Fans of 1980s pop culture have been given a treat this week, after the release of the documentary Wham! on Netflix.
The 90-minute film tells the story of how the duo of George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley went from humble beginnings to conquering the pop world over the course of four short years.
Many of the band's hit singles endure to this day, while everyone knows that Michael found his feet in the group before going on to achieve international superstardom as a solo artist.
However, many viewers were unaware of how much Ridgeley influenced his friend to go on to greater things, and how much support he gave to Michael, when the latter eventually outgrew the group.
Wham! documentary viewers impressed with Andrew Ridgeley
The documentary reveals that the pair had been friends in school, before a cocksure young Ridgeley convinced a reluctant Michael to have a go at forming a band.
Without that push, Michael may never have reached the level of success that he went on to achieve, and viewers also learned that Ridgeley gave him his full backing, when it became clear that his friend had grander aspirations for his career.
The Wham! documentary on Netflix is one of the most beautiful things ever. And as we are having a discourse about men not talking about their feelings or being supportive: Andrew Ridgeley is a perfect example of someone who loved and supported their friend no matter what.
— Mic Wright is reporting. (@brokenbottleboy) July 6, 2023
Will always have the upmost admiration for George Michael, but we’d all be so lucky to have a colleague and a friend like Andrew Ridgeley. What a guy ❤️ #WhamNetflix
— Dean Constantinou (@DeanConstantino) July 7, 2023
Just finished the #Wham documentary and both of them come across brilliantly. Andrew Ridgeley comes across as just a brilliant friend and the ultimate team man
— Steve Whyley (@sw1205) July 5, 2023
Just watched #wham and wow, what a guy Andrew Ridgeley is. We all need a friend like that x pic.twitter.com/CiLQ342x4Z
— Tiger Eyes (@sam_the_nomad) July 5, 2023
The Wham! Doc is incredible. Didn’t think I could love George Michael anymore. Complete genius. Also Andrew Ridgeley is a absolute gent too, what a lovely guy. A perfect pop band.
— allywolf (@allywolf) July 6, 2023
A friendship that endured
While Michael went on to sell millions of solo records, Ridgeley continued to dabble in music before largely shunning publicity from the 1990s onwards.
However, the pair's friendship remained strong, with Ridgeley revealing recently they often met up for games of scrabble, right up until George's untimely death in 2016.
Directed by Chris Smith of Tiger King and Fyre fame, Wham! features archive footage of the band's heyday, with the voices of both Ridgeley and Michael telling the story of their rise to global fame.
The documentary is available to watch on Netflix now.
The story of how George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley casually wrote Careless Whisper when they were still teenagers. ❤️
WHAM! is now streaming, only on Netflix. pic.twitter.com/QPikzlZtrM— Netflix UK & Ireland (@NetflixUK) July 7, 2023
