lost to drugs
Richard Madeley admits pal George Michael’s battle with drugs ‘literally subsumed him’ in emotional Good Morning Britain chat
RICHARD Madeley has opened up on his close pal George Michael's tragic battle with drugs and revealed his addiction "completely subsumed him."
The broadcaster, 61, is standing in as host of ITV breakfast show Good Morning Britain and talked candidly about the Wham! singer's reclusive nature during his darker moments, prior to his death on Christmas Day last year.
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Richard and co-hosts Ranvir Singh and Charlotte Hawkins were discussing a re-release of the musician's album, Listen Without Prejudice Vol 1, which is set to beat 1D star Niall Horan to the top spot this weekend.
The CD spent a week at Number One when it first hit shelves in 1991.
The dad-of-two revealed he and wife Judy Finnigan sparked up a friendship with the Careless Whisper star while presenting ITV daytime show This Morning.
George had called in to donate £50,000 for a charity appeal - and it was only when Richard quizzed producers about who had forked out such a huge sum when his identity was revealed.
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He said: "We got to know him and he was lovely - he was clean then.
"Then he just gradually sank into really serious drug abuse and there was nothing that any of us who knew him - he lived quite close to us - and he just withdrew.
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"Nothing we could do could stop him.
"He just wouldn't listen. And he died, it was just horrible.
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He continued: "It completely, completely subsumed him."
"He was literally lost to drugs. It was horrible."
Ranvir, who is standing in for regular anchor Susanna Reid, added: "This (album) is a lovely tribute to him
"I'm sure Niall Horan wouldn't mind being beaten to the top spot for a legend."
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Host of famous faces in trailer for Channel 4 documentary Freedom: The George Michael story
Earlier this week, we reported how TV documentary Freedom will focus on five years of George's life in the 90s and was filmed before his death on Christmas Day 2016.
In 2016, Thames Valley Police said an ambulance attended his home property in Goring, Oxfordshire, at 1.42pm on Christmas Day, adding that his death was being treated as "unexplained but not suspicious".
He was found dead in bed by his boyfriend Fadi Fawaz.
Senior coroner Darren Salter said the pop legend suffered from dilated cardiomyopathy with myocarditis and fatty liver and died of natural causes.
The verdict was delayed until March 7 as the coroner awaited the results of toxicology tests – a wait which left funeral plans on hold.
An initial post-mortem, held in late December, had proved inconclusive.
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