Wham!’s secret to success – as told by Pepsi, Shirlie and Andrew Ridgeley

19 December 2024, 16:34

Pepsi, Shirlie and Andrew visited Smooth to celebrate the 40th anniversary of ‘Last Christmas’.

Wham!’s enduring success can be explained by the band’s incredible friendship, Pepsi, Shirlie and Andrew Ridgeley have shared.

Speaking with Angie Greaves about the success of their festive hit ‘Last Christmas’, the band discussed what allowed them and George Michael’s relationship as a group to endure in a way many bands fail to achieve.

• Watch Wham!'s Andrew Ridgeley switch on Christmas on Smooth!
• Pepsi and Shirlie facts: Wham! singers' ages, husbands, children and songs revealed
• Watch incredible moment George Michael teases ‘Last Christmas’ in previously unseen footage

According to the ‘Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go' singers, it was the group’s strong real-life friendship behind the scenes which allowed for them to enjoy each other’s company for so long.

Watch the interview below.

Wham! reflect on ‘Last Christmas’ and reveal the heartwarming secret to their success

“We really did love each other, there was such a genuine friendship between us and our sense of humour was the bond that kept us together as well,” Shirlie said.

“I miss that sense of humour, especially with George,” the singer – whose friendship with Andrew and George dates back to childhood – continued.

“He would always come over and tell you the funniest stories – but normally about himself!...I feel blessed to have had that friendship in my life.”

Andrew shared that something which made Wham! a healthy and long-lasting band was the emphasis everyone put on the equality of all its members.

“Being the girl who stepped into that friendship, one thing that I’ve always valued is that, with Wham! – with Shirley, with Andrew, with George – there was us in front of the camera, and then there was life away from the camera,” Pepsi added.

“What held us together was the understanding that we were all in it together, we all wanted the success of it together.”

• The Story of... 'Last Christmas' by Wham! - as told by Andrew Ridgeley
• How George Michael transformed Band Aid's 'Do They Know It's Christmas?' with one note
• The 50 best Christmas songs of all time, ranked

Discussing what makes ‘Last Christmas’ such a special festive song, the group also reflected on the significance of their real-life friendship.

Recalling the song’s much-loved music video, Andrew suggested “people recognise that they are having a little insight into the intimacy” of the band’s friendship.

Wham! - Last Christmas (Official Video)

“That’s a Christmas aspiration,” he continued. “That’s how Christmas should be spent. [The song] has an attraction because of that, and that’s largely due to the fact that we were friends, and we were good friends.”

Joking about the chaos of filming the famous short film, Pepsi explained how the band had so much fun while filming the video “we were not directable!”

The secrets of Wham's Last Christmas music video explained!

“The director was amazing, Andy Morahan, because we were absolutely doing everything differently to how he asked us to do it,” Shirlie said.

Pepsi added: “It’s authenticity... we were being ourselves... we were just having a good time, and I think that reflects. And I think people look at it and think ‘That’s how I come together with my friends.’”