So how do you think George and Andrew feel about your new book on Wham!?
Well, George never likes anything and Andrew always likes everything.
George does come across as a bit of a prima donna in it.
It's Mr Grumpy and Mr Nice. He's the artist, he's brilliant, he's a super songwriter. He's got all the talents, but probably all the hangups.
Do you think that's calmed down since the Wham! days?
Well, he's so calm he goes to sleep in his car on Hyde Park Corner! There's obviously something a little bit unbalanced in him, but most artists have a peculiar mind, and I suppose if he became all normal like Andrew, he'd never write another song.
Were you surprised that he made the documentary about his life recently?
He once called a hundred journalists together to tell them he didn't like publicity! Nothing surprises me with George.
So do you think that's a bit fake, that 'I hate the publicity‘ thing?
Oh no, he hates it, but it's an absolute addiction. Artists are just desperate for the attention and to be loved, and then they get intruded on and they hate it.
Did you genuinely not realise George was gay when you were marketing Wham! as wholesome boys-next-door?
No, I don't think he knew. I'm sure he thought he was bisexual, I don't think he thought of himself as gay until quite a bit later.
You didn't describe yourself as gay until you were 40.
Ah, but that's nothing to do with being out as a homosexual, I just didn't like the word 'gay‘. It's saying, 'I'm part of this worldwide club, I'm going along with their rules‘. People used to say, 'Are you gay?‘ and I'd say, 'No, I fuck boys sometimes‘. Anything to be outrageous!
Do you still not like the word?
You make the best of it and get something out of doing it. The interesting thing that homosexuals have in common isn't that they have sex with men, it's knowing that this is a person who's dealt with the same problems.
I'm Coming To Take You To Lunch: 'A Fantastic Tale Of Boys, Booze And How Wham! Were Sold To China' is out now in paperback, published by Ebury Press.
