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‘The Voice UK’ Judges Pay Tribute to George Michael With ‘Freedom 90’ Performance

He's gone but never forgotten.
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By 

Reporter

‘The Voice’ judges paid tribute to George Michael on Saturday (1 April) night, with a rendition of one of his most famous tracks during the first part of the programme’s live final.

Jennifer Hudson, Sir Tom Jones, will.i.am and Gavin Rossdale took to the stage to perform ‘Freedom 90’, just days after a private funeral was held for the star in Highgate.

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will.i.am, Sir Tom Jones, Jennifer Hudson and Gavin Rossdale
ITV

The ‘Freedom 90’ video was just as memorable as the track, and speaking shortly after George died over Christmas, Naomi Campbell revealed what it was like starring in it.

“We were all [there on] different days. Linda [Evangelista] and Christy [Turlington] were together, and I was the first day.

“I was coming straight from a Thierry Mugler show where we did five shows from 6.30 in the morning till 3am the next morning, and then had to fly out on the first flight from Paris to London and go straight to set.

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George Michael
PA Wire/PA Images

“I was exhausted, but I was so happy to be there, to work with [director] David Fincher - and so happy that George chose the five of us from the British Vogue cover that we did. We were all singing the song anyway because we loved the song.”

‘The Voice’ continues tonight (Sunday 2 April), when the first ever ITV winner will be picked.

Mo Adeniran, Into the Ark and Jamie Miller will battle it out for the title, following the exit of Michelle John, which took place in last night’s show.

'The Voice' UK: Where Are They Now?
Lydia Lucy (Finalist, 2016)(01 of14)
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will.i.am kept his promise of further support, and Lydia performed with the Black Eyed Peas at the Capital Summertime Ball, just months after her series ended. (credit:BBC)
Jermain Jackman (Winner, 2014)(02 of14)
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It seemed the BBC may finally have found a star with Jermain. Regrettably, this wasn't the case, and his debut album peaked at number 42 in the charts after its 2015 release. (credit:Dave J Hogan via Getty Images)
Leanne Mitchell (Winner, 2012)(03 of14)
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Sadly, the show's first ever winner found herself dropped in 2014, after releasing just one album.

Leanne later blamed the fact her label waited too long after her victory on 'The Voice' in releasing the album for its lack of commercial success, claiming she was still happy she didn't "cop out" and release a covers album. (credit:Mike Marsland via Getty Images)
Tyler James (Runner-up, 2012)(04 of14)
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Tyler "I Was Best Friends With Amy Winehouse" James (she's mentioned six times on his Wikipedia page alone) was a fan favourite during the first series of 'The Voice', famously performing a duet with will.i.am dangling from the ceiling.

This didn't translate to a fruitful music career, though, and his last offering in 2012 stalled at number 47 in the UK album chart. (credit:REX/Brian Rasic)
Bo Bruce Runner-up, 2012)(05 of14)
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Despite having the most commercial success of any of the former 'Voice' stars, Bo didn't have an easy time after leaving the competition, and quit her record label after two singles due to a "lack of support", before eventually checking into rehab for exhaustion.

She's since branded former coach DannyO'Donoghue a "wanker" after admitting that they shared a snog while she was still being mentored by him on the show. (credit:Rex/Jason Sheldon)
Vince Kidd (Fourth place, 2012)(06 of14)
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Vince has continued to make music since appearing on the show, releasing four singles, though none managed to chart in the UK. (credit:Rex)
Twinnie Lee Moore (2002)(07 of14)
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She was already a successful musical theatre actress when she auditioned for 'The Voice', but none of the judges turned their chairs for Twinnie.

Since then, she's focussed on acting and in 2014, began playing a McQueen in 'Hollyoaks'. She also, judging from this photo, loves a good hat. (credit:Rex/Tom Horton)
Jamie Johnson (Fourth place, 2014)(08 of14)
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Jamie continued to remain in the public eye after the show, and in 2015, declared that he was going to try and make a splash in America, insisting: "I just don’t want half the cake, I want the whole cake."

While it seems he may not have been successful, Jamie is continuing to make music and keeps fans updated online. (credit:Rex/Beretta/Sims)
Leah McFall (Finalist, 2013)(09 of14)
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Leah's cover of 'I Will Always Love You' may have charted at number 8 while she was on the show, but her efforts after the competition couldn't match it.

Despite support from will.i.am - who invited her to support him on tour - Leah's debut album failed to materialise, and she was quietly dropped by her label. (credit:Neil Lupin via Getty Images)
Andrea Begley (Winner, 2013)(10 of14)
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Andrea famously caused will.i.am to storm off set when she was announced as winner over his act, Leah McFall.

Andrea had huge success - by The Voice's standards... - in 2013, when her debut album charted a number 7.

We haven't heard much from her since then though, and after its release, she completed her Masters degree in Law and Governance... which would appear to suggest we won't be hearing a follow-up anytime soon. (credit:Harlem Mepham via Getty Images)
Max Milner (2012)(11 of14)
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Chart success wasn't Max's forte, but in early 2016, he was still making music and sharing updates with fans. (credit:Rex/Ray Tang)
Sally Barker (Runner-up, 2014)(12 of14)
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Sally may not have been the winner, but she still managed thrash champion Jermain Jackman in terms of single sales, charting 15 places higher than him the week after the show ended.

Following her success on the show, Sally completed a UK tour at the tail-end of 2014. (credit:Alex Huckle via Getty Images)
Bungle (2015)(13 of14)
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From what we can gather, he's still living comfortably with Zippy and George in the 'Rainbow' house, following his brief appearance. (credit:Rex/Freemantle Media Ltd.)
Kevin Simm (Winner, 2016)(14 of14)
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Former Liberty X star Kevin triumphed on what would be the last BBC series of 'The Voice'.

Unfortunately, he couldn't break the show's curse, and his solo album 'Recover', failed to chart when it was released in October 2016. (credit:Jeff Spicer via Getty Images)
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