Here’s everything Andrew Ridgeley has been up to since Wham! split up 37 years ago

He has kept out of the spotlight for the most part

10 months ago

The Wham! documentary on Netflix takes a closer look at George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley’s friendship from 1980 to 1986.

Despite their success, Andrew Ridgeley was often the member who was poked fun at the most, and famously said he had no idea why the media was so hard on him, and the band split up soon after.

Since their split 37 years ago, Andrew has stayed out of the spotlight for the most part, but with the new documentary on Netflix, it begs the question of what is Andrew Ridgeley doing now? Here’s everything we know.

via Netflix

Andrew took a ‘step away’ from fame after the band’s split

Andrew has spoken publicly ahead of the released of the Wham! documentary, revealing he didn’t like the lack of privacy that came with being a major celebrity. While often being the butt of jokes of press, that wasn’t what hurt him the most.

“I was unprepared for the consequences of fame,” he told Los Angeles Times. “I resented deeply the intrusion into my personal life, being chased from restaurant to restaurant. To step away from that was a welcome sort of relief.”

Following a solo album in 1990, Andrew went to live a lowkey life in the countryside.

He went on to pursue a career in race driving and then acting

Following their farewell concert, The Final, Andrew Ridgeley quit the music business for a brief period and relocated to Monaco. The move was a bid to pursue a career as a Formula Three racing driver.

However when that didn’t work out, Andrew relocated to Los Angeles to pursue and acting career but experienced little success. In 1990 he released his solo album, Son of Albert, and made the move back to the UK permanently.

“It was depressing and disappointing to receive quite such a beating over that album,” Andrew said following his album’s critical reception.

Andrew has kept his love life out of the spotlight

Andrew has had a pretty lowkey relationship history, and used to date Bananarama star Keren Woodward from 1990 to 2017. The pair lived in a 15th century converted barn in Cornwall. However, they soon split in 2017.

It has been reported Andrew began dating socialite Amanda Cronin in 2022, but they split in May 2023. Talking about their split, Amanda said: “I’m grateful for the time we’ve had together – he’s smart, funny, sexy and cool.

“Andrew is such a phenomenal guy, but I don’t think he’s really relationship material, although he has been in a very long relationship.”

He has reportedly earned more than £10 million in royalties

via Netflix

While he has kept out of the spotlight for the most part, it is thought that Andrew is still in the songwriting business, but under a pseudonym. It has been reported Ridgeley has earned well over £10 million in royalties from his career in Wham!, with a huge percentage said to come his co-writing credit on Careless Whisper.

He hopes to keep the legacy of Wham! alive

Ahead of the documentary release on Netflix, Andrew said he hopes to keep Wham! alive for quite some time.

“I know that Yog [George’s nickname] would want Wham! to be in the forefront of people’s memories,” Andrew told the LA Times. “We’ve got a few years of Wham! milestones to celebrate one way or another.”

via Netflix

Andrew and George remained friends years after the band split

Andrew and George met when they were 11 and 12 years old, and remained good friends ever since. Even after their split, despite brewing feud rumours, the pair were still friends.

“I think it should be the most amicable split in pop history,” George Michael said, putting the rumours of their alleged feud to bed.

In Andrew’s autobiography titled Wham! George & Me, Andrew sung his bandmates praises. “There was a sense that our relationship would never be the same again, no matter what happened,” he wrote.

“Life was going to be very different for us both as we went our separate ways, having spent the previous ten years together as schoolboys and then bandmates.”

Wham! is available to watch on Netflix now. For all the latest Netflix news, drops, quizzes and memes like The Holy Church of Netflix on Facebook.