With everyone’s favourite last-minute shopping soundtrack, Last Christmas by Wham!, securing the festive number one spot again, it’s been pleasing to see surviving member Andrew Ridgeley enjoying the limelight in a less hostile environment than he endured during the band’s 1980s heyday.

At the time, Ridgeley was relentlessly mocked by the sneering classes for his apparent lack of contribution to the chart-topping duo and spent years as the butt of lame (and jealous) wisecracks about his supposed absence of talent.

This continued long after the band had split as George Michael launched a spectacularly successful solo career.

Even now, those with a sense of humour still rooted in the 1980s can’t help but snigger at the mention of his name.

From what I know of Ridgeley, he made a huge amount of money in his twenties, retired from performing, moved to Cornwall - where he lived with one of Bananarama - and spent his days surfing. Yeah, what a loser.

Ridgeley became the undeserving punchline to so many jokes for the crime of being less talented than George Michael, something that afflicts pretty much all of the population anyway.

This always seemed to bother other people far more than it troubled the man himself, whose role in Wham! was more about supporting his previously shy friend and giving him the confidence to go on stage in the first place.

Unlike other pop stars, who often tend to exaggerate their own talent and impact on popular culture in a pompous and self-aggrandising manner - see most punk rockers or musicians from the 1960s - Ridgeley seems more than happy to give the plaudits to his late partner, never trying to claim credit for anything he didn’t do. This doesn’t come across as contrived or false modesty either.

Having largely - and understandably - kept a low profile in the 40 years or so since Wham! broke up, Andrew Ridgeley has surfaced more frequently in the years since Michael’s untimely death, mainly to talk about Last Christmas and its enduring appeal.

He will even graciously appear shocked when radio presenters want his ‘spontaneous’ reaction to the song hitting the top of the charts, even when it’s clear he would have known in advance.

Rock and pop stars are generally celebrated for their monstrous egos, tiresome acts of rebellion and ‘look-at-me’ exhibitionism but it’s sometimes worth praising those who take the opposite path.