George Michael's ex Kenny Goss has told how he "expected him to die", in his first interview for five years.
George Michael and Kenny Goss
The 63-year-old art dealer was in an open relationship with the late music legend - who died of heart and liver disease on Christmas Day 2016 aged 53 - from 1996 to 2009, and Kenny admitted he was "worried" about George "all the time", but insisted he "really did try" to save the star.
Speaking on TalkTV's 'Piers Morgan Uncensored', he said: "We all expected him to die. I had spent so much time when we lived together, being worried about him.
"Honestly, he hated the fact that I worried about him so much. What's the line he says in one of his songs? He says, 'I can see it in your eyes when you look at me that way, it tears me in two.' And it really did. I just didn't know what to do.
"I was worried about him all the time. Please don't say that the wrong way, if you love someone you are worried about them.
"What I always do notice is there was a lot longer time that I was incredibly happy with him than I was worried with him.
"He always said that I saved his life. I think that's a bit much but I really did try.
"I really did try to be always be there for him and he knew that."
Kenny says the 'Careless Whisper' hitmaker was "one of the most wonderful men in the world" and he would often shower the star with praise to remind him that he was looking "really good".
He said: "I don't think he ever thought he had a good looking moment in his life. I always tried to remind him or tell him, you know, 'You look really good today. You're a handsome man.'
"It was very difficult for him ... people would think he would have a much higher sense of, 'Hey, I'm a good looking guy.'
"But what he did know was that he was a talented man, and a good songwriter. I mean he was a good man.'
"He was one of the most wonderful men in the world."
The couple had an open relationship, with Kenny now admitting George was "probably more open" than him, and he explained one of the reasons George got together with him was to "please" the late Wham! singer's mother, Lesley, who died in 1997 aged 60.
He said: "He had this view that his mother and I were very much alike. And in a lot of ways we were.
"I would say, I'm much more a guy that plays by rules and she was kind of the same way. I'm also not judgmental at all."
Last year, Kenny agreed a confidential financial settlement with George's trustees, the late star's lawyer Christopher Organ and his sister Panayiota Panayiotou, who is known as Yioda.
Kenny had launched action in the High Court for a reported £15,000-a-month allowance after being snubbed from the singer's will following his death in 2016.
He had previously claimed he was reliant on George's money after giving up his career to look after him.
George left most of his £97.6 million fortune to his close family and friends in his will, with his partner at the time of his death, Fadi Fawaz, also left out.
In 2017, Kenny admitted George was the "love of [his] life".
He said: "We just had a really good, sweet relationship. We weren't even mad at each other or anything like that. He was truly the love of my life. And I think I was the love of his life."
Following George's death in 2016, Kenny told how he was "heartbroken" to hear his former flame had passed away, and praised George as an "extremely kind and generous man".
He said in a statement: "I'm heartbroken with the news that my dear friend and longtime love George Michael has passed.
"He was a major part of my life and I loved him very, very much. He was an extremely kind and generous man.
"The beautiful memories and music he brought to the world will always be an important part of my life and those who also loved and admired him."
Tagged in George Michael