Everyone thinks they know the Last Christmas music video. You’ve seen it a thousand times while waiting for a flight or nursing a hangover on Boxing Day. George Michael in that oversized coat. The big hair. The heartbreak. It’s the ultimate 1980s time capsule.
But honestly? Most people miss the actual drama that happened behind the lens in Saas-Fee, Switzerland. It wasn't just a bunch of friends frolicking in the snow for a camera. It was a high-stakes, freezing, drunken, and slightly chaotic production that almost lost its most famous prop to a snowbank.
The Brooch, the Blizzard, and the Summer Shoes
If you watch the video closely, there’s a moment where George looks at a glittering diamond brooch. It’s the "gift" he gave his ex-girlfriend the year before. In the video's timeline, she's now wearing it while dating his best friend, Andrew Ridgeley. Awkward, right?
That brooch wasn't some cheap costume jewelry. It was a real heirloom belonging to Andrew Ridgeley’s grandmother.
During the shoot, the crew actually lost it. Imagine forty people, including international pop stars and high-end models, panicking in the Swiss Alps because a family treasure vanished in the powder. They turned the Walliserhof Grand-Hotel upside down. They searched every pillow and every inch of carpet. Eventually, a hotel porter found it twinkling in the snow outside.
Then there’s George’s footwear.
Saas-Fee is a car-free village. You have to walk everywhere. George Michael, being the fashion icon he was, arrived for the shoot in December wearing thin summer moccasins. He refused to change them unless the cameras were rolling. The locals still tell stories about him slipping and sliding all over the icy paths between takes.
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It Wasn’t Just One Chalet
The video makes it look like they’re all staying in one cozy, remote cabin. Total lie.
The exterior shots—the famous snowball fight and the group walking up the path—were filmed at Chalet Schliechte. It’s tucked away in the "Wildi" part of the village. But if you try to go inside to find that famous dinner table? You’ll be disappointed.
The interior scenes were filmed in a completely different spot because the original chalet didn't have a fireplace that looked "Christmas" enough. They used a space in the local cultural center and another empty apartment.
There was one major problem: the apartment had no heat.
Between takes, the cast was literally shivering. They ended up breaks-ing into a local's basement studio nearby—a guy named Martin Beutler—just because it was warm and the door wasn't locked. They just made themselves at home until the director called them back.
The Dinner Scene Was Actually a Party
That big Christmas dinner where everyone looks slightly tipsy? They weren't acting.
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Andrew Ridgeley has admitted since then that the "festive cheer" was fueled by quite a bit of actual alcohol. It was a group of twenty-somethings in the mountains with a production budget. They were having a genuine blast. The "friends" in the video weren't just random extras either; they were George and Andrew’s actual circle, including backing singers Pepsi and Shirlie and Shirlie’s then-boyfriend (now husband) Martin Kemp from Spandau Ballet.
The 4K Restoration Revealed Everything
In 2019, the video got a massive 4K facelift. They went back to the original 35mm film rolls to rescanning them. This is super rare for 80s music videos because most were shot on tape, which looks like garbage when you upscale it.
Director Andy Morahan found seven of the eight original film rolls. Because they had the actual negative, the 4K version is eerily sharp.
Suddenly, you could see:
- The exact texture of the "George Michael mullet."
- The fact that the "snow" on their clothes in some scenes was clearly artificial.
- The tiny expressions of regret on George’s face that were blurry for thirty years.
It’s one of the few pieces of 80s media that actually looks like it was filmed yesterday.
Why the Cable Car Guy Had No Idea
The opening of the Last Christmas music video features the group riding a cable car (the Felskinnbahn) up the mountain. The lift operator, Charly Schmidt, is actually in the shot.
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For years, people asked him what it was like to work with Wham!. His answer? He had no clue who they were.
In 1984, Saas-Fee was a bit isolated. They didn't have English TV channels. Charly just thought he was helping a bunch of loud, well-dressed British kids get up the mountain. He didn't even see the finished video until ten years later.
Practical Insights for the Super-Fan
If you’re planning a pilgrimage to see where it all happened, don't just show up and expect a theme park. Saas-Fee is a real working village, though they’ve leaned into the "Whamiversary" recently.
- Book the Suite: You can actually stay in the "George Michael Suite" at the Walliserhof Grand-Hotel & Spa. It’s full of memorabilia now.
- The Wham! Walk: The local tourism office runs guided tours that take you to the specific spots—the cable car station, the exterior chalet, and the bridge.
- Check the Museum: The Saas Museum has a permanent exhibition of photos from the shoot that you won’t find online.
The video works because it captures a very specific type of holiday melancholy. It’s the contrast between the bright, over-saturated 80s fashion and the lyrics about being "bitten and twice shy." George Michael wrote, produced, and played every single instrument on the track himself at age 21. The video was just the final piece of his vision to create the "perfect" Christmas package.
To experience the locations yourself, head to Saas-Fee during the "Wham! Walks" held every December, and make sure to visit the Felskinn cable car station, which remains largely unchanged since 1984.