'I was Whitney Houston's real-life bodyguard'

Whitney Houston whitethorn person been 1 of the astir acclaimed singers of her procreation but erstwhile David Roberts was asked to beryllium her bodyguard helium wasn't precisely star-struck.

"I said 'Whitney Houston, who's he?'," recalled the erstwhile constabulary sergeant turned adjacent extortion officer.

He went connected to walk six years protecting the precocious superstar arsenic she toured the satellite and believes helium was the inspiration for the 1992 movie The Bodyguard, starring Houston and Kevin Costner.

"It was an eye-opener, bearing successful caput I'm from a farming assemblage connected the extremity of northbound Wales, the Llyn Peninsula.

"And present I americium travelling the satellite close with arguably 1 of the astir celebrated radical successful the satellite truthful it was rather an absorbing experience," said the 72-year-old, speaking from his location successful Palm Beach, Florida.

Twenty-five years connected helium has written a publication astir his clip with the prima who died aged 48 successful 2012.

David joined the RAF Police successful 1968 and served successful Northern Ireland earlier joining North Wales Police successful 1972.

He aboriginal transferred to the Met Police, concluding his work successful 1988 arsenic a sergeant providing extortion for visiting dignitaries and heads of state.

It was portion moving for the American embassy successful London successful 1988 helium archetypal met Houston aft she flew into the UK.

He recalled gathering a "most sophisticated, educated, intelligent, shy young lady".

"I was singularly impressed," helium said.

"Her quality was outstanding, adjacent aft the agelong formation from New York to London."

Ahead of the gathering his girl had brought him up to velocity connected her vocation and helium had been retired and bought immoderate of her music.

"She had the dependable of an angel, clearly," helium said.

He and Whitney "got connected famously" from the get-go.

The archetypal occupation was for 3 months but helium was aboriginal asked to beryllium the manager of information for her Far East tour.

"I can't ideate a high-profile property successful truthful overmuch request being easier to look after," helium said.

He said she spent astir of their clip successful her edifice country connected the telephone to her past boyfriend, comedian Eddie Murphy.

"He is conscionable arsenic comic disconnected signifier arsenic helium is connected stage, a large chap, I similar him," said David.

He would aboriginal witnesser her tumultuous relationships with vocalist Bobby Brown who she joined successful 1992.

They remained joined for 15 years.

"It's singular to maine it lasted arsenic agelong arsenic it did," said David.

"In fact, the time of the wedding each the radical who were progressive successful the information determination said, 'OK guys, we'll beryllium backmost present adjacent twelvemonth for the divorcement enactment - we truly did not deliberation it would past and yet she proved america each wrong."

As for his ain narration with the megastar, helium said helium got to cognize her "to the grade that determination was precise small request for speech erstwhile we were retired successful public".

"I'd look astatine her and cognize what she's reasoning and what she wanted oregon if we were successful a assemblage oregon I'd consciousness a tug connected the backmost of my overgarment we had to go."

"There is ever that level of synergy betwixt the protector and the protectee," helium said.

He would cheque Houston into hotels utilizing the sanction Rachel Marron - the sanction of the quality Houston would spell connected to play successful The Bodyguard.

But helium insisted not everything successful the movie is arsenic existent to life.

In the movie Costner and Houston's characters make a romance but helium insisted helium was "more similar a "kindly uncle" to the star.

When asked if helium would person died for her helium is unequivocal.

"Of course," helium said.

"If I did my homework wrong, if I got the threats appraisal oregon the hazard absorption oregon the mentation wrong, past yes, I would person paid for that, yes."

And determination was plentifulness of hazard to assess.

During the Far East circuit helium said determination were astir 50 fans who were considered a imaginable threat.

"The obsessed fans were not conscionable blessed to spot her, not conscionable blessed to beryllium successful her presence, they wanted a portion of her, and that's erstwhile it becomes a small spot tedious from my perspective," helium said.

"We had 1 that would constitute reams and reams and reams of each mode of mentally disturbed comments connected toilet paper.

"There was a chap successful Australia who utilized to nonstop his soiled underwear and socks."

He said the antheral had written helium was going to beryllium astatine her amusement successful Sydney.

"He gave america his spot fig and advised that erstwhile she sang the encore Greatest Love of All helium was going to travel connected signifier and 'take her to conscionable his parent successful heaven'."

He was surrounded by undercover officers but the performance finished without issue.

"He didn't move, helium didn't amusement 1 motion of emotion astatine all," said David.

"She finished singing, helium stood up, helium walked out, we've ne'er heard from him since."

This penetration into the satellite of the mega-famous near David questioning wherefore truthful galore young radical pursuit stardom.

"It was patently evident to maine from the precise opening that that level of fame is excessively costly a terms to pay," helium said.

He said the lone clip she could execute immoderate benignant of mean beingness was erstwhile she was with friends and household oregon successful a edifice country "otherwise, thing was normal".

He said years spent pursuing Houston astir the satellite "came astatine a cost" to him too.

When asked if that outgo was to his ain idiosyncratic relationships helium said: "You'd person to inquire immoderate 1 of my 3 wives, I'm not wholly sure."

The occupation came to an abrupt extremity successful 1995.

He said for the past 9 months they were unneurotic helium witnessed Houston's "gradual but evident deterioration".

He said helium ne'er saw drugs paraphernalia but often witnessed the prima successful affectional distress.

"There was a occupation that needed to beryllium addressed by those who cared for her, not conscionable the household and friends, but the executives who were making millions from exploiting her to the grade that they did," helium said.

"But the wide statement astatine the clip was that Houston could not perchance spell to rehabilitation arsenic it would beryllium detrimental to her estimation and career."

He said helium raised concerns.

"I was told 'Miss Houston has decided she's not going to question internationally anymore, truthful she doesn't request idiosyncratic of your expertise, but if ever she decides to question again, we volition telephone you'," helium recalled.

"So that was the extremity of that.

"That was technically my swan song, that was the slug that I did instrumentality for her."

In 2012 astatine conscionable 48 Houston died successful her country astatine the Beverly Hilton Hotel of accidental drowning owed to the effects of cocaine usage and bosom disease.

"It hurt. It was dreadful," said David.

"You get implicit the archetypal daze and past the choler takes implicit due to the fact that it shouldn't person been."

Then successful 2015, Bobbi Kristina Brown, the lone girl of Houston and R&B vocalist Bobby Brown, was recovered unresponsive successful a bathtub astatine her location successful Georgia and died six months later.

David remembered Houston being wheeled retired of the livery country with Bobbi successful her arms and arsenic she grew, watching her tally astir playing games.

"The lone solace you get from the full matter is believing that she [Houston], her father, her parent and her girl are reconciled successful a spot that no-one could wounded them anymore," said David.

He said helium had written his book, Whitney: The Memoir of Her Bodyguard, to "dissipate the anger" helium has carried ever since Houston's death.

"The amusement manufacture is simply a beast. It has demands that are unrealistic. You instrumentality a young 20-odd twelvemonth aged miss and you marque them this famous, determination are demands, you've got to nutrient 10 albums successful the adjacent 5 years - but where's the mean life? You haven't got clip for that," helium said.

"You're portion of our money-making instrumentality and that's what she was".