Andrew Ridgeley: 'I was never jealous of George Michael!'

The 60-year-old celebrity became famous alongside his late friend George, who passed away at the age of 53 on Christmas Day in 2016. They were both part of the 1980s pop duo Wham! Despite George’s successful solo career, the star expressed that he could never feel any bitterness towards him because they were the best of friends.

Speaking on the ‘Table Manners’ podcast, he told hosts Jessie and Lennie Ware: “He was my best friend. He was equally as generous with me in many ways and the affection with which we held each other was genuine and endured. It’s not in me to be resentful, not of him.

And when it became apparent that his talent was really developing and it was a talent of exceptional proportions, which was fairly early on, he literally pulled ‘Wham Rap!’ out the bag, it was like wow.”

Andrew expressed that he still feels a sense of longing for George because they had a strong and intimate connection since their school days when they began performing together.

He added: “One misses any friend. I’ve been very fortunate, I haven’t lost many friends or many of my peers. Andy Leaver, he was in our first school band, he died tragically young and one or two others but no one with whom I had such a close bond with. Yeah, there are moments, of course, that you wish that you could still be doing things together. He’s missed by a lot of people in a variety of different ways.

“We had such a close bond, you only really form that sort of bond at school when you’re immersed in each other in such an intense sort of way. You’re learning together, playing together and you’re wholly immersed in each other and we were. You don’t get the chance to do that later in life.”

Andrew Ridgeley: ‘I was never jealous of George Michael!’

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