David Hasselhoff believes that he suffers from "extreme giggling disease".

The 59-year-old actor is internationally recognised for his work in TV shows Knight Rider and Baywatch.

David admits that it is sometimes challenging to cope with the attention he receives from the public.

"I have extreme giggling disease - when people see me they start to laugh," David told British newspaper the Daily Mail. "It's OK when you are on stage as you feel safe. You can throw them back into the audience or get security to handle it. It's happened and it's great fun. But I don't like it when I'm not on stage. But then, I suppose, the real worry is when it stops."

David's recently developed nickname "The Hoff" has become a household name. The moniker was sourced in a peculiar manner.

"The Hoff is a character who was invented by secretaries in Australia in 2002," David explained. "The first I knew about it was when I got an email from a newspaper in Sydney asking me about this epidemic of secretaries writing about how I was a sex symbol and they were exchanging Hoffisms on the Internet."

David is surprised by how his alter-ego has become such a huge hit with fans.

"It has taken on a life of its own and there is not much I can do about it. Very few people call me David Hasselhoff anymore," he shared. "My daughters keep saying that if I keep being The Hoff I will never work in acting again but I'm just making hay while the sun shines.

"I went to Australia and the whole thing just took off. It's an amazing business. I won an award in South Africa because The Hoff is now one of the biggest marketing brands in the world. The Hoff sells everything from websites to games - I'm doing adverts in Germany, Norway, Spain."

David is currently dating former Welsh shop attendant 32-year-old Hayley Roberts.

He has daughters Taylor Ann and Hayley from his previous marriage to Pamela Bach.