George Michael Heated Interview on Cruising, Homophobia, and the Press (2006)

On 27 July 2006, Wham! star George Michael was interviewed by ITN's Nina Hossain about the ongoing press attention he was receiving after having been photographed 'cruising' on Hampstead Heath the previous week. He discussed his plans to sue a number of newspapers for libel, and condemned the media for their focus on his private life, which he alleged was driven by a homophobic bias.
#GeorgeMichael #Wham #Wham! #WhamLastChristmas #Cruising #Tabloids
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[@sylviagrimsley7912]

He was right then & ultimately right now….. those garbage stories are gone & what we remember is his music, his voice, his kindness, his empathy, compassion, & deep caring. He was a class act who loved his family & friends. He was well spoken & extremely intelligent. He was humble & really just wanted to be accepted for the amazing, absolutely gorgeous human being he was. His contribution to our world was enormous & he was gone way too soon ❤️

[@nisansalaliyanage469]

Agree 💯

[@louisedesha2222]

I truly wish that the stories that the press make up are wrong, but I'm still seeing them many years after his death. Give this GENTLEMAN a break he's dead after all let him RIP.

[@nigelbenn4642]

Depends, was his partner OK with it?

[@cuedotfilms4427]

You said it all. He was a wonderful human being.

[@MrIvarlira]

Beautiful words

[@leerowland9621]

I'm a straight man, and I cannot believe that George had to put up with this and this line of questioning from the media. I really feel for him. He holds himself so well - I couldn't have kept as calm as this. You are a legend George Michael. And as you say, your music will live on, hopefully forever.

[@worsethanhitlerpt.2539]

The story is alot like BOOGIE NIGHTS when Dirk went back to being a prostitute at the end

[@glamdolly30]

What did George expect? Not only was he a global superstar having sex with strangers in public places, he had never come out as gay, but was firmly hiding in the closet throughout those high-risk gay encounters. He was bound to be found out sooner or later, and when he was, it was bound to be a huge media story, due to the fact he'd been living a lie all his life, pretending to be straight! As the saying goes 'It's not the crime that gets you - it's the cover-up'. Sadly George was not much of a gay advocate - as his friend Elton John, among others, have pointed out. Why on earth didn't he come out as gay of his own accord? He could have been such a great role model for gay people. It's not like it was the 1960s when homosexuality was illegal, and stars like Rock Hudson and Liberace had to hide their true selves or literally have their life and career ended. George Michael had no excuse for staying silent, and actively posing as a straight man, 'lusting' after supermodels in his music videos, and conducting fake, unconsummated affairs with women in his real life, while hiding his intimate relationships with men. Why? He was hugely talented, with a fiercely loyal fan-base. He could have weathered the storm if he'd come out - indeed, he would undoubtedly have won himself more fans for his bravery. Instead he stayed silent, and the inevitable happened, the opportunity to come out was forever lost, because his public 'cruising' allowed the media to out him. The real reason he's so angry with journalists, is that they outed him as gay - but obviously it was only a matter of time, because he was not being discreet about his sexuality (far from it), and bizarrely, he had not come out himself. In truth he's holding a lot of anger against himself here, because it must have been very clear to him how badly he'd mishandled the whole thing for years. This interview is full of fake posturing and disingenuous claims of 'homophobia'. Utter garbage - if George Michael was caught 'dogging' with women on Hampstead Heath, it would be a huge media story. Any celebrity having sex in public, whatever their sexuality, would attract publicity! But George added massive fuel to the fire, by pretending to be straight for his entire career, before his arrest in a gents toilet. The public did not know he was gay - and that obviously made it a far bigger story. Hypocrisy and being caught in lies, is meat and drink to the news media, and in that regard George Michael was undoubtedly guilty as charged! One of the primary functions of a free press in a democracy, is to expose hypocrisy among the powerful. They fulfilled this very important brief with aplomb, with George Michael. There are many innocent victims of gutter journalism, but George Michael is not one of them. Frankly he got everything he deserved.

[@EscapeFromDaSystem]

sounds like your gay

[@leerowland9621]

You wish mate

[@MarkStevens8899]

Said the gay ​@@EscapeFromDaSystem

[@ThomasNappo]

One of the most talented, gifted entertainers ever lived..

[@MrG77]

"" I keep repeating myself because I know it will be edited." Classic.🙏

[@Wowwwzaaa]

I giggled when he said that and I was thinking “smart man! Fill the whole video with it,so they have nothing left to show the public if they did edit it”

[@seltonk5136]

Ironically gay men are the biggest buyer of those gossip rags. Don't bs yourself

[@michaelm3943]

Classic trash

[@MrG77]

@@michaelm3943 Michael i am a big hip hop head ,but I am 46 and I like Georges music aswell. Because my mum used to blast it when I was young aswell and dance all over the house. She is no longer here so people like music for so many reasons . Sorry if you are not a fan.👍

[@DavidHarvey-po9le]

Well the media are liars, about all of us. They are just looking for a headline - don't stop reading them - STOP BELIEVING THEM. No I take that back STOP BUYING THEM.

[@TheMontyfire]

He was a very elegant,smart and talented man who was gone far too early.

[@sherryweems8579]

Not necessarily he was a rich, miserable man. He did have a great gift and was never really happy. Then he killed himself, the ultimate selfish act.

[@weblegion]

No HE was messed up and gay! - Demonic!!!

[@StrawberryMixALot]

@@sherryweems8579 what a disgusting thing to say. so if someone is depressed they should keep themselves in a state of depression to make idiots like you happy? YOU are selfish, not him.

[@adamtzsch]

@@sherryweems8579How did he “kill himself”?

[@adamtzsch]

⁠@@sherryweems8579How did he “kill himself”?

[@thefunshow2024]

When you're 20 years ahead of the argument and the people you're arguing with don't understand.

[@doalwa]

God, I adored this man and his incredible talent…it’s a shame he’s no longer with us.

[@TheGemini5]

You're definitely not alone. I will regret forever not seeing him in concert. 😢

[@shaunbat5097]

And me​@@TheGemini5

[@AnnHollowell-fk1yh]

And me 😢

[@digitalwarrior5995]

i just vomited

[@Scotty-P]

One can only wonder and hope that he made peace with God for his vulgar proclivities .

[@rolybling]

The media are absolute scum, George doesn't have to justify his life. He was horny ,big deal, he's not harming anyone, why couldn't they leave him alone?

[@Foxxxtrottt64]

He was horny!😁😁😁😁😁I would have loved to have met him to share his horniness 😁

[@karlc2869]

Yep. I mean, the media also did the same to Michael Jackson, Britney, etc.

[@marcosmartinez8088]

Media is just like the common people. They see something surpeficially, and instead of thinking what happened and go deep, we judge the situation or person as right or wrong instanly, like we aint sinners and saints at the same time too. Instead of holding ourselves acountable for our own personal actions, we blame everyone for the bad things in society and judge them.

[@clifforddriver9434]

BS

[@karlc2869]

@@marcosmartinez8088 IKR.

[@juliannedispain1637]

His music will live on for eternity. He was so talented.

[@Daddylongneck371]

It will live on for as long as the human race does and thats a blink of an eye in reality

[@Dcuniverse60]

He was 43 here my hero you Will be favorit he'never be forgotten

[@greenhammer3263]

Missing the point of this numbuts

[@user-th3ll8rl7i]

Jitterbug. Jitterbug. Wake me up before you go-go, don't keep me hanging on like a yo-yo. Genius level.

[@michaelm3943]

No it wont

[@WogerWaaabbit]

George’s sexuality was always the least interesting thing about him. An absolutely legendary talent 🥰

[@sayno2lolzisback]

Well that's kind of disheartening as I'm gay and I find it so inspiring he lived his truth in such ignorant times. plus we've barely moved on from this

[@rulerofomicronpersei8]

@@sayno2lolzisbackthen why are you people so hell bent and obsessed, about shoving your alphabet rainbow mafia nonsense down children’s throats? Why? Why is it so important, discussing your sexuality in front of little children? Or anyone, for that matter. Maybe you personally don’t do that, but many, many do. Why are teachers “coming out” in front of their kindergarten students? And if you deny that happening, that makes it even more disturbing. Live your life, fine, but keep children out of it, it’s disturbing seeing exactly what I said play out across my country. Pride parades across America, literally chanting “we’re coming for your kids”, it’s not winning anyone over when people say crap like that. My sexuality isn’t my identity, and neither should yours be. Straight people don’t have “straight pride” parades, that’d be silly and unnecessary. You also have straight pride month, another ridiculous attempt at indoctrination, you people have become a cult. And then you act shocked, when you get flack for it. It’s bizarre.

[@glamdolly30]

@@sayno2lolzisback How did George Michael 'live his truth'? He was a gay superstar firmly hiding in the closet and pretending to be heterosexual, until he was outed by his arrest for chasing gay sex in public places. That's not 'living his truth' - it's living a lie! To be clear - George Michael never came out as gay. He was a global star for 16 years, and only reluctantly, and very belatedly admitted he was gay in 1998 when the jig was up, because the LA Police had outed him. The fact he had hidden his homosexuality, made his arrest a much bigger story. Why on earth didn't he admit what all his friends already knew - he was gay? In 1998 it was not a big deal, it was a tolerant age and a tolerant profession in which to be gay, as one of his best friends, out and proud pop legend Sir Elton John, said at the time. George could have made a brief, dignified statement that he was gay long before 1998, and his loyal fan base would have stood by him. More importantly, he would have given a much-needed boost to the gay community, encouraging young people to follow his example and have the courage to be their true, authentic selves too. Such a move by George Michael would have won him universal praise. But instead he stayed firmly in the closet, only owning his homosexuality reactively, as a result of his arrest. He was no role model or champion of the gay community and unsurprisingly, many gay people felt let down by his years of deception and denial.

[@kimbrightman4381]

I used to say that it was no surprise and no big deal that George was gay. The only newsworthy item was finding out that Andrew Ridgely was straight.

[@sayno2lolzisback]

@@kimbrightman4381 His bravery and defiance against total ignorance is admirable, inspirational, and definitely newsworthy. He's among a legendary group of queer people who threw themselves on the sacrificial pyre to make things better for future generations (he even acknowledges he's doing this in the interview). I know people mean well when comments like that are made but they are quite detached from the reality of what's going on.

[@johngammon963]

No matter if you agree with him or not - his words came true and all we remeber is the great man and his great music - God bless George x

[@Annapurna818]

I was one of his earliest fans. He is not a great man. Just a dead singer.

[@nisansalaliyanage469]

@@Annapurna818 ​really??? So how come he was inducted to Rock n Roll hall of fame with more than 1 million votes last year and a coin was introduced in UK this month in honour of him? 😂

[@SonyaDlivingwithlupus]

@@Annapurna818the great part is that we will say the same thing about you one day. The difference? Drop the singer part and also no one cares about you. RIP George❤

[@glamdolly30]

George Michael was right about one thing - his music will live on. But I do think it's hilarious he's indignant that journalists reported him having sex with strangers in public. Did he really think he could do that and it not get headlines? And let's not forget, George had never come out as gay, when he was having those high risk sexual encounters with random men in public toilets. So there's the issue of his hypocrisy too - George never came out, he was outed by the media, because he got himself arrested. At the time the public believed he was straight - which made it a far bigger news story. It's actually very concerning that he worked so hard, for so long, to appear straight - it suggests he never had any intention of coming out as gay, and had he not been caught cruising would simply have continued to play the heterosexual star. Which in the modern world, which is accepting of gay people (especially celebs), is bizarre. If he had only gone public on his homosexuality years earlier, he could have been a positive role model for so many gay people. The fact he instead firmly hid in the closet, suggests he was ashamed of being gay - hardly a great advocate for the gay community! He also gave the media the power to 'out' him - hypocrisy is meat and drink to newspapers, and George Michael was certainly guilty of that. He gave the media a gift! He must have been kicking himself that instead of coming out of his own accord and being in control of the story, he had been outed by the media due to his own behaviour and resulting arrest. That gave the scandal so much more power.

[@seltonk5136]

Gay men were the biggest buyer of those gossip rags and still are.

[@BigMTBrain]

Everyone should watch this. The more people who understand and accept what he's saying, the better society would be in many respects. Said by a straight guy whose a HUGE fan of George Michael, one of the greatest male voices of all time, a great person as well.

[@nicolar6461]

How eloquent and classy you are George. My upmost respect to you in this very damaging situation. You have the patience of a saint xxx

[@starsandbeyond5848]

This man was gorgeous! He's so educated, polite and classy. Despite being tested multiple times by the press, he was always very civil.

[@borisnegrarosa9113]

I think the press was behaving like that because he was a successful foreigner.

[@starsandbeyond5848]

@@borisnegrarosa9113 Indeed. They were looking to find something wrong with him, because he was too charming and charismatic, also happy with the way he lived, so instead of understanding him, they wanted to make him feel bad.

[@michael-zu7lr]

I don't get it. Gorgeous? I guess I'm crazy.

[@eboiman6082]

@@Alec-Al nice to know you disagree with most people

[@nisansalaliyanage469]

​​@@eboiman6082most people or only you 2-3 people? 😂

[@Youtuber5775-]

The day that George Michael died my son came down the stairs and said “hey George Michael died.” I started crying because I couldn’t believe it when he said that he was dead on Christmas Day. I don’t care about his sexuality or his personal life, but I do respect him for caring so much for others that he donated so much money to help to make drugs for AIDS patients who were suffering from the disease. His writings are some of the most beautiful songs in this world! ❤🎉

[@DavidHarvey-po9le]

I do respect George Michael for this interview, however I will never forgive him for "wake me ip before you go go".

[@Youtuber5775-]

@@DavidHarvey-po9le 😂🤣😂 the perfect song for prison time. 😂

[@aalexjohna]

@@DavidHarvey-po9le "Wank me off before you go go".

[@Lisa-jp1zf]

My son was the one who told me also. I went outside and sat on the porch crying my eyes out. He was an angel gifted to us for a short time. ❤

[@umarbentley4953]

One thing I can say about George is whenever it was time to confront the media and to speak his piece he truly tackled them on like a pit bull,a force to be reckon with but with great eloquence,class and assertiveness.This lady was trying to trap him and break him down in order to make him look bad but in return the pie was tossed back in her face,she failed miserably.

[@feralcat07]

Well said. You've hit the nail right on the head.

[@worsethanhitlerpt.2539]

Though it is funny to think a famous pop singer could be reduced to blowing guys in a bathroom like a common drug addict bum

[@glamdolly30]

If George Michael had only come out publicly as the gay man his friends knew and loved, instead of hiding in the closet for 16 years pretending to be straight - and betraying the gay community - news of his cruising activities would not have had half so much media impact! The issue was not his homosexuality, but his hypocrisy. It was the fact he had lived a lie and presented an entirely false public image as a straight man for his entire career, that was the story. As the old saying goes "It's not the crime that gets you, it's the cover up". His disingenuous cries of 'homophobia' in this interview as he plays the victim, are a cynical ploy for undeserved sympathy. He would have triggered exactly the same level of media interest had he been caught 'dogging' with strange women - as he well knew! George Michael was famous from the age of 18, he understood how the media worked, and he played it like a champ. But he was used to being in control of his image and his publicity. Living a lie for so long made him vulnerable to negative publicity - it would always catch up with him at some point. His arrest in a public toilet was that moment. A star who has sex with strangers in public will inevitably get major headlines - but when in addition it exposes a fundamental fraud, the story will run and run! When he was caught having public sex with men, he handed journalists the power to to 'out' him, and to mock and ridicule him for his duplicity. Sadly his deception inevitably brought unfair mockery of all gay people. George Michael should be eating humble pie in this interview, and apologising to the gay community he did such a disservice to with his fake, 16-year, heterosexual act.

[@worsethanhitlerpt.2539]

@@glamdolly30 yep

[@LukeMosse]

​@@glamdolly30totally disagree, nobody 'deserves' to be lied about, complete nonsense.

[@annakisfaludinebaan]

I don't know why they show such videos? George is a blessing to mankind! He never, ever has to defend himself! We can be grateful to fate that we lived in an age when he lived and created and we could enjoy his extraordinary talent. It means a great deal of happiness to me that he has finally entered the Hall of Fame, even though his place has been there for a long time! He is eternal, because he left music that is timeless, as is his beauty and goodness. Every day I watch and listen to some of his songs, I choose depending on the state of my soul, but I miss him terribly. Such a smart, beautiful and super talented person is born only once in 1000 years. Unfortunately, we've reached another anniversary and I'm about to cry again, but I hope you can see how much we love him up there!

[@nisansalaliyanage469]

Absolutely 💯. Thanks for your words ❤️

[@rosalbaroblestapia9517]

Thank you for your wise words. We love and respect George because of his great talent, soul and heart and that's whar matters not to judge his private life.🙏🏼😇🙋🏻‍♀️😘❤😍

[@annakisfaludinebaan]

@@rosalbaroblestapia9517 Honestly, no one allows anyone to pry into their private life. The private sphere is the person's private life. Everyone protects their own peace, only we will never be as famous and fantastic as him. A super guy who is still everyone's idol to this day. One does not choose love, it comes to whom it is like, to whom it is like. I think he would have been happy if they had left him alone, because he belonged to everyone on the stage and in the videos he still belongs to everyone (who loves him), otherwise his private life is his! I love it anyway!

[@fullmetalscotsman1306]

You watched it then? So why did you?

[@HowDidIGet3700Subs]

Well the fact u think he doesn’t have to defend himself doesn’t count for all

[@hotmikado]

What a fantastic interview. George was a wonderful person. Clever, mega-talented, kind, funny and beautiful. All he said here is 100% true and his predictions proved to, for the most part, become reality. You were taken from us way too early and we miss you so much, Georgy-Boy. 💕😘

[@bob110088]

As an older gay man, I can say there are a lot of destructive things in the culture. Promiscuity is one of them.

[@Mostopinionatedmanofalltime]

True, it wasn’t good for George’s physical and mental health to be doing those things, but I can understand his disdain of the media. But straight celebrities sex lives are also fodder for the tabloids.

[@MrIvarlira]

He deserved a standing ovation. Full stop. 👋👋👋👋👋👋👋👋

[@karlc2869]

The media owes every celeb an apology for kicking them during their tough times. Period.

[@Piolin333]

The media is the reason many of them are built up to be gods in the eyes of many including themselves. Some of them need to be brought down to earth especially if they committed crimes and think they should get away with it or special treatment just because they're famous. Not saying this in George Michael's case because he didn't do anything wrong as far as I know.

[@karlc2869]

@@Piolin333 The media still needs to say sorry to those celebs tho.

[@Piolin333]

@@karlc2869 why do they owe apology to celebs. Are you like many people especially Americans who tend to hero worship just because someone is famous? I admire the work athletes and entertainers put in but I don't worship any. I'm a huge sports fan and have met many pro athletes but never asked for autograph. They are no better than us just famous. And if they committed crimes and media did their part and reported on it they owe no apologies. Digging into personal lives comes with the territory unfortunately. Price of fame.

[@karlc2869]

@@Piolin333 They are still human like I said.

[@Piolin333]

@@karlc2869 yes. And we all sin and make mistakes. I'm saying many celebrities have benefitted from the attention of the media but don't like it when they receive negative publicity if they did something wrong. Gotta take the good with the bad. Hate the stupid TMZ and celebrity gossip shows and yes they should be sued if they print and report something false. But reporting something that is true like being accused of convicted of a crime by law enforcement is the media's job. Yes if it was a long time ago and they have served their time and changed yes the media should let them be but don't need to apologize if what they reported was true.

[@_Quint_]

This was a fantastic, deeply candid interview. Michael handled it well; the prejudice of the amateurish interviewer never once phasing him throughout its thirty minutes.

[@iangrant3615]

Indeed. He was so patient with her. Nina Hossain is a very experienced interviewer (still fronting ITN bulletins today!) but sadly has a tendency to either interrupt her guests (not in this case, to be fair) or to projecting and reveal her own views as being rather conservative and judgemental (very much in this case, sadly). By the end of this, she seemed to still feel that George Michael was somehow subjecting himself to dangerous, dirty, unsafe sex with unsavoury individuals, despite him explaining that he was getting good encounters with beautiful individuals and enjoying great sex and good times talking to people he knows under the stars in front of camp fires (which presumably, when you're a superstar, is a refreshing change from people gawping and asking for autographs). I feel sad that a good man, who did so much for others, for good causes, and just wanted to do his own thing, was tormented by the media and ended up only living another 10 years in relative seclusion as a result.

[@mr.brenman2132]

​@@iangrant3615He only lived another 10 years because of his substance abuse problems. Interesting how you are bemoaning someone for being conservative and then talking about being judgemental. Talk about hypocrisy. I guess they should hope society and their loved one's go down the same path as Michael.

[@iangrant3615]

@@mr.brenman2132 substance abuse problems fuelled by how frustrated he felt by the way he was judged and pursued by the media, and his health took a major setback five years earlier when he spent three weeks in a coma recovering from a bad type of pneumonia which weakened him permanently. His reliance on alcohol and drugs came from grief and depression/stress.

[@moonhaze8332]

The man lead a disgusting, spiritually destructive lifestyle.

[@wesleyashworth5061]

@@mr.brenman2132….and his substance abuse problems were because of ?

[@dot10k]

What a fabulous guy. Honest and forceful. George, you are so missed. RIP. Taken far too soon.

[@abdeton1899]

One of the greatest artists who ever lived❤

[@baracuda121]

I’ve said it many,many times….George is the most erudite musician ever to walk the planet.👏👏👏

[@Cototto]

I wish there is somewhere some wonderful video footage of David Lee Roth talking with George Michael. Maybe David is always over flamboyant but I see a very similar human and truly wonderful way of analysing a subject between him and George. Pleasure to hear English language at its best.

[@julielawlor1545]

No way

[@leemontoya8028]

Slow down with that one!

[@DivineDIVINE26]

Ageless interview. This was beautifully articulated.

[@clancyb747]

This man is a gladiator of our time💫💫💫💫

[@angelashepherd4429]

He's so missed. Great artist and human being. ❤

[@JIM-ot4ws]

He gave away many millions of dollars to charities annonymously and it was not revealed till after he died.

[@vetalveral8920]

Just incredible, unbelievable person, the Man of iconic legend in the world music history, with an open-hearted, sincere heart. But I can't understand why actually he took that interview and outlining, exlplaning, revieling his private life. I utterly adore his breathtaking, deeply spirutual music in any space and time of my life being in any mood. And I don't give a damn what those media and those people think and talk about his private life. His music legacy will live in our hearts forever. He wraped my heart with warm and blessedness, comfort and togetherness, amity and prosperity. And I think every man dies twice, the last one when the memory of that person fades away in our hearts. RiP, Mr. George Michael. All the best from Ukraine.

[@paulbirkbeck1790]

We should all aim to carry ourselves like George a very smart and well spoken man.

[@hondac7028]

I'm a 53 year old straight man married with three children I've listened to George's music since day one who gives a toss about his sexuality he was the most talented musician that ever lived and I will listen to his music till my dying day rip George.👌

[@thesavagebeast3994]

I don't care about his sexual orientation, this guy was my Favorite Singer and still is, I listen to his music almost every day to this day

[@sarahdixon6011]

Lovely George was F ing Livid! and under control. Beautiful Strong Fantastic George. ❤❤❤

[@emmab-easily]

Rest In Peace George such a beautiful soul

[@TheresaofTheWorld]

How unfortunate to have to have an extended conversation and interview about one’s sex life…

[@sylviab.791]

They went to far he had to take legal action and this is basically a warning to stop really simple.

[@zachoneill6570]

We have one of the worst press in the world. Shocking how they treated celebrities over the years and ruined their lives! How he lived his life is entirely up to him and anyone for that matter famous or not famous! What two or maybe more consenting adults do is entirely up to them, he was stalked by the press a attack from Murdoch disgusting behaviour from the press. Rest In peace George you were a fantastic musician and writer and charitable person

[@karlc2869]

Agreed. Britney, MJ, George, Princess Diana, LiLo, Amanda Bynes, Paris, Miley, the Olsen twins, Megan Fox, etc. deserve media apologies.

[@jamesr1703]

"Last Christmas" every year into the future is a seasonal favorite. That one song alone, puts G.M. is a class all his own. I play that song at least 35 - 40 times before, on and after Christmas day.

[@BB-gr1qb]

I miss you 😢RIP MICHAEL 😢😢😢

[@carlosalenduran4630]

Me too I miss him

[@dominiquesirandre7579]

The line of questioning is completely skewed and OFF TOPIC. This is a real attack on George Michael and his private life. I watched the full version of the interview on you tube , and how George Michael, during a make-up break, asks the interviewer the reasons of this attack, and if it is a way of silencing the tabloïds' maneuvers. Unfortunately, this full version has been removed for copyright reasons, I think. George Michael handled it well

[@clifforddriver9434]

His private life turned public when he's caught in a public restroom with his voyeuristic nonsense behavior.

[@dominiquesirandre7579]

Yes, but it was an entrapment@@clifforddriver9434

[@miesstudios6488]

​why are the police flirting with men to get a response in a public space. America. If you'd paid any attention to this interview it's regarding perfectly legal behaviour in Britain. Also I'm certain it had little to do with voyeurism, not saying that voyeurism isn't participation but legally it might not hold up in court. But who knows what holds up in US courts anyways. So you don't like cruising. Okay. Good for you. I don't like sardines. Gross. Little bones sticking everywhere. It's vile really.

[@xavierminchello8431]

GEORGE IS SPOT ON, TONS OF HETEROSEXUAL MEN LIVING DOUBLE LIVES IN SECRET BEHIND THEIR SPOUSES BACK, JUST LOOK WHATS GOING ON IN YOUR LOCAL PORN THEATER! IF ONLY THEIR WIVES COULD SEE THERE WOULD BE DIVORCES GALORE

[@nicolar6461]

@@clifforddriver9434absolute rubbish it’s got nothing to do with anyone else that’s the whole point he is making.

[@YesItsMeGuys68]

I admire how he stood his ground !

[@DocTheGuitar]

What a very beautiful person George was, a selfless, compasionate, decent human being who could shame most of us with his genorosity and good nature, plus he was an amazing singer, song writer, musician, producer and all round good man. God bless, George Michael, may you truly rest in peace.

[@user-ex6mh2qe8o]

George, you made the world a better place. God bless your soul.

[@chinering23]

He doesn't have God, what gives you that idea? God's pretty clear on immorality.

[@Lumide196]

​@@chinering23hey,you...Angel?

[@chinering23]

@@Lumide196 What? The demons seemed to have deleted my comment. I'm not an angel. Angels are the "sons of THE God", see Genesis 6:2 in the Bible. The angels that went their own way. Just like George did, down the left hand path with the rest of the degenerates.

[@Lumide196]

​@@chinering23this is his way,not yours problem

[@chinering23]

​@@Lumide196 No, it's not my problem, he has to face God, that's the bigger problem. God is not blessing homos, that's a fact, read the Bible.

[@MrLetmein2011]

The British press was completely out of control at that time. The Milly Dowler case and the phone hacking issue had not come out yet. Murdoch was practically running the country .

[@karlc2869]

Rupert Murdoch owe every celeb an apology.

[@MrMjolnir009]

They are still totally out of control!!!!

[@karlc2869]

@@MrMjolnir009 Right.

[@fransacchi550]

He still does. He is backing a genocide in Palestine, and thinks persuing a fabulously talented man for headlines is ok. Let's talk about duality and complicitness. George had no case to answer, fab man and talented and much missed

[@hourglasstv01]

He's so talented. I wish he was still here

[@martinjenkins2785]

Well said George. Kind And thoughtful as allways !

[@texwes]

Miss this beautiful man more every single day.

[@purplepoppyz]

He was a lovely, kind, exceptionally talented man and this is what they focus on. He deserved better and I do wish he was still with us, making his music ❤

[@jpc3603]

He's right about women, I know waaay too many girls who have been drugged in clubs and I know not just one but multiple women who have been assaulted but straight folks have never wanted to talk about cleaning their own houses when being homophobic. Rest in Power George Michael🏳️‍🌈💜

[@LucasPenido]

I’m straight and I’m a christian, and I still don’t understand why people can’t seem to mind their business. One might understand or not what anyone does, but as George well put it: He wasn’t breaking the law. The media helped destroy this man’s life. RIP ❤

[@sashab.6366]

One of my biggest musical inspirations. I love this man.

[@florenciomendoza1212]

RIP I’m proud of GM. Honest & Proud I still listen to all his greatest hits 👍🙏❤️🇨🇦

[@ChrisWilliams-oz9ut]

The minute anybody asks you about your sex life, the interview is over. George Michael is amazing. Brilliant, forever.

[@dalboy2]

George was straight talking, unapologetic and honest as they come. Being straight the only comparison we can probably make for cruising is it’s very similar to when some straight folk go dogging or go to a swingers gatherings. It agreed consensual and promiscuous sex and is accepted by their partners and others in the participating group. So we all should get, even if we don’t all participate or agree with it. As the great Robert Palmer stated it takes every kind of people, to make what life’s about. George was a musical genius and one of the best, that is what he will be remembered for.

[@phataton7588]

No pun intended lol

[@maryuline2585]

Wow, just came upon this interview. This is the best George Michael interview or story I've ever seen. How incredible that he was able to tell his side of his life, how he feels about things, setting the record straight, absolutely wonderful.!!

[@escott5839]

Poor George. I remember interviews like this one, and all I thought about while watching was how ruthless and rude the media could be and that I wanted to shout, "Leave him alone!" I have always respected George and felt we were blessed with his voice and presence. Like other greats, he brought classics to our ears and made this difficult world a better place. He will always live on through his music.

[@fhbaynes]

I have always loved George Michael, not just as a performer, but as a human being.

[@terecee1204]

Musical genius, beautiful AND intelligent.

[@rosshowarth3266]

As a gay guy I didn't appreciate him as a young artist because he was closeted. Boy did he ever make up for that. So so proud of him. Wonderful, honest, intelligent, talented guy. He is missed and was well loved for good reason. Thankyou George for your honesty. Sweet guy.

[@HERMES777]

George Michael inspires my music in the recording studio even today. LOVE him

[@elainebines6803]

So sad for his father who loved his family dearly. His wife, son and daughter all now, lay in highgate cemetery 😢

[@jjr1728]

That's so hot.

[@rosalbaroblestapia9517]

We will love George forever and nir judge him for his private life. For me he is an Angel that came to a shine the world with hus bright talent! ❤

[@startracker5895]

Why did he bother doing this interview? He didn’t need to explain himself to anyone.

[@spottydog4477]

If you listed to the beginning of his interview - he say's he'd rather not have to explain himself.

[@startracker5895]

@@spottydog4477 then why did he?

[@louisedesha2222]

The frustration he was having in this interview is so evident that this Emma person does not know how to conduct a proper interview and I hope to God that she still isn't trying to interview people. RIP George your Fans still miss you and hope you finally have found your PEACE 💕 JUST REMEMBER WE LOST PRINCESS DIANA FROM THE OVER ZEALOUS PHOTOGRAPHERS. When is this all going to stop???

[@macassar1]

he explains it in the interview @@startracker5895

[@Foxxxtrottt64]

He was setting the record straight. He had called the TV station to deny the story. Instead, the TV station added to it, thus the interview.

[@curtmichael7589]

I so wish he was still with us.

[@Threadbow]

So do I

[@PooleyX]

Well, he was right about how the conversation would (largely) change. It's a shame he isn't around to see it.

[@markdelaney7564]

Jeepers, George Michael was so reasoned and eloquent in his argument. What an all-round talent this man was and it is such a loss to not have him with us still.

[@chrisbean]

One of the few interviews where I can clearly hear his speaking voice. 👏❤

[@pluijm2]

I absolutely agree with his point of view.

[@johnm6399]

George, was very well spoken, agree or not, he does not push his life style on anyone, he argues both ends very well and the press just can't let it go.

[@TheMarkanthony5]

George was a courageous guy, what a genuine guy honest up front and honest

[@sfiv4527]

Talking so much sense in this interview and his patience is astounding. The audience is always complicit. If no one clicks, no one buys a paper...no story, no interest from the newspapers. The media is disgusting but it is supported by the audience who have their share of responsibility. Media is not a vacuum.

[@timemburey181]

An Amazing man and absolute Legend,kind, honest and Genuine,what he did in his life was up to him,no one else,May this incredible man RIP😢

[@MsBeckyBonn]

He was so right! I do agree with him. He shouldn’t have to defend his way of living! It was his life!!! He was great the way he was! ❤

[@johirsty7392]

I wish he was still here ❤

[@personofinterest8731]

As a straight female 78 years old, I couldn't love George more. ❤ Sorry he's gone.

[@loveFFKamloops]

Extraordinary interview from an extraordinary man! He was an amazing human being 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@darioperes8923]

Very eloquent! The smartest person I have ever looked up to. He’s missed! But his music will live on forever as he says. The rest, the gossip, etc… will fade. Someone who cares about music, his music, gets through this.

[@sutchmiss]

We were so gifted to have the most talented british singers. You were george one of the best. R.i.p george. Thank you for your music and singing those words i find hard to say ❤❤

[@carlloccisano8849]

His Soul is Enjoying its Experience on The Other Side! ❤️

[@truelight3210]

Would that be up or down, and don’t get me wrong I hope things worked out for him and I definitely remember him in my prayers when I heard of his passing

[@charliesierra6919]

So, George wants to cruise. Leave him alone already. He was the best singer we didn't deserve. RIP Michael.

[@nazkedi]

We miss you so much 😢

[@angieanderson7792]

He seemed a nice person. Deep down he was hard on himself... RIP

[@vranco]

Beautiful mind. Thank u for being SO strong, Georgie👍🏻👍🏻👊🏻

[@mountainlinx]

He’s so spot on! Thank you GM

[@angelatanurdzic7508]

May the Angels watch over him. 🙏❤️

[@sammieholehouse6480]

Please leave him alone. This is showing it was up loaded 6 days ago. Coming up to his anniversary, let him rest in peace. George is still loved around the world.

[@iangrant3615]

Agreed. There is a sense that perhaps ITN are choosing to put up old content that makes people they don't like look bad, and those that they do like look better?

[@Ru556]

A woman is saying that she doesn't understand how some gay men behave. She's standing in the wrong shoes, that's why! :))

[@mattb6704]

Any yet you’d argue that a male can be a female if they’re trans identified. I’d argue they wouldn’t understand what it means to be a woman.

[@fullmetalscotsman1306]

@@mattb6704 Yeah is it not strange how that works,

[@CR-og5ho]

​@@mattb6704 Why do you assume that this person would argue that? Based on their comment I would think the opposite is true lol

[@cynthiasmith4130]

I just loved him!!! I have Wham in my CD player now!! It is so upbeat... I also play in my house, and 💃 💃 💃 dance!! Great exercise music!!! He is just darling. They were so great together singing!!! I really miss him dearly.... He is just gorgeous and beautiful!!! When he lost his beloved mother, he fell apart. His father would not accept him!!! He did not want him to be a singer... When he started singing later on in life, his father couldn't believe his voice, he loved it... He made up with his father, Thank God!! What a great performer...❤❤❤❤❤.....

[@velvet181velvet5]

I loved George, he had a right to live his life his way, all that matters is that he was a good man and a wonderful talent

[@MJ-qb5ph]

For pity sake - he was one of the worlds greatest musicians - who gives a toss about his sex and love life? It’s none of our business. His music is

[@JB-oq6kc]

Thank you for your amazing music and videos, George! You were far ahead of your time. Peace. A Canadian in Mexico 😊

[@stacylewis6254]

I loved George he was so talented and a beautiful human. I totally agree with him, RIP lovely George ❤

[@jimmycrackkorn1596]

There are far worse people on the planet to judge. At least he brought some joy and goodness to the world with his music.

[@Kristin..]

I'm so glad to see that most people are on here commenting on how they continue to love George and his music. I appreciate the balanced viewpoints on this incident as well. However, those that just go right to terms like 'fruit' and 'garbage music', as well as citing incorrect details on the incident, are strongly showing their ignorance. For me, George's music has been incredibly special since I was a young girl, and that love has only grown stronger in recent years. His music speaks to me, and it speaks to a lot of people. He was clearly hurting, he struggled a lot in these later years - that hurt comes through in the music, as well as gorgeous periods of joy. He was a once-in-a-generation singer/songwriter and a master at conveying emotions. ❤

[@nisansalaliyanage469]

Agree 💯

[@Irishgirl7]

He was right, his music is remembered. Love you George!

[@brianashmore1529]

Missed so much❤

[@cgravelle4937]

He should not have to explain to the world his sexual preferences. It was his business . Imagine to be followed by photographers every time you left your house How dreadful. But that has always been the norm for famous people But I believe his private life was his LIFE not the world's business.

[@annanorton1793]

Absolutely

[@bobomeal]

ITN should be ashamed of doing this sort of interview in the UK in 2006. I could imagine these questions on some Serbian or any other ex-communist country's TV. More love to George.

[@VikitayMauri]

Era un año muy difícil, yo también estaba muy nerviosa en 2006, para esa época. Por suerte luego estuvo mejor para George Michael. ❤

[@gearoftones8585]

What a loss. He was such a lovely, caring guy.

[@prp3231]

Lovely man. ❤ I'm a str8 bloke but I love this man ,a sweet human first and foremost.

[@marieo5417]

Her tone... 😑

[@ragetop50]

Exactly. It’s scary she seems to have such outdated views, implying anything outside of an exclusive/monogamous relationship is scandalous, in the early 2000s.

[@DunamisROM]

She sounds like my mother