George Michael ‘knocked sideways’ by well wishes

George Michael’s bandmate Andrew Ridgeley thinks the late star would have been "knocked sideways" by the "goodwill and well wishes" from fans following his sudden death.

The Wham! singer was devastated when he learned his close friend – who formed the other half of the musical duo – had died from heart failure on Christmas Day (12.25.16) at the age of 53 at his home in Goring-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, South East England, and has been blown away by the amount of people who have gathered round to pass on their condolences.

Speaking to The Sun newspaper, Andrew said: "It’s all pretty raw for everyone still. I understand that there are a lot of people worldwide who care for him and his music.

"The outpouring of goodwill and well-wishing has been remarkable and inspiring and he would have been knocked sideways by it. I think he would have been genuinely humbled by the expression of sadness from people."

The 53-year-old singer-songwriter took some time to digest the tragic news before he took to his Twitter account on Boxing Day (12.26.16) to pay tribute to his talented bandmate.

Andrew said of his pal, who had the nickname ‘Yog’: "Heartbroken at the loss of my beloved friend Yog. Me, his loved ones, his friends, the world of music, the world at large. 4ever loved. A xx (sic)"

Although George’s death came as a huge blow to fans, it’s believed his close friends knew it was only a matter of time as he had been battling with an addiction to heroin for quite some time and had been rushed to hospital earlier this year for treatment following an overdose.

Prior to his death, the ‘Careless Whisper’ hitmaker was supposedly planning a musical comeback next year with a new album ‘Listen Without Prejudice 25’ and documentary called ‘Freedom’ about his time in Wham! but it’s not yet known if they will still be released.