Exclusive: Wham! star Andrew Ridgeley — 'I never tire of hearing Last Christmas'

Unbelievably, it's been 40 years since 1980s pop group Wham! released their infectious, festive single "Last Christmas" – and this year, "to save us from tears", a special documentary is celebrating the milestone.

Wham!: Last Christmas Unwrapped follows bandmembers Andrew Ridgeley, Pepsi DeMacque-Crockett and Shirlie Kemp as they join fans, friends, producers and artists to relive the enduring success of the iconic song written by George Michael, who died on Christmas Day in 2016.

Featuring archive interviews and never-heard-before Wham! stories, it also sees stars including Sir Bob Geldof, Mary J. Blige and Sam Smith pay tribute to the song that finally reached Christmas No.1 in 2023. Plus, the group of friends who featured in the music video reunite in the snowy Swiss resort of Saas-Fee.

What To Watch chatted with Andrew Ridgeley about the genius of "Yog", as he calls his childhood best friend and bandmate, and the legacy of Last Christmas…

What did you think when you first heard Last Christmas?

"Well, it was conceived in a brilliant moment of genius by Yog alone. We were at his parents’ house, watching football show The Big Match on TV when he suddenly shot upstairs and returned after an hour, really excited, saying, ‘Andy, listen to this!’ It was a jaw-dropping moment because one of his goals was to write a Christmas song and I instantly recognized it had a fantastic melody."

Are you surprised by its success four decades later?

"No, Yog and I both knew it was a special song, and it has so many elements that make it a particularly good Christmas track. It touches on romance at Christmas, and it’s wistful, with a sense of sadness in the lyrics, but also a beautiful melody."

Band Aid’s Do They Know It’s Christmas? Took the No.1 spot in 1984. Why did you and George decide to give your royalties from Last Christmas to Bob Geldof’s cause?

"Yes, that was an easy decision as most of us growing up through the 1960s and 1970s were aware of the famines in Africa and felt a communal responsibility to help Bob Geldof’s initiative. Everyone did what they could to raise money."

What was it like revisiting Saas-Fee, Switzerland, with the cast of the video?

“We were all great friends at the time, and still are now. It was like a pilgrimage, as it was such an homage to Yog and the song. But we were missing Yog and everyone was aware of that. This visit was more restrained than in our early Twenties, though…”

What went on behind the scenes?

"Well, it got off to a raucous start when George and I arrived the night before the shoot. Most of the guys had been there all day and it was like walking into a party. We ended up skinny-dipping in the pool that night!"

Did you revisit the video’s locations, including the alpine chalet where the Christmas lunch scene was filmed?

“Yes, there wasn’t much food eaten at that lunch in the video, but there was plenty of wine consumed, which counts for my absence in the last scene! I don’t know how the director, Andy Morahan, got his shots because it was full-on. But being together again was wonderful, especially as we would all normally get together around Christmastime.”

What do you remember about Christmases with George?

“Yog loved Christmas, and we saw each other most years, especially growing up together in our teens. But he would always have a little soiree on Christmas Eve, which was well-established before we went off to shoot the video. We’d all gather at his place for drinks and impromptu carolling.”

Does the song bring back memories every time you hear it?

“I never tire of hearing it, but it assumed different kinds of poignancy in the immediate year after Yog’s death. It was tinged with sadness, but that was a difficult year for all of us: his friends and his fans. Eight years on, it’s a bit easier to be able to enjoy Christmas, as Yog would certainly want us all to do.”

Wham! Last Christmas Unwrapped airs on BBC Two on Saturday 14 December, 8.35 pm.