Wham! Showbiz and Celebrity Breaking News

Wham! legend George Michael.The coin is the latest addition to the Royal Mint’s Music Legends series, which commemorates iconic British performers by creating a coin in their honour.In the collectable, Michael is depicted wearing his signature sunglasses, looking down, while an engraving of the refrain from his 1987 solo track ‘Faith’ is also shown. Splashes of black and red are featured on the otherwise silver design, as they were colours used prominently throughout his career.Sandra Deiana, the coin’s designer, explained that she wanted to capture “a detailed portrait” of the musician “that captured his charismatic expression” (per BBC).

Shane MacGowan’s widow Victoria Mary Clarke has reacted to the news that The Pogues’ ‘Fairytale of New York’ was beaten to Christmas Number One by Wham!’s ‘Last Christmas’. Writing on X, she posted a link to the George Michael/Andrew Ridgeley track and said: “I love Wham!!! We loved George.” Wham! claimed the top spot on Friday (December 22), finally landing the coveted Christmas Number One for the first time after 39 years. I love ❤️ Wham!!! We loved George ❤️ Wham! – Last Christmas (Official Video) https://t.co/k1nrzqC8X3 via @YouTube— @victoriamary (@Victoriamary) December 24, 2023It made history as having the longest-ever journey to the UK Christmas Number One, after being held off the top on its original release in 1984 by Band Aid’s ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’.

Wham! have earned the Christmas Number One with their iconic holiday hit ‘Last Christmas’ after attempting to land the spot for 39 years.The track was penned and produced by the late George Michael with the aim of landing the Christmas Number One in 1984. However, ‘Last Christmas’ was kept off the top spot upon release by Band-Aid’s ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’, a track that would go on to become the second best-selling single of all time.Today, almost four decades later, ‘Last Christmas’ has earned the festive top spot.

Wham! taking the lead for the peak position on the charts.The news follows a neck-and-neck race between the iconic ‘80s pop duo Wham! And Eurovision star Sam Ryder over the past week, with their respective songs ‘Last Christmas’ [1986] and ‘You’re Christmas To Me’ [2023].At the first look at the race last week, just 42 chart units stood between the two taking the top spot on the UK charts, however, this week it has been revealed by the Official Charts that Wham! are in pole position, and have widened the gap between Ryder’s Amazon Music original track – which remains at Number Two.However, it doesn’t seem likely that the charts will stay this way until Christmas, with Ryder set to play a fan-exclusive gig tonight (December 19) in Shoreditch, London, in a push to promote the song in time for Christmas Day.Similarly, today (December 19) The Pogues are sharing a special, limited-edition physical run of their own iconic Christmas song ‘Fairytale Of New York’ in a push to climb the charts.Originally released in 1988 and featuring Kirsty MacColl, the track is being reissued in memory of the band’s late singer Shane MacGowan, who died “peacefully” in hospital from pneumonia on November 30. He was 65 years old and his funeral took place in Nenagh, County Tipperary on December 8.All proceeds from the reissue will be donated to the Irish charity Dublin Simon Community, and the release also arrived alongside a fan campaign to get Fairytale of New York to Christmas Number 1 for the first time.The push for the top position on the charts has also been endorsed by Shane MacGowan’s widow, Victoria Mary Clarke.

Lil Tjay and Fivio Foreign have flipped Wham!‘s iconic 1986 song ‘Last Christmas’ into a rambunctious drill song.Tjay and Foreign have been friends for some time. The latter even credited the former for getting his deal at Columbia Records in a 2020 interview with esteemed radio personality Angie Martinez.

Alanis Morissette has performed a cover of Wham!‘s ‘Last Christmas’ – watch it below.While on the latest episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Morissette performed the cover – which she also recorded for her latest Christmas EP, ‘Last Christmas’. The EP arrived in November and includes covers of John Lennon‘s ‘Happy Xmas (War Is Over)’ and other festive classics like ‘Little Drummer Boy’.Watch Alanis Morissette’s cover of Wham!’s ‘Last Christmas’ below.Elsewhere during her chat with Fallon, Morissette spoke of her 2022 induction into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, where Olivia Rodrigo delivered her induction speech.

Wham!‘s ‘Last Christmas’ at a recent match, potentially ruining the game ‘Whamaggedon’ for thousands.In the cult game ‘Whamaggedon’, players try and avoid the Wham! classic until Christmas Eve, and are knocked out of the game when they hear it.In Northampton Town’s game against Portsmouth on December 2, DJ Matt Facer made the unfortunate decision to spin the track. “I never knew people took it so seriously,” he said.

LadBaby would be stepping down from their streak of annual Number One tracks.Comprised of Mark and Roxanne Hoyle, the LadBaby duo have consistently topped the charts around Christmas for their sausage roll-themed takes on famous tracks. These include ‘We Built This City’ (2018), ‘I Love Sausage Rolls’ (2019), ‘Don’t Stop Me Eatin’’ (2020), ‘Sausage Rolls For Everyone’ (2021) and ‘Food Aid’ (2022).Now, Official Charts Company have revealed the artists who are most likely to take the top position on the UK charts – compiling a list of the contending songs for the 2023 Christmas Number One.Among those listed are a variety of charity singles, including ‘West End Girls’ – the recently shared track by post-punk duo Sleaford Mods.

Michael Jackson in the 1980s has sold for £250,000 ($306,000) at an auction.The black and white jacket, which was worn by the late pop icon in a 1984 Pepsi advert was expected to fetch between £200,000 and £400,000 at the Propstore London auction on Friday (November 10).The garment was among more than 200 pieces of music memorabilia sold, alongside a George Michael jacket and a hairpiece that belonged to Amy Winehouse.The La Rocka! jacket worn by Wham!‘s late singer in the music video ‘I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)’, alongside Aretha Franklin, sold for £93,750 including the buyer’s premium.Winehouse’s beehive hairpiece worn in the 2007 music video for ‘You Know I’m No Good’ from ‘Back to Black’, sold for £18,750, including the buyer’s premium. It was expected to go for somewhere between £15,000 and £30,000.Other items that sold belonged to David Bowie, Queen, Oasis, Elvis Presley and Johnny Marr.Elsewhere in the auction, a Gibson guitar that belonged to AC/DC‘s Angus Young did not sell, nor did a limited edition Yellow Submarine Beatles jukebox.A separate high-profile auction will see Tupac’s prison memorabilia go on sale, including a never-before-seen mugshot and prison ID.

Wham! and Mariah Carey have entered the UK charts earlier than ever this year.Wham!’s ‘Last Christmas’ and ‘Mariah Carey’s ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ entered the chart at number 37 and and 40 in the UK Top 40 this weekend, respectively.Last year, it wasn’t until the third week of November that a Christmas song, ‘All I Want for Christmas Is You’, appeared on the charts.Both songs will likely now remain in the charts in the lead up to Christmas over the coming weeks. Currently there are no other Christmas songs in the Top 100.Back in 2020, Carey’s ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ became a UK Number One for the first time ever, 26 years after it was first released.“Happy Christmas UK!! We finally made it!!!,” the singer said at the time.

Miguel, Adam Levine, and Carrie Underwood have paid tribute to George Michael at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2023 – watch the footage below.Michael, who died in 2016 aged 53, has been posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year alongside the likes of Sheryl Crow, Missy Elliott, Rage Against the Machine, Willie Nelson, Kate Bush and The Spinners. It was announced Michael had won the fan vote in May, having been voted over a million times.To honour the late performer, a number of musicians took to the stage to cover his songs.

George Michael‘s classic introduction during his 1998 interview with Michael Parkinson has resurfaced after the legendary chat show host’s death.The broadcaster “passed away peacefully at home” yesterday (August 16) at the age of 88 after a brief illness, his family shared.Parkinson’s TV career spanned seven decades, which saw him welcome the worlds biggest stars to the studio including Muhammad Ali, Elton John, Madonna and many more.One of the many memorable moments from Parkinson unfolded when Wham! star Michael appeared on the show in 1998, just months after his arrest in LA for “engaging in a lewd act” in a public toilet.A clip of Michael’s introductory words to Parkinson is now being re-shared online, in which he starts off by telling Parkinson his appearance is “a great honour for me”.George Michael’s incredible opening line when he spoke to Michael Parkinson in the wake of his arrest for lewd behaviour in LA pic.twitter.com/oDVATAFsWT— Neil Brennan (@nrdbrennan) August 17, 2023He recalled being and eight or nine years old when his mother allowed him to stay up late to watch Parkinson, adding: “She thought it would be a bit of quality watching so I’m very, very privileged to be here.”Parkinson politely told the singer his words were “very kind”, before Michael added: “She probably wouldn’t have been quite as thrilled that I had to take my willy out to get on here.”The moment was met by roars of laughing and cheers from the studio audience. “I mean really, would I have been on for an hour tonight without that incident?” Michael joked.Fans who have been reposting the clip have praised the “two great iconic entertainers” for their charm and good humour.

Within the first few minutes of “Wham!,” a documentary focusing on the meteoric career of the eponymous ’80s pop icons, late frontman George Michael describes the day he came to meet group co-founder Andrew Ridgeley as secondary school students and the instant bond that formed in such a way that Michael would go on to question the path his life might have subsequently taken had the two never crossed paths themselves.

NME about the upcoming Netflix documentary Wham! – as well as the pop icons’ enduring legacy.The new documentary tells the story of the ‘80s pop duo Ridgeley formed with his late best friend George Michael, as well as the singles boxset that will commemorate the 40th anniversary of their debut album ‘Fantastic’.From 1982 to their final gig at Wembley stadium in 1986, Wham! scored five UK Number One singles – ‘Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go’, ‘Careless Whisper’, ‘Freedom’, ‘I’m Your Man’ and ‘The Edge of Heaven’, later celebrating a sixth when ‘Last Christmas’ topped the charts in 2020, 36 years after it was first released. They’re all among those featured in the forthcoming ‘Wham! The Singles: Echoes From The Edge Of Heaven’ collection.

George Michael‘s family have been granted permission to build a memorial in honour of the late pop icon in Oxfordshire.The pop icon’s estate made plans to create a bronze stature in his honour five years ago with the local council in Goring-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, and now is when the plans have been approved.According to councillors, there was some “resistance” from the 3,200 residents, who include many wealthy retired people. When the application for the memorial was first made, parish councillor Catherine Hall said: “I’m reluctant to even agree in principle because we risk stirring up a hornets’ nest.”A post shared by George Michael (@georgemofficial)As reported by The Sun, sculptor Laura Lian had met with Michael’s best friend Andros Georgiou at the memorial site to discuss the project this past weekend (July 1).A source told The Sun: “Everyone is thrilled to finally have the go ahead.

Netflix has unveiled a new trailer for ‘Wham!‘, an upcoming feature-length documentary about the ’80s pop duo of the same name.The documentary, which is slated for release on Netflix globally on July 5, takes a look at the history of George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley and their time in Wham!, from the time they had first met as teens, to their pinnacle of stardom and behind-the-scenes look at the group’s ups and downs during the height of their fame, while also paying tribute to the life and career of Michael.‘Wham!’ features archival footage from the duo’s history and never-before-seen interviews with George Michael, Andrew Ridgeley and more. Watch the trailer for Netflix’s ‘Wham!’ documentary above.Wham! celebrated a short but successful career, running from 1981 until their disbandment in 1986.

Lewis Capaldi has shared the video for his new single ‘Forget Me’, in which he recreates Wham!‘s ‘Club Tropicana’ – watch below.‘Forget Me’ is the Scottish singer-songwriter’s first new original material since the release of the extended edition of his 2019 debut album ‘Divinely Uninspired To A Hellish Extent’.The single’s video, filmed at Pikes Hotel by award-winning director Louis Bhose, sees Capaldi duplicate the 1983 Wham! video ‘Club Tropicana’, shot for shot.“‘Forget Me’ is a song that’s so dear to my heart and I definitely feel like it’s my best tune yet,” Capaldi said. “It’s about a break up I went through where after a year, the only real contact I had with my ex was seeing her ‘post-me’ life play out on her Instagram.“I was at a point where I was feeling pretty miserable and she seemed like she was moving on and having the best time, thriving, and I hated it.

Wham! documentary is reportedly in the works at Netflix.Andrew Ridgeley, who sang alongside the late George Michael in the ’80s pop group, is working with the streaming giant to help develop the project.The documentary will provide fans with a detailed, behind-the-scenes look at the group’s ups and downs during the height of their fame, while also paying tribute to the life and career of Michael.According to Metro: “It is a really exciting project, and they are putting a lot of resources into it. Andrew is also very keen for the opportunity to look back over his years with George in the band – though it will, of course, be bittersweet for him.”A release date for the new film is yet to be announced, with the project still reportedly in the early stages of development.News of the new Wham! film comes shortly before the June 22 release of George Michael: Freedom Uncut, which is an extended version of the 2017 documentary about the late singer’s career.

Wham! and George Michael, has died aged 65, it has been confirmed.Estus passed away yesterday (October 11), and news was confirmed on the musician’s official Twitter page. No cause of death has yet been revealed.“It is with real sadness I post that Deon Estus passed away this morning,” the post read.

Adam Lambert is open to playing late popstar George Michael in a biopic.

George Michael’s sister Melanie Panayiotou was laid to rest in London on Thursday.