Andrew Ridgeley

“It's very difficult to put it into words or really put your finger on exactly what it was that people found so attractive about Wham! But it was a lot to do with George and me and our friendship.”

“George has left in his songs, in the transcendent beauty of his voice, and in the poetic expression of his soul, the very best of himself.”

“Despite the pain of his death, George is still very much alive in my memory today. A few years on from that tragic Christmas, I'll sometimes catch myself thinking of our friendship and those years together as young kids in Wham!”

“I used to love going out to discos. Chatting up the girls, getting a dance.”

“A loss of a great friend is traumatic and emotionally tough.”

“The success came very quickly and it was a different age so one's awareness, especially in a global sense wasn't quite the same as it was these days because of social media and because of the huge variety of media that people are exposed to.”

“The video for 'Last Christmas' was shot in the early winter of 1984 in the Swiss ski resort of Saas Fee. It was a glorious affair, and the two days we spent shooting it were a riot of laughter and fun, which I think comes across.”

“George's contribution to the great archive of contemporary music rests alongside the immortals. His is a legacy of unquestionable brilliance and one which will continue to shine and resonate for generations to come.”

“There are people much better placed to make music than me. It's always been a young person's game.”

“One has to spend time sort of really going back through one's memories. When you do start doing that then, you do recall more as time goes on.”

“We don't like our lives being monitored, so when someone dies alone, perhaps there are always answers that remain out of reach.”

“George is so prolific as a writer.”

“I was never jealous of my best friend. But I was envious of his talent. I had achieved my ambition of being in a band and playing live and I wanted him to go on and realize his talent as much as he did.”

“We were bringing Wham! to a close, but we weren't bringing our friendship to a close.”

“George was adamant his sexuality should be kept under wraps, which created a wholly unwelcome extra level of stress for him to manage.”

“For a while, I really wasn't fussed about having a public profile. I have come to the realization that I am a lot more comfortable with it than I was.”

“My material contribution musically was less than George's, and George and I have both always been very open about that.”

“George and I met in 1975 at Bushey Meads secondary school in Bushey, Hertfordshire. I was in my second year - self-confident, bright-eyed, bushy-tailed and excitable. He was the new boy and I was keen that I should get to look after him.”

“George probably wanted to be rich and famous - most of us do, I think - but I don't think he ever wanted to be a star.”

“I wanted a physical kick in the music. I wanted it to be stimulating.”