GEORGE STILL LIVES ON

GRIEVING Geri Horner has coped with George Michael’s shock death by pretending he’s still alive in the next room.

The former Spice Girl revealed she now lives her life by thinking what the music legend, who she calls “her rock”, would say.

Ginger Spice told me: “The comic Ronnie Corbett passed away last year and I saw his daughter on TV saying she copes by thinking her dad is just in the other room and I’ve tried to do the same with George.

“If you don’t see someone every day you can kind of do that. You can pretend they are still there somewhere close and it helps.”

Geri releases her George Michaelinspired tribute song, Angels In Chains, tomorrow.

It is Geri’s first official single in 12 years with all the profits going to charity Childline, who she is now an ambassador for.

Talking of her unique friendship with the Wham! singer, she said: “In tough times you find out two things, what you are made of and who your friends are.

“And that was George to me. He was always the one who was there for me no matter what. He was there when I left the Spice Girls.

“When I had my first child I lived in my house for nine months. If I was confused about anything I could call him up. He was a rock.

“What I try do now is always think, ‘What would George say? Would he approve? Is it good enough? Would he be proud?’

“I hope I’ve done him proud with this song. I’ve tried my best and I wouldn’t want to let him down.”

The Faith singer died on Christmas Day just weeks before Geri gave birth to her second child Monty.

Admitting the two events were bitter-sweet, she added: “The most life-changing experiences you can have are death and life and I experienced both in the space of three weeks.

“One great man left us and then a beautiful baby boy came in to the world. It was overwhelming, but it put life into perspective.”

Talking of her new track, she said: “It’s sad because I wouldn’t have written the song if George hadn’t passed but it’s also joyous because it’s helped heal me.”