A George Michael superfan is celebrating after Wham’s festive hit was finally crowned Christmas number one.

Last Christmas beat Sam Ryder’s You’re Christmas to Me as well as competition from Mariah Carey, Noah Kahn, Ed Sheeran and Elton John – 39 years after it was first released.

And Saf Sathi, who runs a post office in Gravesend, said the news was “brilliant” and described how it was a fitting tribute to George Michael, who died on Christmas Day in 2016.

“It has taken 39 years and Andrew Ridgeley [George Michael’s Wham co-star] was on ITN last night where he said the same,” the 55-year-old said.

“It is unbelievable and if George was here, he would be happy about it.

“I do not do Whamageddon as it is impossible for me.”

Whamageddon is a game played during the 24 days before Christmas in which players try to go from December 1 to the end of Christmas Eve without hearing Last Christmas.

Mr Sathi has worshipped the pop star for more than 30 years, having fallen in love with his music as a 12-year-old schoolboy back in 1982.

He has not only built a whopping collection of memorabilia, which fills up an entire room of his home in The Street, Rochester, but he even named his son Michael, now 28, after the singer.

Asked why he believes Last Christmas finally bagged number one, Mr Sathi said: “The official fan club releases a 7-inch vinyl in a different colour each year and a CD.

“I got mine last week and that helps with the sales along with the streaming.

“Because of his passing, people have streamed him or bought the single and wanted it to make it number one.

“There was tough competition this year but there are no other favourites for me.

“George did another song called I Dreamed of Christmas which I play quite a lot.

“My memorabilia collection is growing all the time - there is no stopping.”

Mr Sathi met George Michael for the first time three years before his death.

The singer reportedly noticed they shared a similar beard.

And he was not the first person to notice the resemblance between the two, with friends and family first spotting it when Mr Sathi’s beard started to grow as a youngster.

The similarity in appearance was picked up on by the weekly Asian newspaper Eastern Eye in 1993 when it invited readers who thought they looked like celebrities to send in pictures comparing them.

For Mr Sathi, who runs the Post Office in Singlewell Road, Gravesend, alongside wife, the resemblance to his idol is certainly fitting, having been such a fan for so long.