I've never been affected by celebrity, but I admit being a fan of George's and his whole public persona. I relished photographing him over the years, whenever the opportunity arose. He always took time to pose for me with grace and appreciation, be it sometimes for just 10 seconds. My interest in him goes back to the night I checked in my coat at The Blitz. I was hooked the minute he clapped eyes on me. It wasn't so much because he looked hilarious in a nun outfit. More to the point, I'd never seen such intense, limpid eyes like his before. The low-budget but ingenious nature of his looks set him apart from everyone else on the New Romantics scene. I thought to myself then that if this guy played his cards right, I could see him go places fast ... and didn't he just! After snapping him regularly at clubs nights and launch parties, I met him properly when various magazines (Number 1 Magazine, DJ Mag, Project X, Metropolitan, etc.) commissioned me to interview him during the Jesus Loves You period and thereafter. His detractors who just look upon him as an opportunistic Jack of all trades sort of miss the point. You can't survive three decades without talent. And George still has plenty of that. What's wrong with exploiting your possibilities when you can afford to do so, anyway? As a promising career in fashion beckoned in 2006 (with B-Rude), George added yet another feather to an already well-festooned hat. One might wonder if he'll ever feature in the charts again? Will he manage running a record label or a club successfully (Yes, please!)? Will he fulfill his ambition to be a bona fide actor or chat show host? Will he take his interest in journalism and photography further? Will he ever lose the plot? Will he ever go 'clean'? Will he ever retire gracefully? Only time will answer all these burning questions. Meanwhile, let's appreciate and respect a true English eccentric; there aren't many left. George is witty, unique, still very likeable and each of his tabloid-grabbing appearances makes jaws drop, if only for the ludicrously stunning looks he works time and time again. No cheap reference here to the New York street-sweeping incident by the way! Only two words seriously spring to mind: national treasure!
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