I will not be participating in Whamageddon this year.

My reasons for this are many and varied. But, basically, I think it’s time to call it a day. It was a fun game for a while. But I get the feeling that some people are taking it a bit too seriously. And, as the saying goes, when the fun stops, stop. If you’re reached the point where being Whamageddoned would cause you actual distress, then get it out of your system now. Pop over to YouTube or Spotify and feast your ears on a classic 1980s Christmas hit and realise that you’re better off hearing it than avoiding it.

And it is, after all a great song. The Wham era of George Michael’s career is often dismissed as a mere stepping stone on the way to his solo work. But, actually, it produced some really catchy pop tunes, and Last Christmas is one of the best. Had it been released in any other year, it would definitely have been the Christmas number one.

The reason it wasn’t the 1984 Christmas number one is, of course, because that year it came up against Band Aid and the charity single which kicked it all off. It did finally reach number one in 2022, but until then it was, without a doubt, one of the greatest songs to have peaked at number two (along with Vienna and Fairytale of New York).

What’s possibly less well known is that, when the Band Aid project was announced, Wham decided that they, too, would donate the royalties from their Christmas single to Ethiopian famine relief. Given that Last Christmas was easily Wham’s best-selling single, that was a significant act of generosity. And, in retrospect, Last Christmas has stood the test of time rather better than Do They Know It’s Christmas.

So, stop trying to avoid it. Listen to the song, enjoy the song and celebrate Christmas via a slice of musical nostalgia without guilt or embarrassment.