TRAGIC George Michael committed suicide, his lover claims — and it was his fifth attempt.

Fadi Fawaz said the singer, 53, died on Christmas Eve, his late mum’s birthday, and not Christmas Day as was thought.

The 2016 death was put down to natural causes. But in emails seen by The Sun, Fadi said George killed himself, adding: “It took five attempts.”

George Michael lay dead for 24 hours after he killed himself, according to sensational new claims by his lover.

Fadi Fawaz now suggests the star died on Christmas Eve 2016 in a fifth suicide attempt. He previously said he did not find George, 53, dead until Christmas Day.

Fadi, 45, made the claims in emails seen by The Sun. He wrote: “I’m sick and tired of people asking me what happened on Christmas Day.

“Well let me tell you, George died on his mother’s birthday, so that might answer a few questions.

“Not to mention it took five attempts to manage to end his life. I think it’s important for the story.”

George’s mum Lesley Harrison was born on December 24, 1938, and died after a cancer battle in 1997.

Jobless hairdresser Fadi has said he found George’s body at home in Goring, Oxon, at lunchtime.

The pair had a stormy five-year relationship and it emerged Fadi had slept in his car on Christmas Eve.

In March 2017 senior coroner Darren Salter said George died of natural causes and had dilated cardiomyopathy with myocarditis and fatty liver. No time of death was ever set out by police or the coroner.

The results of a post mortem were never made public at the request of the family.

And there was no mention of the toxicology test results.

Fadi’s new claims follow a 2017 tweet in which he appeared to say George may have taken his own life.

Fadi quickly distanced himself from those posts, saying hackers were responsible.

George once admitted he contemplated suicide as he did not want to see his loved ones die before him.

He sank into depression when boyfriend Anselmo Feleppa died aged 37 in 1993 from a brain haemorrhage.

George’s uncle and grandad took their own lives. And he said of the grief from his mum’s death: “I was in the black hole. I just used to sleep and sleep.

"Some days I could barely put one foot in front of the other.”

He added: “I think I might have been one of those cowards who chose a nasty way out.”

Fadi is arguing for a slice of the star’s £105million estate and still lives in his £5million Regent’s Park home despite the family asking him to leave.

A spokeswoman for George’s estate last night said she had “no trust” in Fadi’s claims.