Christmas memories

Andrew Ridgeley celebrates the 40th anniversary of Wham!'s timeless festive hit in a new documentary

- REBECCA MAHONEY, ALISON SLADE

NEW DOCUMENTARY Wham!: Last Christmas Unwrapped Saturday, 8.35pm, BBC2

Unbelievably, it's been 40 years since 80s pop duo Wham! released their infectious hit single Last Christmas and this week, 'to save us from tears, a special documentary is celebrating both the track and the milestone.

In an hour-long film, Wham!: Last Christmas Unwrapped, band member Andrew Ridgeley, plus backing singers Pepsi DeMacqueCrockett and Shirlie Kemp, join fans, friends and musicians to relive the enduring success of the iconic tune written by George Michael, who died on Christmas Day in 2016.

Featuring archive interviews with Michael and never heard-before stories, the special also includes Bob Geldof, Mary J.

Blige and Sam Smith paying tribute to the song, which finally reached UK No.1 in 2021 after Band Aid kept it from the top spot in 1984. Plus, there are more memories when the group of friends who featured in the music video reunite in the snowy Swiss resort of Saas-Fee.

TV&Satellite Week sat down with Ridgeley, 61, to hear about the single’s legacy…

What did you think when you first heard Last Christmas?