George Michael Donated Five-Figure Sum to Toy Appeal

Generous George Michael has donated a five-figure sum to a TV appeal launched by husband and wife team Richard and Judy, it emerged today.

The singer, a fan of their ITV show This Morning, was touched by their Pass The Parcel appeal and decided to make a donation.

Presenter Richard Madeley said today: “We really couldn’t believe it when we heard what George had done – thank you George so very much.”

Michael – who took part in the gay charity Stonewall’s show on Sunday which featured Elton John performing with dancers dressed as scouts – saw the appeal being launched on the This Morning last week. Viewers were asked to buy an extra toy when Christmas shopping and drop it at Boots for distribution by the Salvation Army.

Michael was later dining at fashionable London restaurant The Ivy when he saw presenter Brenda Emmanus who had helped to start the appeal and made a beeline for her to make his pledge.

She said:

“I was amazed – I’m a genuine fan. I thought he had mistaken me for a backing singer or something.

Madeley, who fronts the show with Judy Finnigan, added: “His and our viewers’ generosity will help make some children’s Christmas that bit more special this year.”

SOURCE: Anthony Barnes, “George Michael Donates Thousands to Toy Appeal,” Press Association News (November 30, 1999)

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George Michael’s generosity was exposed by Richard and Judy on their last show in ITV’s This Morning in 2001. According to host Richard Madeley, George was the anonymous donor who gave £50,000

“which allowed us to actually chart a couple of aeroplanes and send two plane loads of very needy and deprived children to meet Santa Claus in Lapland.”

Below is the clip when George was exposed as the anonymous donor:

VIDEO TRANSCRIPT:

Phillip Schofield: We are starting the show by paying tribute to the late George Michael

Female Host: Ah, he was such an absolutely phenomenally talented man but also an incredibly kind and generous one too.

Phillip Schofield: Well he had a very close connection with this show and often spent, you might not believe it, often spent his mornings watching, even phoning in on occasion. And you may remember that he was unveiled as the mystery man who donated fifty thousand pounds to one of our Christmas appeals.

Female Host: And in typical George style he’d tried to keep this anonymous but Richard and Judy weren’t having any of it and this is a clip from their last day.

Richard Madeley : We had a message that somebody had actually donated rather than toys cash to the value of fifty thousand pounds which allowed us to actually chart a couple of aeroplanes and send two plane loads of very needy and deprived children to meet Santa Claus in Lapland. And the person who made that donation was desperate to be anonymous, but we wouldn’t allow it. And it was George Michael and he’s on the phone now

Judy Finnigan: Oh hello George!

George Michael: Hi Richard, how are you doing?

Richard Madeley: Great! How are you?

George Michael: I’m good, I’m good! Hi Judy.

Judy Finnigan: Hello, hi! Where are you calling from? Home?

George Michael: I’m at home in Goring, yeah.

Richard: George, what would you like to say?

George Michael: Well let me say first, I just like to say thank you very much for easing me into the day for the last, I don’t know, ten years I’d probably been watching the show. Can I say hello to Denise as well?

Richard: Go on, speak to her like yeah

George Michael: I have never met you but I just like to tell you I think you’re a real diamond

Richard: Wow!

George Michael: And you’ve had your workout … over the years well I’m going on. You’ve always got Richard sitting next you’re talking rubbish

Richard: Hello to Paul as well

Paul: Is this .. is you, George?

George Michael: Yes, this is me.

Paul: I can’t believe its George Michael on the phone!

Richard: George thank you so much for supporting us. Lovely to have you, good wishes!

George Michael: I just wanted to say thank you. I’m really going to miss you!

Richard: And thank you for that donation. It meant a lot to a lot of kids. It’s really good to be able to do that.

George Michael: It’s my pleasure.

Cheers!