For four decades, the song Last Christmas, often called a ballad, has earned its reputation as one of the greatest holiday hits of all time. The video depicting friends’ trip to a mountain chalet is just as beloved as the song itself. Previously, HouseWife shared the story behind the hit and its video.
To mark this milestone anniversary, Andrew Ridgeley gathered some of the original video participants. Together, they returned to the very same Swiss Alpine village where the video was filmed. The trip was also intended as a tribute to George Michael, who passed away on December 25, 2016, at the age of 53. Ironically, the star died on Christmas Day.
Wham! made history as one of the most successful bands of the 1980s. But what became of the people who shared the group’s fame by appearing in the iconic video?
Andrew Ridgeley
Shortly after Wham! disbanded, Ridgeley briefly moved to Monaco to pursue a career in Formula 3 racing. He then tried his hand at acting in Los Angeles. In 1990, Andrew permanently returned to the UK and released a solo album, Son of Albert, which unfortunately did not gain popularity.
However, that year brought positive changes in his personal life: he began dating Keren Woodward from the group Bananarama.
In 1991, at Brazil’s Maracanã Stadium, he joined George Michael during his encore performance. This marked the end of Ridgeley’s public appearances. A few years later, he left London and moved to a 15th-century farmhouse in Cornwall with Keren and her son Tom.
Andrew supported the family with royalties from the album Careless Whisper, which he co-wrote with George Michael. Since 1982, the album has earned £10 million.
In 2019, Andrew published his autobiography titled George and Me. The singer admitted he sometimes envied Michael. “It would be wonderful to be sprinkled with a bit of that stardust,” Ridgeley wrote.
In 2017, he divorced Keren after 27 years together. Recently, he stated that he no longer desires monogamy. Andrew confirmed he is “happily single,” but added that he currently has multiple romantic relationships.
Ridgeley is also an avid cyclist and often shares stories about his travels on social media.
Shirley Kemp
Shirley was a backing vocalist and dancer for Wham! at the height of their fame. After the band’s breakup, she and Helen “Pepsi DeMacque” (who made a brief appearance in the Christmas video) formed the duo Pepsi & Shirlie. The friends released two hits that reached the top ten in the UK charts, according to the Daily Mail.
Being part of Wham! helped the singers advance not only in their careers but also in their personal lives. Shirley, in particular, met her husband Martin Kemp from Spandau Ballet. The couple married in 1988 and had a daughter, Harley Moon, and a son, Roman, who was George Michael’s godson.
In 1995, Martin was diagnosed with two brain tumors, and Shirley took a career break to care for him. She took temporary work at George Michael’s record company Aegean, which was run by his cousin Andros Georgiou. When the company failed, Shirley built a new career as a photographer and interior stylist.
In 2019, Shirley and Martin released their first joint album, mostly consisting of jazz covers. The following year, the couple published an autobiographical relationship advice book titled Shirley and Martin Kemp: This Is a Love Story.
Helen “Pepsi” DeMacque
In addition to performing as part of the duo Pepsi & Shirlie, Helen collaborated with Mike Oldfield in the late 1990s. She also tried her hand at acting, appearing in the musical Hair at London’s Old Vic Theatre in 1993.
Later, she permanently left show business and moved to New Zealand, where she worked in a souvenir shop. Eventually, she relocated to the Caribbean island of Saint Lucia, her family’s place of origin. Today, Helen runs a charter sailing company alongside her husband James.
“My life in the Caribbean is very different from life in London, but it’s just as exciting,” she says.
On social media, Helen presents herself as a singer, actress, writer, traveler, “and more,” and she promises to release her debut novel. It is known that she practices Buddhism.
Debbie Killingbeck
Debbie is a blonde beauty with voluminous hair who played George’s girlfriend in the video. She described Michael as “the most amazing person.” “He was fun, loved to laugh, and was just a wonderful person. We all grew closer after filming the video,” Debbie recalled.
Reflecting on her role in the popular video, she added, “I remember one evening we had a few drinks, but George was very kind.” According to Killingbeck, there was a bed scene between her and George in the video, but it was cut out.
Kathy Hill
The most memorable participant of the Christmas video, now 67, won the hearts of Britons and the world with her dark curls and festive yellow cardigan. Kathy played the girlfriend for whom George Michael’s character suddenly developed a passionate attraction.
Today, Kathy has blonde hair and remains very attractive. Recently, the star revealed she took part in recording the Christmas single Celebrity So Delicious, with proceeds going to Great Ormond Street Hospital.
Not long ago, Kathy Hill showcased her flawless figure in a bikini in photos from her vacation, which she shared on social media.
Kathy has often talked about filming the famous video. According to her, it was fun and genuinely natural. “It was just a group of friends having fun. And there’s magic in that,” she said.
“At the scene around the holiday table, we all got a little drunk. I don’t think George did, but we did. I drank a lot of red wine,” Kathy recalled. She also said that George’s fall into the snow wasn’t staged — he actually slipped.
“George kept sliding down. One time he sat on me laughing, and that exact moment was used. We laughed until we dropped. He couldn’t get up. That’s my favorite scene,” Kathy Hill added.
For four decades, the song Last Christmas, often called a ballad, has earned its reputation as one of the greatest holiday hits of all time. The video depicting friends’ trip to a mountain chalet is just as beloved as the song itself. Previously, HouseWife shared the story behind the hit and its video.
To mark this milestone anniversary, Andrew Ridgeley gathered some of the original video participants. Together, they returned to the very same Swiss Alpine village where the video was filmed. The trip was also intended as a tribute to George Michael, who passed away on December 25, 2016, at the age of 53. Ironically, the star died on Christmas Day.
Wham! made history as one of the most successful bands of the 1980s. But what became of the people who shared the group’s fame by appearing in the iconic video?
Andrew Ridgeley
Shortly after Wham! disbanded, Ridgeley briefly moved to Monaco to pursue a career in Formula 3 racing. He then tried his hand at acting in Los Angeles. In 1990, Andrew permanently returned to the UK and released a solo album, Son of Albert, which unfortunately did not gain popularity.
However, that year brought positive changes in his personal life: he began dating Keren Woodward from the group Bananarama.
In 1991, at Brazil’s Maracanã Stadium, he joined George Michael during his encore performance. This marked the end of Ridgeley’s public appearances. A few years later, he left London and moved to a 15th-century farmhouse in Cornwall with Keren and her son Tom.
Andrew supported the family with royalties from the album Careless Whisper, which he co-wrote with George Michael. Since 1982, the album has earned £10 million.
In 2019, Andrew published his autobiography titled George and Me. The singer admitted he sometimes envied Michael. “It would be wonderful to be sprinkled with a bit of that stardust,” Ridgeley wrote.
In 2017, he divorced Keren after 27 years together. Recently, he stated that he no longer desires monogamy. Andrew confirmed he is “happily single,” but added that he currently has multiple romantic relationships.
Ridgeley is also an avid cyclist and often shares stories about his travels on social media.
Shirley Kemp
Shirley was a backing vocalist and dancer for Wham! at the height of their fame. After the band’s breakup, she and Helen “Pepsi DeMacque” (who made a brief appearance in the Christmas video) formed the duo Pepsi & Shirlie. The friends released two hits that reached the top ten in the UK charts, according to the Daily Mail.
Being part of Wham! helped the singers advance not only in their careers but also in their personal lives. Shirley, in particular, met her husband Martin Kemp from Spandau Ballet. The couple married in 1988 and had a daughter, Harley Moon, and a son, Roman, who was George Michael’s godson.
In 1995, Martin was diagnosed with two brain tumors, and Shirley took a career break to care for him. She took temporary work at George Michael’s record company Aegean, which was run by his cousin Andros Georgiou. When the company failed, Shirley built a new career as a photographer and interior stylist.
In 2019, Shirley and Martin released their first joint album, mostly consisting of jazz covers. The following year, the couple published an autobiographical relationship advice book titled Shirley and Martin Kemp: This Is a Love Story.
Helen “Pepsi” DeMacque
In addition to performing as part of the duo Pepsi & Shirlie, Helen collaborated with Mike Oldfield in the late 1990s. She also tried her hand at acting, appearing in the musical Hair at London’s Old Vic Theatre in 1993.
Later, she permanently left show business and moved to New Zealand, where she worked in a souvenir shop. Eventually, she relocated to the Caribbean island of Saint Lucia, her family’s place of origin. Today, Helen runs a charter sailing company alongside her husband James.
“My life in the Caribbean is very different from life in London, but it’s just as exciting,” she says.
On social media, Helen presents herself as a singer, actress, writer, traveler, “and more,” and she promises to release her debut novel. It is known that she practices Buddhism.
Debbie Killingbeck
Debbie is a blonde beauty with voluminous hair who played George’s girlfriend in the video. She described Michael as “the most amazing person.” “He was fun, loved to laugh, and was just a wonderful person. We all grew closer after filming the video,” Debbie recalled.
Reflecting on her role in the popular video, she added, “I remember one evening we had a few drinks, but George was very kind.” According to Killingbeck, there was a bed scene between her and George in the video, but it was cut out.
Kathy Hill
The most memorable participant of the Christmas video, now 67, won the hearts of Britons and the world with her dark curls and festive yellow cardigan. Kathy played the girlfriend for whom George Michael’s character suddenly developed a passionate attraction.
Today, Kathy has blonde hair and remains very attractive. Recently, the star revealed she took part in recording the Christmas single Celebrity So Delicious, with proceeds going to Great Ormond Street Hospital.
Not long ago, Kathy Hill showcased her flawless figure in a bikini in photos from her vacation, which she shared on social media.
Kathy has often talked about filming the famous video. According to her, it was fun and genuinely natural. “It was just a group of friends having fun. And there’s magic in that,” she said.
“At the scene around the holiday table, we all got a little drunk. I don’t think George did, but we did. I drank a lot of red wine,” Kathy recalled. She also said that George’s fall into the snow wasn’t staged — he actually slipped.
“George kept sliding down. One time he sat on me laughing, and that exact moment was used. We laughed until we dropped. He couldn’t get up. That’s my favorite scene,” Kathy Hill added.