George Michael’s family could have to wait until next month to bury the singer due to an ongoing police probe into his death
GEORGE Michael's heartbroken family will have to wait until at least next month to bury him because of the ongoing police probe into his death, it was reported today.
Police warned relatives it could be "several weeks" before a coroner releases the body, meaning his funeral is likely to be held more than two months after he was found dead on Christmas Day.
The agonising delay is placing an "intolerable" strain on the Careless Whisper singer's family including dad Kyriacos Panayiotou who has struggled to leave the house since his son's death, according to the Sunday People.
Greek radio host Vasili Panayi said: "It's very hard for all of them, quite intolerable.
"It's a shock and terrible for his father. He wants to go to the funeral but so far the police are refusing to release the body and are looking for further clues."
Today the Sun on Sunday's revealed how George's lover Fadi Fawaz - who found him dead in bed - has been banned from his funeral by the superstar’s furious family.
The singer’s cousin Andros Georgiou dismissed Fadi, 43, as a "gold digger" and said he is “not welcome” at the ceremony, .
Andros, 54, said: “Heaven help him if he turned up. Fadi has not been invited to the funeral — the family hate him.”
Fadi tweeted today: "Can we cut the cr*p now once and for all. Let's have some respect for George (the poor man).
"George's family are very loving respectful and decent people, there is nothing more to say."
Andros revealed George will be buried in his favourite suit and shirt from his final tour.
He will also be wearing a gold Cartier watch plus a ring engraved with his nickname Yog.
Andros said George’s family chose the outfit as they prepared to bury him beside beloved mum Lesley.
George’s funeral is on hold until the coroner releases his body as cops await the results of toxicology tests to help establish the cause of death.
But former music producer Andros, who was the chart-topper’s closest childhood friend, said the arrangements had all been agreed.
The 54-year-old said: “The clothes have been chosen and it will be his favourite black suit and shirt from the Symphonica tour, with no tie.
“He will also be dressed in a gold Cartier watch and the ring with Yog on it. The family have all discussed it and the outfit has been arranged and we have the clothes.”
Guests at the small private burial will include Martin Kemp and wife Shirlie, George’s ex-backing singer.
But Andros believes George’s ex-lover — Texan art dealer Kenny Goss — is unlikely to attend, as are friends including Boy George.
Andros went on: “It will be a small and secret affair, with possibly less than 50 people. The hope is that George is in the ground before people find out about the funeral.
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“It’ll mostly be family and a few close friends. George’s sisters Melanie and Yioda are doing the lists.
“Loads of members of George’s Greek family are over, waiting for it to happen. We are just waiting for the body. At the moment it’s basically lying in a fridge, which is a thought I can’t bear.
“I have to say goodbye, though I can’t even imagine it. I’ll be devastated, it will be heartbreaking.”
Andros also tore into the singer’s lover — insisting he was “not really” George’s boyfriend.
He said: “Fadi has not been invited to the funeral. He is not welcome, the family hate him. Heaven help him if he turned up.
“They know what he is, and everyone basically thinks he’s a gold-digger. He was never going to be invited — and Yog (George) was planning to get rid of him after Christmas anyway.
“Fadi was not really his boyfriend. No one has spoken to him and he just seems to be getting on with his life. It makes my stomach turn.”
Andros spoke after The Sun revealed a leaked recording of a 999 call Fadi made after finding George lifeless in bed on Christmas Day.
In the recording Fadi — who has said he slept in his car outside the singer’s home in Goring, Oxfordshire, on Christmas Eve — is heard saying: “He’s cold and blue.”
He also told the operator he had been waiting four hours for George to wake up and had spent a further hour trying to rouse him.
But Andros said: “It didn’t make sense when I read the transcript — and I have listened to the call over and over.
“Fadi sounded way too calm, when really you’d be hysterical and crying.
“Also, he said he waited for hours for George to wake up. Really? On Christmas Day you wait for hours?
“Then he said he tried to wake him for an hour. Well, if you find someone like that and they are not waking up you call 999 right away.
“In my opinion he has wasted hours when he could have saved him — at least four or five hours.
“If he was lying in bed all that time, he could’ve had a faint pulse and possibly been resuscitated.
“Also, the way he told them, ‘Oh it’s George Michael — you know, the singer’ was just wrong. And the fact he didn’t know the address or his birthday just shows he wasn’t that close to him.
“This whole thing stinks even more since I’ve read the transcript and heard the call. I want answers.”
Andros added: “My big problem is, what was George doing alone on Christmas Eve, if he was alone?
“That was his mother Lesley’s birthday and he always struggled on that day. He was vulnerable and should not have been left alone.”
Fadi has twice been interviewed as a witness by police, who have described the singer’s death as “unexplained but non-suspicious”.
There have been reports that Fadi has been ruled out as a suspect.
Andros, who previously said he feared George may have taken drugs, says he thinks traces of hard drugs would have been found by now. He added: “I can’t wait for the toxicology to show it wasn’t suicide.
“I think George was clean of hard drugs and was only smoking weed. Any drugs like crack or heroin would have shown up by now.”
Andros, who revealed George was set to host Christmas lunch for 20 guests at his second home in London, said he had been bowled over by the star’s fans since his death. He said: “I’d like to thank them for their incredible support.”
Asked about the funeral by The Sun on Sunday last night, Fadi said: “You shouldn’t be here, you are not welcome here.
“Just believe in love and believe in nice people — they exist.”
Facts we know about George's death
DECEMBER 24: Fadi Fawaz is pictured in socks and sandals buying coffee near George’s house in Goring, Oxfordshire.
DECEMBER 25: Fadi finds lifeless George in bed, tries to wake him and calls 999 at around 1.30pm.
At 1.42pm an ambulance arrives at the house. Thames Valley Police say George has died, describing the death as “unexplained but not suspicious”.
George’s manager Michael Lippman says the cause of death is believed to be heart failure.
DECEMBER 26: Fadi tweets: “It is a Xmas I will never forget finding your partner dead peacefully first thing in the morning. I will never stop missing you xx.”
DECEMBER 30: A post-mortem delivers “inconclusive” finding. More toxicology tests are ordered.
DECEMBER 31: Tweets appear on Fadi’s account suggesting George wanted to commit suicide and tried killing himself “many times”.
JANUARY 1: Fadi says he slept in his car on Christmas Eve.
JANUARY 2: Fadi denies posting tweets, and says his account has been hacked.
FEBRUARY 5: Police rule out Fadi as a suspect and a spokesman says there are “no suspicious circumstances”.
It is reported that results of toxicology tests are “imminent”.
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