The wonder of WHAM!

How a new documentary sheds fresh light on Andrew Ridgeley and George Michael's journey from school friends to global superstars

- HANNAH DAVIES

WHAM!

NEW FROM WEDNESDAY 5 JULY, 

NETFLIX FACTUAL

With a string of catchy hit singles, youthful energy and daring fashion statements, Wham! captured the pure hedonism of the 1980s, despite only being together for four short years.

Now the story of their meteoric success is charted in a new Netflix documentary, Wham!, which begins with George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley meeting at secondary school in Hertfordshire and which is packed with rare footage and previously unheard audio interviews.

Produced by Simon Halfon, who was good friends with the duo, fans can expect some remarkable revelations, including how George, who sadly passed away on 25 December 2016 at the age of 53, first came out to Andrew while filming the Club Tropicana video in Ibiza in 1983. We also find out how 1984 hit Wake Me up Before You Go-Go was the result of a misspelt note shared between the pair!

Here, in an exclusive interview, Simon, 62, tells TV Times what sets this portrait of the band apart…

How did this documentary come about, Simon?

Andrew and I have known each other since the 1980s. A few years back, I produced the film Oasis: Supersonic [2016], and Andrew wanted to do something similar.

Wham! were a phenomenon in their four years from 1982 to 1986, so I thought it would be good to tell their definitive story and to make something that was a celebration of that time.

What makes this different from previous programmes about the band?

There are a lot of ‘wow’ moments in the film, like the early demo tapes for