MARKING FOUR DECADES OF THE FESTIVE HIT SINGLE LIFE AFTER 'LAST CHRISTMAS' ANDREW RIDGELEY OPENS UP ABOUT GEORGE MICHAEL

With its familiar refrain and heartfelt vocals, Last Christmas by Wham! is as synonymous with the festive season as turkey and mince pies. The song has just turned 40, and to mark the occasion, the band's Andrew Ridgeley is starring in a BBC documentary about the classic tune.

- 

It sees the 61-year-old return to the Swiss resort of Saas-Fee, where the single's music video was filmed with Wham!'s backing singers Pepsi DeMacque (now DeMacqueCrockett) and Shirlie Holliman (now Kemp). But, as Andrew tells HELLO! in this exclusive interview, it was bittersweet, following bandmate George Michael's death on Christmas Day in 2016.

"We had a wonderful time, and recreating those scenes felt like yesterday. But it was incomplete because Yog wasn't with us," says Andrew, using George's childhood nickname.

"I think enough time has passed that we're able to reminisce and look back largely with fondness. He would have wanted us to enjoy being with each other, even if he wasn't there."

Recalling that filming the video was "so much fun", Andrew adds: "There was a lot that would have made for quite hair-raising out-takes.

When George and I arrived, the others had been enjoying the bar and it was already quite raucous.