PASADENA, Calif. — We could pretty much interview Danny Bonaduce without ever having to ask a question. Appearing before TV critics to promote the new GSN network game show he'll be hosting, "Starface," he already knew what he was going to be asked.

"I'm sure you have a couple of questions like — how did this guy get another job? And what was GSN thinking?" said Bonaduce, the one-time child star ("The Partridge Family") who went on to a life filled with sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll — and myriad tabloid headlines.

So there's a certain circle-of-life quality to his latest gig. "Starface" (Sunday-Thursday, 7 p.m., GSN) shows contestants photos of various celebrities in unflattering situations and ask questions about those photos.

One of the categories is Celebrity Train Wreck, which Bonaduce said he enjoys "because usually on Celebrity Train Wreck I'm the conductor and in the caboose."

"I kind of felt like it was written for me," Bonaduce said. "You know, if we have a problem with (the) Mug Shot (segment of the show), we can just use mine."

Still, given all his highly publicized personal problems, how did he manage to convince GSN to hire him?

"I auditioned for it, just like anybody else did. I would assume there were a bunch of meetings that sounded something like this — Good cop: 'No, I really think he's great for the show.' Bad cop: 'Are you crazy, hiring Bonaduce?' "

Which, according to GSN president Rich Cronin, was "pretty close" to what actually happened. "Danny, in the auditions, hit it out of the park," Cronin said. "He was very funny."

"We did check him out with producers on other shows. And they said, even in his darkest time, the guy is a pro and you can rely on him. And he's in good shape now."

"Plus . . . let's say I fall tragically off the wagon and fell in a gutter in Hollywood and was replaced with Gary Coleman, what's that going to hurt?" Bonaduce said.

He figures hosting a game show will be a step up from his last foray into television. Even Bonaduce — who said he doesn't have many regrets — admits that the reality show "Breaking Bonaduce" may not have been a good idea, what with showing him having an apparent breakdown and great turmoil with his wife and children.

But even that worked out, he said, adding that his family situation has improved. "It got really ugly, but it's certainly better now," he said. (And, yes, the marriage is still intact and the family is together.)

"I've grown up in the spotlight, for good, for bad and for worse," Bonaduce said. "And I would say, since nothing else was going to break me of some of those habits, maybe that kind of public humiliation would. And I'm not sure at the end of the day, without having survived that, if I can be this honest with you, I don't know that I would have ever wound up in the condition that I'm in and able to work for GSN.

"I mean, think about it. My co-workers are Chuck Woolery and Wink Martindale. There must be such a snowball fight going on in hell right now."

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E-mail: pierce@desnews.com