DJ apologises for playing Last Christmas by Wham! after upsetting Whamageddon participants
A DJ was forced to apologise for playing 'Last Christmas' by Wham! after upsetting a bunch of people - otherwise known as Whamageddon participants.
The rather silly game has been played every year since 2010, and it lasts from 1 December to the end of Christmas Eve (December 24).
The origins of the challenge are believed to have started on GTPlanet, a sim racing-themed online forum under the name 'GTPlanet vs. Wham! - 'Last Christmas'.
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So, the way it works is that if a participant hears 'Last Christmas' within the 24 days before Christmas, they lose the challenge.
Remixes and cover versions of George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley's 1984 hit are not included in the 'terms and conditions'.
But wait, it gets worse.
To indicate you have lost, a player must post '#Whamageddon' on social media.
They are also sent to 'Whamhalla', which means they are unable to return until the game begins again the following year.
Yep.
And Whamageddon has a dedicated website, along with actual merchandise, to go with it.
The game's rules state: "While we can't stop you from deliberately sending your friends to Whamhalla, the intention is that this is a survival game. Not a Battle Royale."
Now, it seems that some players take the game more serious than others after Matt Facer - a DJ at Northampton Town FC - was slammed for playing the song at a recent home game at Sixfields against Portsmouth last week (2 December).
"I gave it a spin, thinking it would be quite funny to wipe out 7,000 people who couldn't avoid it, but clearly it isn't funny," he said.
"I had a bit of an insult on Twitter, light-hearted, [saying] it was not a nice thing to do, and apparently that was quite tame to what was being said in the stadium.
"So I officially apologise to everybody whose Christmas I've ruined."
The DJ has now promised to not play the song at their next home game against Fleetwood Town.
He told BBC Radio Northampton: "I can take on the chin with my home fans and Portsmouth, but I don't think I'll be playing it again.
"I think it's a shame people in professions like mine can't play Wham! until [late] December, but it's a game and we all have to jump on board."
This comes after the song's return to UK Number 1 for the fourth time since 1984.
Anish Vij