Many open up about millions secretly donated to good causes by George Michael
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As thousands take to social media to mourn the death of Wham! star George Michael, some have opened up about millions of pounds he donated in secret to good causes.
Michael was found dead in his home on Christmas Day, and it was later confirmed that he suffered heart failure.
But many have now opened up about donations the star secretly made to countless good causes while insisting that he remained anonymous.
Dame Esther Rantzen said Michael “gave millions” to Childline, of which she is the founder a president, but that he donated the money on the condition of anonymity while he was alive.
“For years now he has been the most extraordinarily generous philanthropist, giving money to Childline, but he was determined not to make his generosity public so no-one outside the charity knew how much he gave to the nation’s most vulnerable children,” sad Dame Esther.
Richard Osman, who co-hosts Pointless, also opened up saying he had given £15,000 to a contestant on Deal or No Deal who needed the money for IVF.
He wrote: “A woman on ‘Deal Or No Deal’ told us she needed £15k for IVF treatment… George Michael secretly phoned the next day and gave her the £15k.”
Others included the Terrence Higgins Trust, which said Michael had given “experiences and gifts” to the charity over the years.
““His donations contributed to a vision of a world where people living with HIV live healthy lives free from prejudice and discrimination,” said Jane Barron of THT.
“Thanks to George’s legacy, we are a step closer to that world and we are so grateful for his support and friendship over the years.”
Other stories included that Michael had given a £25,000 cheque to a woman who he heard crying over debt in a cafe, asking the waitress to hand it over once he had left.
Another came from radio DJ Mick Brown, who opened up about an annual £100,000 donation made by Michael to Capital FM’s Christmas charity drive.
Journalist Sali Hughes took to Twitter to say she had written a story about a celebrity who had given £5,000 to a barmaid who was a student nurse in debt, revealing that it was Michael.
Many more stories including offering a free concert to NHS nurses who cared for his late mother, and volunteering at a homeless shelter, poured out as thousands mourned the death of the Wham! star.
This is in addition to his performances on charity singles like ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’, donating royalties from his Elton John duet ‘Don’t Let the Sun Go Down On Me’ to an AIDS hospice, and much other public charity work.
