Always paying it forward. Many stories about George Michael’s secret good deeds are being revealed following the iconic singer’s death.
According to TV personality Richard Osman, the “Faith” singer once helped a woman who appeared on Deal or No Deal with money she needed for IVF treatment.
“A woman on ‘Deal Or No Deal’ told us she needed £15k for IVF treatment,” Osman tweeted on Monday, December 26. “George Michael secretly phoned the next day and gave her the £15k.”
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.
— Richard Osman (@richardosman) December 26, 2016
Michael, who died of heart failure at age 53 on Christmas Day, was a kind philanthropist in other ways too. ITV News reports that his participation in the Band Aid single “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” helped raise more than $24 million for relief in Ethiopia, and he gave millions to Childline, the 24-hour counseling service for young people.
Michael also heavily contributed to the Terrence Higgins Trust, which helps fight HIV in the UK. The star lost his former partner Anselmo Feleppa to AIDS in 1993.
“George also often thought of us to kindly donate experiences and gifts that were used to raise vital funds to help us support people living with HIV,” Jane Barron of the Terrence Higgins Trust said in a statement on Monday, via The Telegraph. “His donations contributed to a vision of a world where people living with HIV live healthy lives free from prejudice and discrimination. 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.”
George Michael worked anonymously at a homeless shelter I was volunteering at. I’ve never told anyone, he asked we didn’t. That’s who he was
— EMILYNE MONDO (@EmilyneMondo) December 26, 2016
Another act of kindness? Michael played a free concert for nurses who took care of his mother, Lesley Angold Panayiotou, during her cancer battle. She died in 1997 at the age of 60. Actor Emilyne Mondo also tweeted that Michael worked at a homeless shelter.
“George Michael worked anonymously at a homeless shelter I was volunteering at,” Mondo tweeted on Monday. “I’ve never told anyone, he asked we didn’t. That’s who he was.”