1. Andrew Ridgeley was born in Windlesham, Surrey, to Jennifer Jill and Alberto Mario Zacharia, who later changed his surname to Andrew Ridgeley.
16 Facts About Andrew Ridgeley
1. 2.
Andrew Ridgeley's mother was of English and Scottish descent and his father was Jewish, of Italian, Yemeni and Egyptian origin; his father's family were expelled from Egypt as a result of the Suez Crisis.
3.
Andrew Ridgeley grew up in Bushey, Hertfordshire, and attended Bushey Meads School.
4.
Andrew Ridgeley's mother was a schoolteacher at Bushey Heath Primary School while his father worked for Canon.
5.
When George Michael started school, Andrew Ridgeley volunteered to take him under his wing.
6.
Michael was the lead vocalist, primary songwriter, and played keyboards, while Andrew Ridgeley co-wrote songs, played guitar, and performed backing vocals.
7.
In 1984, Andrew Ridgeley underwent surgery to have his septum straightened to improve his breathing after having broken his nose at age nine.
8.
In 1985, Andrew Ridgeley performed at the Live Aid charity concert with other backing singers, while Michael performed with Elton John.
9.
Shortly after the breakup, Andrew Ridgeley moved to Monaco and tried his hand at Formula Three motor racing.
10.
On 27 January 1991, Andrew Ridgeley joined Michael on stage for a few songs at the encore of his Rock in Rio event at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro.
11.
Andrew Ridgeley appeared as a studio guest on the first series of the BBC 2 programme Fantasy Football League in 1994, and gave an on-camera interview for the first time since the split in a 2005 documentary, A Different Story, about the life of George Michael.
12.
Andrew Ridgeley has several times participated in the Dallaglio Cycle Slam, a charity bike ride for the Dallaglio Rugby Works, established in 2009 by former England rugby captain Lawrence Dallaglio, which helps young people tackle life in a positive way with the help of rugby.
13.
Andrew Ridgeley is a keen road cyclist and featured in a Sigma Sport "Cafe Ride" interview with former British cycling road race champion Matt Stephens in 2024.
14.
In 2024 Andrew Ridgeley attended the St George's Society of New York's British Bash.
15.
From 1990 to 2017, Andrew Ridgeley was in a relationship with Keren Woodward, a member of the group Bananarama.
16.
Andrew Ridgeley announced he was dating socialite Amanda Cronin in summer 2022; they separated in May 2023.