From the day I found out my partner had Aids to the day I was on the mend from the death of my mother, it was either fear of death or fear of the next bereavement. I took it very, very badly. I’d never felt that kind of depression. It was the darkest time

a blood transfusion in March 1993 when he died of a brain haemorrhage, aged 33. A friend called George in LA, to deliver the news. “Then it all goes blurry for a long time,” recalls George. “He still – 23 years later – brings a tear to my eye. He was my saviour.”

George channelled his heartache into an ongoing legal battle with his record label, Sony. He had felt his 1990 album Listen Without Prejudice Vol 1 was marketed poorly and accused Sony of “professional slavery”.

Lifelong friend and former manager David Austin, who was co-director and executive producer on the 90-minute documentary, said George learned that Anselmo was dying during the court case.

He says: “All these things happened at the same time. Obviously nobody knew, he hadn’t come out at the time. He was on the stand... he hadn’t come out, his boyfriend was dying, he was holding this close to his chest, which was just devastating for him.”

George lost his High Court battle in July 1994. “The whole thing was a complete waste of time,” he says.

Bought out of his contract by Virgin, his grief inspired the 1996 album Older, including his ode to his lost love, Jesus to a Child. But as George started to cope with his grief, he was dealt another devastating blow.

“I had about a six-month period where things were OK and then I found out that my mother had cancer.”

In December 1996, Lesley was told the disease was terminal and she was allowed home from hospital to spend a final Christmas with her family.

George was at her side for her final few days at London’s Charing Cross Hospital in February 1997.

“I was so spiritually crushed after mum died,” says George. “So crushed and felt so bloody picked on by the gods. For all of my adult life she was phenomenal. Terrible, horrible loss.” He admits he “hit rock bottom” in the following years, sinking to a new low from which he never fully recovered.

“I took it very, very badly,” he reflects. “I’d never felt that kind of depression. It was something different to grief. It was on top of grief, I was grieving for my mother still, but it was something else. It was the darkest time.”

In September 2016, George invited Radio 4’s Kirsty Young to his home in Goring-upon-thames, Oxon, to conduct the rare and candid interview, which would provide the audio for his narration to the film.

Tragically, George was found dead in bed on Christmas Day at the home, killed by heart and liver disease.

In March, he was buried beside his mother in Highgate Cemetery.

His almost-finished work will be aired next week with a new introduction by model Kate Moss and features stars including Liam Gallagher, Mary J Blige, Elton John and Stevie Wonder.

George’s more recent troubles are not dwelled upon. Struck down with pneumonia in 2011, he spent weeks in intensive care in Vienna. And in 2013 he was airlifted to hospital after falling from his Range Rover at 70mph on the M1. Neither episode is mentioned – nor are his 13 years with Texan art dealer Kenny Goss, or his five years with Fadi Fawaz, who found his body.

Celebrities including Tracey Emin refer to how he “came out in a big way” after he was arrested for a lewd act in 1998, referencing his disco hit Outside.

His prison sentence for crashing his Range Rover into a Snappy Snaps in 2010 is skimmed over as Ricky Gervais discusses his appearance in Extras.

David explains “he didn’t really do much, career-wise” in his last two decades. But he confirms George was working on new music, which will be released. And despite the sombre theme, David insists George did eventually find happiness – stating that “he was a very happy, contented man”.

In footage found after George died and added to the film, he is asked how he would like to be remembered and says: “As a great singer-songwriter... who had some kind of integrity.”

And after a pause and a chuckle, he adds: “It’s very unlikely... I think it’s all been a waste of time and effort.”