George Michael’s ex-bandmate, Andrew Ridgeley, has said he would like to see a permanent memorial to the late star.

The former Wham! frontman died on Christmas Day 2016, at the age of 53.

Earlier this month, Michael’s family asked fans to remove their tributes from outside the Careless Whisper singer’s former homes.

Asked whether he would like to see a permanent memorial, Ridgeley told Good Morning Britain: “I think there’s a very good case for that.

Wham! partners Andrew Ridgeley and George Michael (PA)
Wham! partners Andrew Ridgeley and George Michael (PA)

“There’s an appetite … I don’t see why there shouldn’t be some sort of public place for a memorial,” he told the ITV show.

“He was much loved and there seems to be a desire for it.”

Ridgeley said of Michael’s death: “It’s a great sadness. It was a great sadness for everyone.”

Fans of the Wham! star had left tributes outside his homes in Highgate, north London, and Goring-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, creating memorial areas filled with flowers, messages and candles.

The singer’s family asked that they be removed for the sake of neighbours.

A post-mortem examination found Michael had died from heart disease and a build-up of fat in his liver, which can be linked to drug and alcohol abuse.