Andrew Ridgeley Says Wham! Bandmate George Michael's Death 'Hit Me Like a Punch to the Gut'

In a new memoir, British pop star Andrew Ridgeley pays tribute to his late bandmateGeorge Michael. ThroughoutWham! George Michael & Me, Ridgeley looks back on his life-long friendship with Michael, from becoming pals at school and breaking out as British music royalty to watching Michael find solo success. While much of the memoir honors Michael’s life and musical legacy, Ridgeley also recalls the heartbreaking moment he learned ofhis close friend’s deathon Dec.

Andrew Ridgeley Says Wham! Bandmate George Michael's Decision to Delay Coming Out 'Had a Personal Cost' (Exclusive)

George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley in London in 1984.Photo:Fox Photos/Hulton Archive/Getty Fox Photos/Hulton Archive/Getty Andrew Ridgeleysaw firsthand how former bandmateGeorge Michaelpersonally struggled after coming out.“George’s journey and mine were inseparable,” the 60-year-oldWham!star tells PEOPLE. “Shirlie was my girlfriend, we met right before my 18th birthday, and George, Shirlie and I did everything together for two or three years. He had a really close, firm, loyal friend in Shirlie with whom he could be himself and confide.

Andrew Ridgeley's Dating History: From Keren Woodward to Amanda Cronin

Photo:Jeremy Craine/Shutterstock, Karwai Tang/WireImage Jeremy Craine/Shutterstock, Karwai Tang/WireImage As one-half of the popular pop duo Wham!,Andrew Ridgeleyhas been in the spotlight for decades. While Ridgeley has kept his relationships fairly private through the years, he has been vocal about his lifelong friendship with Michael as well as the impactMichael’s sudden deathin 2016 had on him. “Despite the pain of his death,George is still very much alive in my memory today,” Ridgeley wrote in his 2019 memoirWham!

Andrew Scott and Paul Mescal Play Lovers in Haunting 'All of Us Strangers' Trailer

A surreal love story unfolds inAndrew Scott’s emotional new film. Their meeting “punctures the rhythm of [Adam’s] everyday life,” according to a synopsis. “As a relationship develops between them, Adam is preoccupied with memories of the past and finds himself drawn back to the suburban town where he grew up, and the childhood home where his parents appear to be living — just as they were on the day they died, 30 years before.

Andrew Tate and Brother Tristan Arrested in Romania on U.K. Warrant Related to ‘Sexual Aggression’ Charges

Andrew Tateand his brother Tristan Tate have been arrested in Romania, his spokesperson confirmed to multiple news outlets. The 37-year-old former professional kickboxer and his brother were detained on Monday evening on a U.K. warrant relating to charges of “sexual aggression,” which allegedly occurred between 2012 and 2015, his spokesperson toldNBC News,ABC NewsandSky News. “Andrew and Tristan Tate unequivocally deny all allegations and decry what they perceive as an exploitative use of the legal system,” the spokesperson said in a statement to ABC News.