Paul O’Grady died after taking on ‘exhausting’ amount of work following BBC axe
PAUL O’Grady died after an exhausting seven months in which he took on as much work as possible after he felt forced to quit his BBC Radio 2 show.
He had signed up for a string of TV, stage and radio shows — despite battling a draining bout of Covid last summer.
The Lily Savage star died aged 67 just three days after completing a run in a UK tour playing Miss Hannigan in Annie, The Musical.
He was due to start working for a new radio station, Boom Radio — and to return for another run of Annie later this spring.
Last year, animal-lover Paul also made the eleventh series of his ITV show For the Love of Dogs and was completing a secret documentary on elephants in Laos — which could be his last ever TV show.
A TV insider said: “Paul had committed to a workload that would overwhelm a man half his age, but he liked regular work to keep him occupied.
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“He was immensely popular among viewers and was used to his life being incredibly busy as a result. He didn’t want that to change.
“Despite his advancing years and ailing health, he seemed to be taking more than ever — perhaps feeling the sense that it could all come to an end at any moment.
“Losing his Radio 2 show had proved a huge shock for Paul as he loved it dearly.
“He felt the need to fill the void at a time when he should probably have been taking things easy.
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“But he was more than happy not to put his feet up and knew it was his decision entirely.”
Popular Paul’s death sent shockwaves through the world of showbiz. He was close friends with many stars who he had met while performing over four decades.
His husband Andre Portasio confirmed in a statement yesterday that Paul died on Tuesday night. The cause is not yet known.
Andre said: “It is with great sadness that I inform you that Paul has passed away unexpectedly but peacefully yesterday evening.
“He will be greatly missed by his loved ones, friends, family, animals and all those who enjoyed his humour, wit and compassion.
“I know that he would want me to thank you for all the love you have shown him over the years.”
Paul leaves behind his daughter Sharon, a child he had with friend Diane Jansen when he was just 18, as well as his two grandchildren.
Proud Liverpudlian Paul had gained a huge fanbase hosting his Sunday afternoon Radio 2 show for 14 years.
He left last August when Beeb bosses asked him to share the slot with fellow comedian Rob Beckett.
O’Grady said it was “one of the longest jobs I’ve ever held down”.
He said he still didn’t want to consider retirement — despite two heart attacks — in 2002 and 2006 - as well as an angina attack in 2013 that also required heart surgery.
He landed in hospital with kidney trouble during a trip to India in 2017 while filming an animal show and doctors saved him with antibiotic and saline treatments.
Last year he was left unable to work for two months after catching Covid, having felt grateful to have avoided contracting it during the initial pandemic.
Paul had to spend the summer recuperating at his farm in Aldlington, near Ashford, Kent, where he kept a menagerie of dogs, llamas and pigs.
Speaking last month, he recalled: “I had a vicious headache and a terrible cough. I was really ill. It wiped me out, I was shocked at how bad I was.
“I was a good two months getting over it. My breath had gone.
"I’ve never slept so much in my life. I’d had all the jabs, but it just finished me off.”
Catching Covid forced him to halt filming on Channel 5 drama, The Madame Blanc Mysteries. He had already had to halt preparations to make his documentary on elephants when lockdown hit in March 2020.
Last October, he finally made the 12,000-mile round trip to Laos to fulfil a long-held ambition of making a documentary highlighting the plight of the animals there. The show is expected to air later this year.
The star’s many TV credits include his spells hosting teatime programme The Paul O’Grady show from 2004 to 2009 on ITV and from 2013 to 2015 on Channel 4.
He had fronted For the Love of Dogs since 2012 — shining a light on the work of London’s Battersea Dogs and Cats Home.
Its chief executive Peter Laurie said: “Battersea will forever remember Paul as a devoted animal lover with the biggest heart, who fell head over heels in love with every dog he met at our centres.
Paul will always be associated with Battersea and we are truly saddened to have lost such a true friend and huge part of our charity.
“Paul had an extremely hands-on approach as a Battersea Ambassador and has been fundamental in helping our charity to communicate important campaign messages.
“He was a champion for the underdog and would do anything to ensure all animals live a healthy and happy life. He will be dearly missed.”
Paul began performing in the 1980s as his alter ego Lily Savage — a chain-smoking, boozing Liverpudlian with a foul mouth and gaudy wardrobe.
The drag act was honed on the club comedy circuit but appeared on a variety of programmes, including ’s chat show, where the host was left in fits.
As Lily, Paul started getting regular jobs — first on Channel 4’s The Big Breakfast and then hosting BBC1 game show Blankety Blank from 1998 to 2002.
But in the Noughties Paul chose to only appear as himself. He received an MBE in 2008 and a National Television Awards Special Recognition gong in 2010.
He also fronted the reboot of hit ITV dating show, Blind Date, for Channel 5, a job previously held by fellow Scouse legend Cilla Black.
Paul and the singer were very close friends and he was both surprised and devastated when she died in 2015.
He delivered the eulogy at her funeral and said: “I firmly believed she was indestructible and I always thought I’d be the one to go first.
“We discussed my funeral a number of times and she had a major role in it which involved a mantilla and lilies. I’m going to have to re-think that now aren’t I?”
In tribute to Paul, ITV1 last night broadcast a repeat of Paul O’Grady: For the Love of Dogs: A Royal Special, which saw him meet with the Queen Consort Camilla to celebrate the Battersea rescue centre’s 160th birthday.
The channel will also broadcast a special tribute to O’Grady, called For the Love of Paul, on April 9 at 8pm.
The eleventh series of Paul O’Grady: For the Love of Dogs will start on ITV1, as planned, on April 13. ITV boss Kevin Lygo said: “We are fortunate to have had a long association with Paul.
“He was a huge, inimitable talent, delighting our viewers through his comedy and entertainment with a warmth, humour and joy that audiences of all generations related to and connected with.
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“He had a profound passion for animals too, which resonated with so many viewers, and For The Love of Dogs remains one of our best-loved series, and a really special programme for so many.
“All those who worked with Paul are shocked and deeply saddened at his passing and the thoughts of everyone at ITV are with Paul’s loved ones.”
PAUL’S BEST GAGS
“I LIKE a Blackpool breakfast, me — 20 ciggies and a pot of tea.”
“THE worst thing about dogs is having to pick the poo up. Once I was out in the park and I picked it up in a polythene bag, then this woman came over, grabbed me and said, ‘I love you’.”
“I BROKE my nose in Cilla’s hot tub. I slipped and we had to go to hospital. She had a denim miniskirt on we looked like something out of Shameless.”
“KIM Kardashian, the one with the big bum? Massive isn’t it? You could show a film on that in widescreen.”
“THERE’S a gang of women up there gagging for it. If you don’t mind Tena ladies and false teeth you’re in luck fellas.”
“A FELLA went up to a girl in a bar with his hand in his pocket and said: ‘If you can guess what I’ve got in my hand, you can have it’. She said: ‘If you can fit it in one hand I don’t want it’.”
“I HAD words with Madonna once at a party in New York. She sat next to me and her feet were like a hobbit’s. She said: ‘Do you know what I want?’ I said: ‘A good wash?’”
“CILLA made me go with her for a fake spray tan in Spain and I stood in this cubicle in a pair of paper drawers, mortified. When I came out I had ginger hair and a yellow face.’”
“I GET these big stars on as guests and they go on about their craft and I think: ‘Are you a witch?’ They talk bs and moan. If I was getting £15million I’d shag a donkey, so shut up!”