Wham! have returned to the UK No 1 spot with Last Christmas, priming George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley’s festive classic as the bookies’ favourite to claim the Christmas No 1 next Friday.
Wham: Last Christmas Unwrapped is an hour-long special that promises an in-depth look at one of the most successful Christmas songs of all time, though curiously, it wasn’t until 39 years after its initial release, in 1984, that it finally became Britain’s festive number one. This documentary pulls the song and the video apart, discussing how they were written and made, before analysing their cultural impact. All fascinating, particularly to fans, but even fans might be surprised at how intimate and lovely the conversations about George Michael are here.
Shirlie Kemp makes a brief and heartbreaking slip of the tongue as she talks about how much he valued friendship. “George is – was – the more, the merrier,” she says, remembering his legendary Christmas Eve parties. Ridgeley, too, opens up about the loss of the man he calls “my other half. I never conceived of a future without him,” he says. This is a gorgeous and warm testament to him and to his genius.
