Geri Horner fancied George Michael before they became best friends.
The former Spice Girl has opened up about her relationship with the late Wham! star – who tragically passed away on Christmas Day (25.12.16) from natural causes – and how she was desperate to get his attention and was "shocked" when he revealed he was gay.
Recalling their special friendship, she said: "On a lighter note, I just really fancied him.
"When I first saw him [in real life], I remember thinking, ‘I need to lose these other girls, so I can go up to him by myself.’
"I actually thought I needed to shake them off. Because I felt like I needed my own moment with him. So I went up and gave him my telephone number – I did not play it cool at all! And then he started calling me.
"He said he really admired me as a performer because I was quite spontaneous – you never knew what I was going to do.
"And he said he liked that, he was quite complimentary. And then he started talking about his boyfriend. And I went, ‘What!?’ I didn’t know what to say!"
The 44-year-old singer named her second child Montague George, who was born a month after he died, after the ‘Careless Whisper’ hitmaker and her new song ‘Angels In Chain’ is about her dear friend.
Geri – who also has 11-year-old daughter Bluebell with her husband Christian Horner – says she was aware of George’s kind gestures and donations he made to those who needed it as she found out when he made a massive donation to Great Ormond Street Hospital for her wedding present.
He also sent lots of people hampers, including Geri’s mother.
Asked if she was aware of how much money he gave out, she told the latest issue of Gay Times magazine: "Yeah, I knew it. Because he was always generous to me.
"When I got married we didn’t have a list; we just said people could make a donation to Great Ormond Street Hospital if they wanted to.
"And he gave the biggest donation out of everybody. This last Christmas, he sent loads of presents over to my house.
"For the last 17 years or however long I’ve known him, he’s sent these massive hampers to my mother at Christmas.
"And he does that for loads of people Loads.
"That’s why I wanted this song to be a reflection of how kind he was, and the way he taught me how to be.
"So I decided to give any profit I make from this record to a charity he supported a lot, which is Childline."
Geri Horner fancied George Michael
