Baywatch star set for West End

First he donned a leather blouson to fight crime with a camp-talking coupe in Knight Rider.

Next, for Baywatch, he slipped on a pair of red shorts to pound Malibu Beach and squint into the middle distance - and at Pamela Anderson.

Now David Hasselhoff is back and he's in London - preparing for his West End debut in Chicago.

The reaction of Londoners has been ecstatic, said Hasselhoff, 51. "I was standing outside this pub called The Crown looking at a map and the entire roomful of guys came out screaming, 'Kit, Kit, Kit,' and, 'Where's Pamela?'"

Hasselhoff still oozes charisma. On 16 July he makes his debut as Billy Flynn, the scheming lawyer who controls the destinies of

glamorous jailbirds Roxie Hart (Rebecca Thornhill) and Velma Kelly (Anita Louise Combe).

Thanks to his part-ownership of Baywatch - once aired in 142 countries - Hasselhoff is a millionaire many times over. His 60-show run at the Adelphi theatre isn't about adding to his fortune, he insists.

"This is not about making money - this is about following my heart, challenging myself, and having fun," he said. "Billy will be like every attorney I've ever known - charming until he delivers the bill."