; I don’t mind that.’”
Your publicist told me I wasn’t allowed to mention drugs or hookers. So what exactly do you have against drugs and hookers, Calum?
“Fuckin’ hell, mate!” he laughs, giving me a high five. “Let’s just, like, see how we go. Can I pinch one of your cigarettes?”
Cheeky and charming, he’s an instantly likeable type. The people at the surrounding tables listen intently throughout the following 45 minutes. When the interview concludes, they all want their picture taken with him.

OLAF TYARANSEN: What’s your earliest memory?
CALUM BEST: Earliest memory? Oh wow. I think it was when I was really, really young and my dad was playing for a team called San Jose Earthquakes. I was born in Los Cabos, which is North California. And I remember my mom had a German Shepherd, and the German Shepherd used to protect me. Otherwise, it would be when I grew up in Southend, and my mom and my dad were going through a divorce. My mom left me with my grandma and granddad, and I went to school in a place called Thorpe Hall in Southend out on the beach. I just remember the boardwalk and my grandma’s house and sitting on my granddad’s stomach. I suppose the next one would be me at my dad’s testimonial in Northern Ireland where I ran out on the pitch with him and I was absolutely terrified. I remember getting kind of lost in the crowd ‘coz that’s when I had the first realization that everybody really adored him.
Do you consider yourself Irish?
I do. I’m very proud of my Irish roots. Obviously my dad was from Belfast. But I find that anywhere I go in Ireland, there’s that same kinda respect. What I like about the Irish is they might know who I am, but they let people do what they’ve got to do and don’t ever go up and hassle someone. They’ll know it but they’ll be like, “We don’t really give a shit.” I think that’s cool, you know. I do consider myself Irish. I tried to get an Irish passport but there was some technical thing, so I had to get a UK one. I sound like a Yank. I was born in California but my blood is Irish and English.
Did you have a happy childhood?
Yes. I mean, everybody’s got their complaints of not having your parents together and stuff like that. But that shit’s realistic now in our day and age. It’s rare to find somebody that’s got their parents together but… (pauses) I mean, I was bummed out that I didn’t really have my dad around but, like I said, that’s normal. I was very privileged at the same time. My mom was training Cher, the singer. And so when my mom and dad got divorced and I was in Southend, my mom took me from Southend to Malibu.
You grew up in Malibu?
Yeah. I got to grow up in Malibu, on the beach, living in a nice house. I’ve got to give credit to my mom because she’s an awesome woman that raised me by herself. She’s a gorgeous lady. She could have easily gone on and found some rich other husband but she didn’t. She raised me by herself and I grew up in Malibu on the beach. You can’t really beat that, you know. Fuckin’ hell! Beach living – it was lovely.
How were you in school?
I didn’t really study much. My mom was so cool and quite laid-back with my whole thing. When I was about 11 or 12, I was going to this school in Malibu, the first I went to, and I was a bit rebellious. I said to my mom that I wanted to dye my hair blue so she let me dye my hair blue and then the school kicked me out. Studies-wise, I wasn’t great. Then I got into trouble. I had to leave a school…
Was it a fee-paying school?
There was a public school and a private school. Public, obviously you went for free and I didn’t do so well there. And it got towards my last year and they said, “You’re not going to actually pass.” So, I had to go pay myself to get into a private school to kind of help me sneakily get through. So, I wasn’t great with the old studies. And then when high school ends you’re supposed to go on to college. But I had an opportunity to go to Italy and do some modeling and I just thought, “Fuck it, I’ll do that!” Living with all these gorgeous girls, you know. Fuck it, why not?
What age were you when you lost your virginity?
Jesus Christ, I was 15. And she was 35. Fuckin’ hell, mate! (laughs) It was definitely a mad one, definitely corrupted me at a young age, I’d say. I’m sure my dad would have slapped me a high five you know, and said, “Fair play!”
What’s your earliest memory of him?
It’s the testimonial match in Northern Ireland, you know. I remember just being there in the changing rooms with him and running out on the pitch and being like, “Whoa, this is crazy.” My dad took me to Belfast to meet his side of the family, who I don’t know very well. There’s pictures of that but I don’t really remember that stuff.
Do you have good memories of him?
Yeah, the thing about my old man is that for every good memory… (pauses) It’s a tricky one ‘coz when you lose somebody, you forget about all the negative shit and you go, “Fuck it, I just have to be happy for every moment.” But the reality is that when I was trying to get to know him – he’d come to me in the States or I’d go to him in the UK – it was great, but there was always a dark side that came with it. For example: I was 15 or 16 in Malibu and I played soccer for a local youth team, and maybe two or three of the parents on the team were English and they knew my dad. So they built up this big hype about, “Oh George Best, best footballer ever.” So all these young kids, mates of mine, were expecting my dad to give us a training session. So there’s a big build up, and my dad shows up, full beard, whole head of hair, hadn’t showered, in a shell-suit… and this is supposed to be the best footballer in the world, know what I mean? (laughs) But that’s the alcohol for you, mate. That’s what happens to an alcoholic. As much as they want to show the love, the booze will take them to the dark side and they’ll push everyone away to get that next fuckin’ drink.
Did he ever hit you?
No. We had a bit of a rough time, you know. I did a documentary for BBC called Brought Up By Booze. In this documentary, we had to talk about every aspect of alcoholics, and being a child of an alcoholic. One time – I think I was maybe 14, 15 – I’d come over from the States and he’d just married Alex Best, who was only like 21, 22. And every time I came from the States, he went on a mission to go on a bender. And I stayed in one night with Alex, and we were playing cards on the floor, playing Cribbage or some shit. And he came home in an absolute state, and just thought wrong a bit, you know, because I was old enough that I was a bit of a lad. He was thinking, “What are you doing with my missus?” That’s what I think. She was only fucking four years older than me. So he came in and he picked me up by the neck, fucking gave me a proper choke and a proper scare, you know.
Was that the only incident?
Maybe he gave me a swift back hand, but it never was an abusive relationship. There was once or twice where I was like, “Jesus, I don’t ever want to get on your fucking bad side.” And that was one of the times, where he came in drunk off his head, thought I was messing with his wife. But, you know, that’s how it goes sometimes with alcoholics. He would never have done it sober and I’m sure he regretted it in the morning. And in the morning, he was up extra early to get right down to the pub to have a drink to forget about even what had happened. It was never discussed.
What’s the worst thing he ever said to you?
I think it would probably be that same night, he said, you know, “You’re not my son, you’re not my fucking kid.” But it’s one of those things that it hurt me so much at the time but then I look back and think, “It was the fuckin’ booze that rotted his brain.”
And yet you drink yourself.
Yeah. I’ve always liked to be able to go out and enjoy myself. I enjoy a drink. But my life is so much more positive now. Like, I do these club PAs on the weekends. That’s the only time I drink now. My weekdays, I wake up, I do yoga. I play football three times a week. I go to the gym. I just ran the London marathon on Sunday.
Your own drinking was obviously a problem at one stage.
I drank growing up in the States. As you would in school and shit like that. Got to London and… My first introduction to London was a nightclub, and like everybody’s going, “Oh come in here for free drink.” As a young lad, you’re like, “All girls, free booze, fuck it, all day long. I’d love to!” But then it got to a point where my work wasn’t going well. I was out more than I should be. I was still working here and there but when my old man passed... some guy did a piece in the Irish Mail last week and he said, “Aw, Calum says his excuse for boozing so hard was that his dad died...” And the thing is is that, realistically, it is your own fault if you pick up the fucking drink. But losing my old man sent me on a serious bender.
How long did it last?
I didn’t know how to cope ‘coz my dad was the biggest thing in my world. So when I lost him, I went on a session, and for a good two or three years I was drinking every single night. Out at a club, bottle of Jack Daniels, easily, you know what I mean? But eh, those times are fuckin’ changed. Not to say I’m a born again Christian. I still like this sort of bad boy thing. I like to party. I like to go out and meet girls. I like to have a fuckin’ drink. I don’t think I could ever be one of those that goes complete teetotal. That’s too extreme for me.
Your publicist asked me not to mention drugs or hookers but there was an incident involving both.
I got caught doing things I shouldn’t have done and that is the reality of it. I fucked up, mate. I got caught with hookers. I got caught with cocaine. And it’s out there. And so sometimes I have to talk about it. But like I said I still enjoy a drink but I definitely keep my fucking hands clean now, ‘coz that shit fucked me up, you know. When I got caught with those hookers and cocaine, it was probably the all-time low. A lot of lads are like, “Oh good on you, well done, son.” And you can talk to your mates and they’ll go, “Nice one, nice one”. The reality is, it ain’t fucking helping your fucking career.
What exactly is your career?
To be honest with you, it’s all over the place, mate. I’ve done reality television, which I think kind of brought me into the limelight. I’ve made some really cool documentaries that have helped me and helped other people like the one for Children In Need in BBC.
Is reality television a career?
At the moment, I’m building my brand. I’m building the Calum Best brand, you know. I’ve got my second fragrance out. My first was a $1.5 million fragrance deal. That did so well, just through one chemist called Semichem. So they’ve asked me to do another fragrance now. I’ve got my own range of men and women’s underwear coming out. I’ve got my autobiography out. I’m also looking to do a gastro pub, a gastro pub with nice food called Bestie’s. So I’m building a brand, you know. Career-wise, what I want to do is acting and I lost track of that.
So you want to be an actor?
Before I moved to London, I was in a well-renowned acting class called Ivana Chubbuck. But I came to London. As has been noted in the press, I fucked up. I lost track of all that stuff. And now, I’m back in my acting class in Covent Garden. And as soon as I start putting in the hard work, the jobs are coming my way. I got a call from an independent film company in Birmingham. They said, “Listen we’ve got this new film. We want to know if you’re interested in it.” They sent me a script. I memorized my lines. They came over. I did an audition and I got the fuckin’ role.
Which is?
I’m an American business man so I don’t have to put on a fucking accent or anything. It’s only a small British independent film. It’s 15 minutes long. It’s one of those things. They send it to the film festivals. If it gets picked up, then this could be the start of something for me, you know.
Have you ever been broke?
Yeah, I’ve had some rough times. I think during those years that I was telling you about of losing my old man and going on benders, I wasn’t working, no one was interested, and I just spunked all the money I’d made in the past. So, I was pretty skint. And the only source of income was nightclub appearances. I would make that money and I would spunk it straight away. But the problem you have in this kinda lifestyle is that I felt I had to live up to this fuckin’ thing, you know. So I would always try to give it the big one, trying to get the table, trying to get the bottle, trying to get the fanciest things. Finally, I realized, fuck that, you need to start saving up, mate. You know what I mean? You’re 30 years old. I’ve got to be buying things that will actually help me in the future, build a fuckin’ base. So there was a point where I made some good money. When I first came to London, I did a campaign for Burberry with Mario Testino; I did Monsoon; I did Vogue; Italy Vogue; fuckin’ Germany Vogue; Paris. I was making good money but at the same time, I was spending it as quick. So between like 24 and 26, I was pretty skint. But still to this day, a lot of people think because it’s Calum Best, George Best’s son, that it’s the fuckin’ life of fairytales and butterflies, you know. They think, “Oh he must have loads of money”. My dad was bankrupt twice. When he passed away, he was in debt.
You’ve been around fame all of your life...
My mom took me to the US so I wouldn’t grow up as George Best’s son. And I didn’t quite ever get that. ‘Coz I never really knew the fame my old man had, or the respect. So I grew up in the States. When I was like 15, 16 years old skateboarding down the street somebody stopped me and said, “Have you ever thought of doing modeling?” And I thought, “Aw cheesy, I’m not going to be some model.” But I gave it a go. I did Tommy Hilfiger; I did Guess Jeans; Calvin Klein; Jockey Underwear and I was making good money. I was making it as being Calum Best, just some random kid, you know what I mean? Not as George Best’s son ‘coz no one knew who George Best was in the States. But then when I came to London, it wasn’t Calum Best anymore, I was George Best’s son for fuckin’ years – and I was very proud of that. But I got very insecure figuring out, “Jesus, who the hell am I? Who the hell do I want to be? How do I make my name on it? You know, “my old man’s George Best; he’s a fuckin’ legend”. They’re like, “Come and present for us for this TV show.” And I’m like, “No, it’s not big enough.” I fuckin’ stupidly thought that. Now, I’m like, “Oh yeah, course, give me the job, let’s do it!”, you know. Not in desperation but in the fact that, fuckin’ hell, you have to graft.
Why did you move to England?
I came to England to get to know my old man and build a relationship with him. That’s the bottom line. People didn’t even know George Best had a son at first, you know. On my third day there, I went to some GQ event with Caprice. Or Caprice was there. We had a photo together. Next day, it was the cover of The Sun. I went, “Oh, I kind of like this.” Free drinks, free parties, fuckin’ girls everywhere – let’s do it. It was all the wrong kind of fame.
Do you believe in God?
No. I’ve never been a religious person. It was never really pushed on me. Some people might find it a bit odd but I’m a pretty spiritual person. I believe in some kind of something out there. But I don’t believe in God and Jesus, and hell, heaven and hell, and stuff like that.
Well, what do you think happens after we die?
Jesus, that’s a fucking good question, mate, you know what I mean? I have fucking no idea (laughs). Fuck knows, but it terrifies me the thought of it, you know what I mean?
Have you ever had a gay experience?
No way, dude. I’m a very open person. People do whatever they want to do but no, it’s not for me. I’ve got plenty of gay mates and that stuff. I’ve got no problem with it.
Well, you wouldn’t want to if you’re working in the fashion industry.
Of course. There’s plenty of it going on and like I said, loads of my mates are gay guys. Fuck it. I’m open to it. Fair play to everybody. It’s fuckin’ ‘do what you got to do’. But if there’s a straight guy, don’t be coming on to him because he’s probably not going to like it, you know what I mean?
A couple of years ago, you made a reality TV show where you abstained from sex for 50 days. Was that difficult?
To be honest with you, mate, it got so weird. I did it because I thought it was a cool, funny idea. I got to film the whole thing in Los Angeles in a lovely house, bring all my mates on the show. And I wanted it to be more about…the idea was ‘the Best is yet to come’, you know. No sex for 50 days? I thought, ‘no problem’, and I did it. I did 50 days no sex, without it, and people were like, “Well, how do we know it’s real?” ‘Coz they had this real guy from the US Marines coming in to give me a lie detector test every Sunday and I passed it. It was actually fuckin’ easy, to be honest with you. I never really thought, fuck, it might make me look like I’m some sex-craved animal that can’t go without fuckin’ sex, you know. Because that wasn’t the case. I don’t think it was one of the best moves I ever made, but I had a fucking great time filming it. I collected a bunch of numbers (laughs).
Have you ever been in love?
No, mate. I just turned 30 in February and I still haven’t been in love. But I’m feeling different now. I would love to find somebody and have a really great, serious connection. Like I was saying, lately, my week nights, I’m at home by myself, watching films, cooking dinner, working on the next business move, making things happen. And I would love to share that with somebody. I know it sounds cheesy as a guy saying it to a guy but I would love the readers to know that. I’m at a point now where I would love a serious missus. Then again, the flip side is that a girl is going to have to fuckin’ really be strong-minded to go fuckin’, “Oh…you, with your reputation and all those things you’ve done in the past – you want me to believe this?” So, it’s hard work but I’m putting in the time. I want to find someone. I want to fuckin’ fall in love. I know I will, mate. It does trip me out to think I’m 30 and haven’t been in love.
Have you ever lied and said “I love you” to a girl?
I haven’t said, “I love you.” I’ve never faked it just to do something. But the time will come, mate. I think the thing is just not looking for it. When it comes, it comes.
So you’ve never had your heart broken.
I think I had serious commitment issues. I think they’re deep dark rooted ‘coz of my old man and stuff. Or maybe I haven’t met the person.
What’s the longest relationship you’ve had?
Probably about a year. It was with Sarah Harding from Girls Aloud. But at the same time like, she deserved better in the respect that I couldn’t commit, didn’t know how to commit, didn’t want to commit. She’s an absolutely gorgeous, lovely, stunning girl. At the same time, I was like, “Fuck this, I like this playboy lifestyle. I’m not quite ready yet.”
Can I throw a couple of names at you?
Yeah.
Kate Moss.
No, never.
It was reported that you had a fling with her.
I wish. She’s a beautiful girl but no. We’ve never even met. But yeah, I’d love to…(laughs).
Lindsay Lohan.
Lindsay and I had a kind of whirlwind romance. We had a great time. She came to London. I met her in a nightclub. We hung out. We went to New York together. We went to Miami together. We went to the Bahamas together. But it was all very press covered, you know. Because I didn’t have the best reputation in London, in England. When they introduced me to the States, it was, “Ah no, he’s a bad boy. He dates all these girls. Like what does he actually do?” And stuff like that. So, the press didn’t help our relationship at all. I think the press is probably what ended it as well. I think there was speculation that I released a sex video or something like that – and there was no fucking sex video. I would know. I was there. But we had a good time.
What’s the worst thing a tabloid’s ever written about you?
The worst thing would be me being caught with two hookers and cocaine – but it was true! There’s been nasty things said. And the problem I had, mate, is when I first came they were all very nice. They were like, “Ah there’s potential for him, a good looking dude”, you know, “he’s George’s son.” But then they just talked about how I’m out every night. And I was out every night ‘coz I was living alone. I’d no structure, no parental guidance. I was like a fuckin’ free man, you know. So then, it got a point where I was just a fucking scapegoat. Like anything they wanted to say they could just write. That kind of killed me a bit.
You mentioned an autobiography earlier. Is it out?
I’m working on it. Hopefully it’ll be out by the end of this year. I have some mad stories to tell: doing modeling with all these gorgeous women, partying at the Playboy Mansion with Hugh Heffner in the Grotto. There’s good sides. There’s dark sides. There’s great stories about my dad. There’s the corruptness of London. I want to end it on a positive note, and now I’m trying to do good. I’m a patron for a charity called NACOA, which is National Association for Children of Alcoholics. And I’m doing speeches for them up and down the country. I did one recently at Battersea Power Station with Elle MacPherson. She’s a patron for it as well, so. Trying to do my part.
Do you believe in karma?
Had it tattooed on me, right there (displays ‘KARMA’ tattoo on right arm). What goes round, comes round, completely. I believe in karma. Everything happens for a reason, mate. If you fuck somebody over, you get fucked over tenfold, you know. And if you give to others, then you get back. I really believe in that positive outlook.
You reportedly have a young daughter as the result of a one-night stand.
That’s something I’m not really going to talk about because it’s nothing that is confirmed. It’s in the process of me figuring it out, but it’s not something I want to talk about, to be honest.
Are you an emotional person?
I think I am emotional, quite spiritual. But I keep a lot of shit to myself. Realistically I’m a closed book in many ways and that’s probably why I haven’t had a missus. You know, it’s kind of hard for me to kind of open up with things. The reality is there’s a lot of shit I’ll keep inside. For years my mom has been trying to get me to see a therapist or a psychiatrist.
Does bad press ever upset you?
Well, yeah but it’s not really… a lot of people like me. Anybody who meets me is like, “Fuck, you’re different to what we thought you were.”
You seem a likable type.
Well, thank you very much. And that’s the thing. As I sit down with people face to face, they realize I’m not the guy the press has made me out to be.
Have you ever attended an orgy?
An orgy? Yeah, maybe I’ll just come out with it so I don’t look like too much of a bollocks, you know what I mean? Em, I’ve had, I mean, fuckin’ hell… I’ve had some great times, you know. But like I said, young single guy in London, bit of money, a bit of fame… why not, you know? I ain’t ashamed. I had a great time doing it.
What’s the best pick-up line you’ve ever used?
I don’t use them. They’re so cheesy, mate. It’s so not my style. If I like somebody, you just make a conversation, you know what I mean? You start a conversation. If there’s banter, that’s essential for me. You’ve got to have a laugh.
What kind of music do you like?
I like all sorts of music. I’m a big rock fan. I’ve started a record label called TwentyOne Records and the first group we signed was a group called White Powder Gold that my friend’s in. And it’s a mix between rock and house music. I like house music. I like rock music. I like rap music. I like all sorts, you know. But favorites would be Prodigy, Kings of Leon. I like Bob Marley.
Do you read books?
I’m not a big reader. Like I said, I wasn’t great in school. You know, I don’t think I ever really finished a book to be honest with you. But then lately, I’ve started to read more. My favorite is The Secret by Rhonda Byrne, and then I read the book called The Power. But if I’m going away on holiday, I’m going away to suntan, not to read a book.
Surely you can do both at the same time?
It’s not my style.
If you could say anything to your father now, what would it be?
What would I say? Shit, I’d say… (pauses) Fuckin’ hell, man, that’s a heavy one! More than anything I’d just let him know it was okay, you know. I’d be a little bit annoyed…at one point, I’d a lot of guilt, a lot of anger. But I’d be like, “Dad, it’s cool. I understand. You know, you had this illness and there was nothing you could do about it.” I used to wonder, “Why the fuck is he going on a massive bender when I show up?” But I think it was because there was guilt and stuff. He was never really around for me. So yeah, I’d just say, “Dad, it’s all good.” You know, “I love you, I miss you.”
Do you have a motto in life?
Em… It’s All Good. Might be my next tattoo (laughs).

Calum Best appears on the second series of Celebrity Salon, which airs on TV3 in June.