Paul O’Grady admits he never eats turkey at Christmas thanks to childhood pet

Paul O’Grady has revealed he never has turkey for Christmas – in memory of a devoted childhood pet.

The TV entertainer famous for his love of four-legged friends says he won’t have any-thing with two legs on his plate.

“I’ll be cooking on Christmas Day. Beef for me and turkey for those who like it,” says Paul, 64.

“But my rule is I won’t eat anything with a feather, because I had a pet hen as a kid that followed me everywhere.”

ITV’s For the Love of Dogs star will be back on our screens on Boxing Day.

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Despite three heart attacks, he never stops – balancing TV work with tending to the pigs, sheep, ducks and goats he keeps at his home in Kent.

But he admits he’s no fan of working out – and lives on Greggs sausage rolls. “I don’t stay in shape. I’m held together with gaffer tape and staples,” he says.

“I don’t go to a gym. I make the effort then after five minutes I think, sod this.

“I like swimming, and I must walk miles in a day to cover the land and look after the animals.

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“But I don’t have a sensible diet – in this game you can’t. You grab what’s going – usually a sausage roll from Greggs, which I love. They are fabulous.”

He says ex-ballet dancer husband Andre Portasio is the fit one in their household.

“He goes to the gym, cycles – he’s very health conscious.” But it took Andre, 39, a while to get used to Paul’s animals.

“He screamed when he first saw the sheep,” Paul reveals. “Now he’s smashing with them.”

Paul is back in panto in Goldilocks and the Three Bears at London’s Palladium, alongside Matt Baker, Nigel Havers and Julian Clary.

He says: “I always say I’ll never do panto again. But as soon as I go into rehearsals I have a ball.”

And he never tires of his ITV show following the work of Battersea Dogs Home.

He said: “Sometimes I think I’ve been doing it too long, but I love it and the viewing figures are over four million. That’s fabulous.”

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