My first night out with George Michael was a real hit, recalls Geri Horner

GEORGE MICHAEL left pal Geri Horner with one painful memory — after once smacking her in the head in a nightclub.

The former Spice Girl, who used to live with the late singer, recalled the comical moment ahead of the release of her tribute single to him, Angels In Chains, out today.

In an exclusive catch-up with Guilty Pleasures, the singer — once known as Ginger Spice — revealed: ‘I went clubbing with George when I first started hanging out with him. Remember, I’m a fan.

‘It was the time of Fast Love. We were both on the dance floor in the South of France,’ she continued.

‘They put his record on, he was doing the moves and accidentally smacked me in the head.

‘I was looking at him stunned. This was early days of knowing him and I had been walloped in the face by George!’ The 44-year-old told how her life was ‘rebooted’ when the Careless Whisper hitmaker died — just three weeks after she gave birth to her second child, son Monty George, whom she has named after the music legend.

‘Experiencing death and birth in the space of three weeks was very poignant because both of those put things in perspective,’ said Horner, ‘It reminds and refreshes… it’s like a reboot of your life… what’s important, things we take on and that we let go of.’

Geri will perform the track at G-A-Y on Saturday ‘because it was the first place the Spice Girls ever performed, and it feels the right place to bring this moment to a crowd who have been very loyal to me’.

Confessing to nerves, Geri hopes she’s done her pal proud.

‘I’ve asked myself every step of the way what he would think. Would he approve? I haven’t done it perfectly but I’ve tried to keep him in mind,’ she added.

Profits from the sale of Angels In Chains will be go to George Michael’s charity of choice, Childline.

Author: Tom Stichbury