POP PRINCESSES 'WHEN GEORGE DIED IT WAS LIKE A STAR WENT OUT'

AS DOCUMENTARY GEORGE MICHAEL FREEDOM UNCUT HITS CINEMAS NEXT WEEK, HIS FORMER BACKING SINGERS PEPSI & SHIRLIE REMEMBER THE MUSICIAN AS A HUMBLE, FAMILY-ORIENTED MAN WHO WAS ALWAYS THERE TO SUPPORT THEM

- NICOLA FAHEY

Shirlie Kemp is recalling the moment she showed her best friend George Michael her son Roman's early YouTube videos. What should have been a simple proud mum moment was far more profound for George, who saw in his godson something he had always longed for the ability to be unapologetically himself.

"Roman was just a teenager then and had started doing his own YouTube show," says Shirlie. "I was showing George and he said, 'I'm so proud of him, he's so confident.' He was absolutely fascinated. Going back to George as a teenager, he didn't have that confidence and what he saw through Roman he thought was incredible there's this young boy who was just being himself. In our era, you had to create something to be someone, like Prince and Madonna, whereas in my kids' generation it's all reality TV."

Shirlie, 60, is "hiding from the builders' at her new countryside home when we chat over Zoom. She shares the house with her husband, Spandau Ballet bass player Martin Kemp, also 60. They have two children together - Harley, 32, a singer-songwriter, and radio DJ and presenter Roman, 29.

Joining us is fellow Wham! backing singer Pepsi DeMacque-Crockett, who's fresh from a workout. She's 4,000 miles away in sun-soaked St Lucia, where she lives with her husband James Crockett. The 63-year-old, born Helen De Macque, runs a sailing charter company and is also writing a novel.

Even via video link, the pair's 40-year friendship is a joy to witness as they digress to discuss the Queen's star sign. Pepsi thinks Aries, Shirlie correctly says she's a Taurus. "She's so strong and stoic. When the going gets tough she just goes quiet and when she's silent you know she's really fuming," says Shirlie, laughing.