When George Michael was exposed on This Morning as secret £50,000 donor who sent needy kids to Lapland

6 November 2020, 16:53 | Updated: 16 November 2020, 15:17

George Michael was a guest on TV show This Morning when hosts Richard & Judy when the pair revealed that George Michael was the incredibly generous donor who had given £50,000 to needy children.

Not a month goes by since George Michael's death in on December 25, 2016 where we don't hear of another secret act of generosity the star carried out in his lifetime.

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Whether it was giving £100,000 to Capital FM's Help A London Child campaign or donating £15,000 for a stranger's IVF treatment, it seems that George Michael's charitable spirit knew no bounds.

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However, it was on an emotional morning in 2001 that George's incredible donation to deprived and needy children was revealed on national television.

A huge fan of This Morning, George Michael joined the nation on July 12, 2001 to say goodbye to Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan on their last show, after thirteen years on the famous ITV sofa.

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The star called into the show from his home in Goring, but not before Richard exposed him as a past anonymous This Morning donor of an eye-watering £50,000 for a children's charity.

"We had a message that someone had donated cash - rather than toys - to the amount of £50,000," Richard says to the camera.

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"This allowed us to charter two planes and send needy and deprived children to meet Santa Claus in Lapland.

"The person who made that donation was desperate to be anonymous, but we wouldn't allow it, and it was George Michael, and he's on the phone now...Hello George!"

See more: George Michael's secret acts of astounding generosity revealed after death

When George Michael's Generosity was Exposed by Richard & Judy | This Morning

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The 'Careless Whisper' singer was a huge fan of the show and had been watching one year when Richard and Judy had appealed for Christmas gifts for needy and deprived children.

But instead of buying them presents, George Michael went one step further and secretly paid £50,000 to charter two planes and send the children to the North Pole.

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The wonderful clip from 2001 shows George thanking Richard and Judy for "easing him into the day" for so many years as the hosts of This Morning, and then giving personal messages of thanks to the other presenters including Agony Aunt Denise Robertson and comedian Paul O'Grady.

Paul, clearly a George Michael fan, was completely overwhelmed that the star was calling the show and couldn't believe that he had phoned to say goodbye.

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"I can't believe this...George Michael on the telly!" O'Grady exclaimed.

The wonderful clip was resurrected from the This Morning archives after the singer's death in 2016, when numerous fans came forward to share their experiences of George's compassionate gestures, many of which were also conducted completely anonymously.

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Speaking to the Express in 1999, George reluctantly addressed rumours of his philanthropy, saying: "To be honest with you, I really don’t like to talk about the amount I’ve given to charity over the years, I know it’s very substantial.

"I don’t exactly know what it is and I don’t really like to linger on it."

See more: Watch George Michael's last ever concert - his final words are heartbreakingly poignant

In an age where many acts of kindness are done with great fanfare, it was George's humility and thoughtfulness many remember, alongside the great joy he brought to millions with his greatest hits.

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