Michael was born in London to an English mother and Greek father. Michael was raised there and in Hertfordshire. He was initially private about being homosexual. During his "Wham!" career, he was in relationships with well-known women such as actress Brooke Shields, and model Pat Fernandes. Between 1986-1988, he was romantically involved with Kathy Yueng, an American makeup artist who was featured in "I Want Your Sex" Music Video. Nonetheless, his sexual orientation was well known among London music business people.