George Michael's troubled younger sister never recovered from the 'incredible pain' of failing in her decade-long battle to save him from an early death.
Sources say Melanie Panayiotou, 55, 59 whose body was found on Christmas Day exactly three years after her older brother George died, had become a near recluse in her final years and had piled on weight. Hinting at Ms Panayiotou's torment in a tribute on Twitter, singer Shirlie Kemp yesterday described her as 'one of the kindest, most considerate of others I had ever met'.
Separately, a family source told the Sun: 'People think she died from a broken heart. 'She had been living as a recluse and only really went out to the hairdressers and post office and occasionally with her older sister Yioda. 'She stayed indoors, had shopping delivered and rarely left the house.'
As well as travelling the world with George, the hairdresser became a regular on the London nightclub scene in the early 1990s.
A relative last night told The Mail on Sunday: 'Mel had a heart of gold. She was exceptionally close to George and his death hit her hard. She will be missed tremendously.'
Friends say that as well as comforting their father, Jack, 83, she was distressed by the behaviour of George's boyfriend Fadi Fawaz, who had to be removed from the pop star's £5 million home near Regent's Park.
As recently as last month, he was threatening to sue George's family after being excluded from his boyfriend's will.
George Michael's sister Melanie Panayiotou 'will be buried alongside her brother's unmarked grave'
Melanie, 59, who died on Christmas Day exactly three years after her brother, could be laid to rest at Highgate Cemetery in north London, where the siblings' mother is also buried.*
A source said she will 'definitely' get a headstone, unlike George as his family does not want it to become a mecca for fans.*
George still doesn’t have a gravestone three years after his death, and it’s going to stay that way.
The family has already had to deal with overzealous fans crowding outside his home and leaving flowers and memorabilia, turning it into a shrine.*
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