Paul O'Grady's grieving fans in tears during emotional TV tribute

‘What a brilliant human he was!’ Paul O’Grady’s grieving fans in tears during emotional TV tribute which looked at his glittering show business career before his unexpected death aged 67

Paul O’Grady’s grieving fans were moved to tears during an emotional tribute programme aired by ITV on Sunday.

Performer Paul died ‘unexpectedly but peacefully’ last month at the age of 67, his husband Andre Portasio announced in a statement.

And ITV1’s For the Love of Paul O’Grady paid a fitting tribute to the presenter, comedian and chat-show host, who was known for his entertaining drag act Lily Savage.

The show featured Paul’s loved ones, including TV star Carol Vorderman and actress Sally Lindsay, who shared some heartfelt words as they recalled happy memories with the star as they looked back at his glittering show business career.

Paul’s fans were left in tears during the programme, with many taking to Twitter to share tributes of their own. 

Farewell: Paul O’Grady’s grieving fans were moved to tears during an emotional tribute programme aired by ITV on Sunday after his death aged 67

Sad news: The entertainer died at the age of 67 last month, with his husband Andre Portasio announcing the sad news (the couple are pictured here at the Royal Opera House in London in 2018)

One person wrote: ‘Already weeping at this For the love of Paul O’Grady. What an amazing, ground breaking, brilliant man. First time I met him was at Pride in the 90s when I was working for Stonewall. I drunkenly said “I love you!”. He said “Me? I’m nothing special, darlin”. How wrong he was. x’

Someone else wrote: ‘This Paul O’Grady show is gonna make me cry right? I went past his house for the first time since on Monday and felt very sad.’

Another person shared: ‘Absolutely fully and completely in floods of tears at For The Love of Paul O’Grady, tears of laughter, tears of sadness, just tears. What a brilliant human he was, God I will miss him.’

‘Loved Paul O’Grady! Lily Savage was hilarious…we loved Blankety Blank…what a talent. This is a great tribute. Rest In Power Paul,’ wrote another viewer.

Someone else posted: ‘Haven’t seen a negative word said about Paul O’Grady since he passed away, as lovely a guy off screen as he was on.’

While another audience member posted: ‘Loved Paul O’Grady growing up. Lily Savage was iconic. His humour was one of a kind. Never at someone’s expense. Did so much for LGBTQ+ community, as a kid, I didn’t realise how important his presence was, as an adult I did.’

Someone else shard: ‘There will never be another Paul O’Grady. We have lost a star. It is a testament to his legacy that I have not read one negative comment since his death was announced. He was loved by all.’

And another viewer tweeted: ‘Paul O’Grady one in a million, a kind, caring man whom I miss so much,’ while someone else shared: ‘This is such a beautiful tribute to Paul O’Grady. Absolute legend, he’s going to be so missed.’

Emotional: Paul’s fans were left in tears during the programme, with many taking to Twitter to share tributes of their own

For the Love of Paul O’Grady featured highlights of the star’s life and career, including when he appeared as drag queen Lily Savage on shows such as The Big Breakfast in the nineties and his TV performance as nipple-tassel-twirling Lily with the late Barbara Windsor and Cilla Black.

It also looked at his time at Battersea Dogs & Cats Home where he filmed Paul O’Grady: For the Love of Dogs.

The series, a last one of which is set to air posthumously, saw him help home more than 300 dogs.

Paul had himself given a home to Chihuahua-Jack Russell cross Eddie, Shih Tzu Boycie, Maltese Conchita, mongrels Arfur and Nancy, and a dachshund called Sausage, from the home, where the series was filmed.

Paul died at the age of 67 last month, with his husband Andre announcing the sad news.

He said in a statement: ‘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.’

Star quality:  Paul – who was made an BME for services to entertainment in 2008 – first started performing as Lily Savage in the 1970s (pictured on Blankety Blank)

His long time radio producer Malcolm Prince had visited O’Grady – who had recently been touring as Miss Hannigan in the stage musical Annie – at his home earlier in the afternoon.

He tweeted: ‘He was so proud of Annie, so happy to be back on Boom Radio, and he was looking forward to so many new projects.

‘And now he’s gone. I can’t believe it. We have lost a unique talent – and I’ve lost a dear friend.’

Paul – who was made an BME for services to entertainment in 2008 – first started performing as Lily Savage in the 1970s, going onto launch The Lily Savage Show on the BBC in 1997.

He revived Blankety Blank until 2002, and went on to present a number of chat shows including ITV’s teatime programme The Paul O’Grady Show from 2004 to 2005, and then moving over to Channel 4.

In 2017, he took over from Cilla Black on Channel 5’s Blind Date reboot, while over the years he also fronted ITV’s For The Love of Dogs, which was tied to his role as an ambassador for Battersea Dogs & Cats Home.

He recently left BBC Radio 2 after 14 years, noting at the time he wasn’t pleased with sharing his Sunday afternoon slot.

He was set to join Boom Radio for Easter Sunday less than two weeks after his death.

Emotional: The late Paul O’Grady is set to move his grieving fans to tears as he as he bids an emotional farewell to a dog named Peggy (pictured) after he helped nurse her back to health

It comes after Paul’s long-time radio producer said ‘we all feel robbed’ while paying tribute to his late friend and colleague on Boom Radio.

Malcolm worked with Paul at both BBC Radio 2 and independent station Boom Radio, until the entertainer’s death on March 28.

While introducing a repeat of O’Grady’s Christmas Day 2022 Boom Radio show, in a slot originally scheduled for a special Easter broadcast from the pair, Prince said: ‘Hello, I’m Malcolm and I’m usually referred to as Paul O’Grady’s long-suffering radio producer.

‘Right now you should be hearing the song Stop Me If You’ve Heard It All Before by Billy Ocean.

‘It would have been the opening track of the Team POG (Paul O’Grady) Easter day show but sadly, that’s not to be.

‘Paul’s sudden death on March the 28th shocked us all, his family, friends and fans.

‘We all feel robbed. But I think we should count ourselves lucky because Paul O’Grady will never really leave us.

‘We have his award-winning books, we can still watch his hilarious chat shows and sitcoms, learn from his travelogues and documentaries, and remember thousands of his live performances on stage – and then there’s Miss Savage.

Devastated: Paul O’Grady ‘s radio producer and friend Malcolm Prince has shared a tribute to the late star after his sudden death, saying they all felt ‘robbed’

‘It’s an enormous and unique legacy and part of that was his radio show – Paul loved it, pure and simple.

‘That’s why he did it for so many years, and there was one programme in particular that Paul knew was just as important for his ‘other listener’.

‘Yes, he joked he couldn’t stand the run-up to the big day, but he knew it was a privilege to be there on Christmas Day with you.

‘So by popular demand, here’s his first show for Boom Radio. It was supposed to have been the start of a brand new adventure for him, me and you.

‘It’s Christmas Day 2022 all over again and regular Team POG listeners will know it won’t be the first time we’ve played festive music in April.

‘And that description of me being his long-suffering producer… Well don’t believe a word of it. I loved every minute.’

Paul first joined Boom Radio for a one-off special last Christmas after 14 years at Radio 2, with his festive broadcast pulling in a record number of listeners, according to the station.

The animal charity fundraiser also presented several TV shows and featured in musicals after rising to fame on the nightclub circuit as the acerbic, platinum wig-wearing Lily Savage.

Boom Radio was founded during the pandemic by former radio executives David Lloyd and Phil Riley and saw presenters hosting shows and playing music from their garden sheds and bedrooms.

Meanwhile, Paul’s best friend Amanda Mealing has spoken of the late star’s dying wish for his funeral.  

And actress Amanda, 55, has now spoken out about Paul’s dying with for those attending his funeral.

She told the Mirror: ‘He just told us to have a good time. He’d hate it if everyone was morose.

‘Whatever happens, Paul’s funeral will be a celebration of his life and it will be full of laughter.

‘He just told us to have a good time – he’d hate it if everyone was mawkish and morose. He would just say, “I don’t care, I won’t be here! Do whatever you want”.’

Amanda went on to say there may be two funerals – a private one and another in ‘a very grand place’ for people outside Paul’s family to attend.

She said there are ongoing discussions but she expects people to fly in from all over the world to attend the larger ceremony.

Celebration of life: Paul’s friend Amanda Mealing, 55, said Paul’s dying wish for those attending his funeral is for people to enjoy themselves (pictured in 2005)

Screen star Amanda said she fought back tears when she received a text message from Paul’s husband Andre in the early hours of Wednesday morning this week to say the star had died.

However, she has since cried happy tears as she reminisced and recalled amusing stories with Paul’s friends and family, which left her cackling with laughter.

She said they have been showered with gifts, messages, pictures and videos of Paul that fans had taken over the years.

Amanda told how she was moved to tears when she was sent a clip recorded at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern in London where Paul regularly performed as his drag alter ego Lily Savage, where patrons cheered instead of having a moment’s silence.  

‘It was such a lovely gesture to hear all this noise for him. It’s been an enormous comfort to know he was so loved,’ she said.

Paul was godfather to Amanda’s sons Milo and Otis and she spoke to him just days before he died.

She insisted he was ‘feeling great’ having just returned to Thailand and had sent her a plethora of holiday snaps of himself.

While Amanda said she was heartbroken for herself as she’s lost her best friend, she said she feels differently for Paul as ‘he absolutely rinsed his life’, adding: ‘He got absolutely everything he could out of it and that is wonderful.’

Amanda is also grateful Paul died at home with husband Andre nearby rather than in a hotel room alone.

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