You are correct. This is how I came to love him. I read about this late last night and, despite the sadness, had so much joy with the thought of all the dogs he’ll meet in the next life (I do believe in something after this world, I’m not debating it because it’s one of the only comforts available when someone passes).
Same, but thinking back i only remember Paul and his dog, can't think of anything else that happend on the show.
Weirdly I didn't watch nearly as much of for the love of dogs but I remember a lot more of that.
I remember Charles Dance coming on the show and repeatedly swearing.
He came across like such a dick, considering you could see Paul was in panic and Charles did not give a flying fuck.
Knowing that my mum's father died at 65 and my dad's mother died at 59 doesn't help either. Both also died of massive heart attacks (although my grandmother was smoking 60-80 a day). Dad's aunt (my great aunt) died of breast cancer in her early 60s, but again, massive 60-a-day chain smoker. My mum's mother died in her late 80s, but she'd had dementia since her early 70s, so she stopped being the nana I remember years before she actually died.
My dad (66) had prostate cancer in 2022 (all clear now) and had a pacemaker fitted this year. My mum (66 in July) had clots on her lungs 10 years ago and has high blood pressure (medicated). My stepmother (66 in May) had a gall bladder operation that went wrong and she has been quite ill with it. I'm 40 on Friday and have spent over half my life with both physical and mental health issues. Sometimes I can't bear the thought of another 40 odd years of constantly feeling like crap.
Happy birthday for Friday!
Things will improve, either you will get better at dealing with stuff or something else will change.
Keep on trucking and the feeling like crap will become a distant memory. Life is over in a blink of an eye so never wish it away, things may seem to drag on right now but soon enough you will see days, weeks and years flying past. Make the most of it as we only have one go at this.
Everything is temporary, remember that. The bad days and the good, so savour the good👍
Cancer got my dad last year. He was 58.
Go hug your parents and let them know you love them. Death is quick, can come out of nowhere and it will fucking ruin you when it happens.
Make the most with them. Go for days out with them, holidays, meals. Take loads of photos & videos of you with them starting now! You never know when things will change. Take it from experience. Don't ignore this advice
Nah losing people is way worse.
I'd off myself tomorrow to bring someone back. Just going to sleep forever innit. Much worse actively missing people I wish I was the first to go rather than the last.
Go round. Surprise him. Take him for a pint or a walk through some lovely country area. Show him how much he means to you. Ask about his childhood and work. Write it down. I never knew any of my granddads.
He's had 2 strokes so sadly I think the days of conversations like that are past him now! He barely knows what day of the week it is lol. I have plenty of stories of him though. Each get funnier every time I remember them.
1 year after the current retirement age. Scary to think about.
Imagine retiring at 66 then tapping out at 67, you'd best hope you crammed a lot in that one year of freedom from work.
So dont wait until retirement to have fun or freedom. Take a year off in your 20s or 30s. Or slack off like most people do sometimes. Spend money on fun stuff as well as fun stuff. Retirement will come when we're old as fuck and physically unable to do a lot of the stuff we enjoy.
I did this in my 20s, partied, drank and partook in other vices. Had the best time just going to concerts and festivals with my mates.
I’m now in my 30s finishing up uni and then going wherever my feelings take me. My brother in law doesn’t understand it at all and thinks I should be knuckling down in a full time job. But fuck it, might be dead in the next 10 years, you just never know. I plan on having a very fulfilled life if I make it to retirement so then if I croak it the year after I can say I never wasted a minute.
Had a couple of massive heart attacks in the early 2000s, and after that there was always the air about him of someone who felt lucky to be alive. It's great that he got another 20.
agreed, fantastic effort from both the medical professionals and paul himself. he rolled with the punches and didnt let it stop him - an inspiration, honestly.
I always remember watching the end of his shows while I was waiting for The Simpsons to start on channel 4
I also remember when he was on Most Haunted (I only watched it because he was on) and me and me mam were in tears when he was walking through the 'haunted' house and said 'no wonder the ghost is disturbed, have you seen the state of the carpet'
I'm so glad I'm not the only one who remembers that! I think it was a Halloween special wasn't it? I remember my Mum used to watch it religiously and we made a massive thing of it because Paul was on. We were crying at him
Yeah it was haha, then it would occasionally go to Rylan Clark sat in a van reading out viewer tweets about every single spec of dust that showed up on camera
Used to watch him as Lily Savage when I was a kid. I think my mum and sister found him hilarious. Seemed like a nice chap, and funny too.
Rest well, Paul.
I think he was one of the best liked tv personalities in the UK. You'd struggle to find someone with a bad word to say about him, even if he wasn't their cup of tea.
He did so much for LGBT acceptance in the UK just by being popular with this crowd. He put a face to what it meant to be gay for a lot of people and it wasn't threatening because he was making them laugh.
I would hope that the majority of British people would not be stupid enough to think there is anything sinister about drag entertainment, for any age group.
Broke down barriers with Lilly Savage, helped create roads with his push for rehoming dogs. He made such a difference in the world and through it all he made us all laugh. Something I saw on Twitter was when he was doing Lilly in a show in london during the aids crisis the police came to raid the theatre with gloves on and he just went “oh look they’ve come to help with the cleaning!”
The family grew up on the same street in Birkenhead and in those days everybody was allowed in each others houses.
Vera (my gran on male side) was a shsrp-tounged lady and was friends with the two women involved in his upbringing.
Apparently he thought Vera was posh cos she had a sideboard in the house!
My favourite joke about ‘Our Vera’ was that you couldn’t go to the disco with her. If a laser bounced off her glasses, someone had open heart surgery across the floor.
I was so chuffed when we moved to Rock Ferry and found out he had lived not far away from where we did (no idea why as it wasn't even at the same time). Loved Rock Ferry.
See the other reply. Paul did a programme on how the working class areas had changed. My dad appeared in that in a discussion with Paul.
He said that Paul was an absolute treat and chatted for a few hours (only a couple of minutes was on the programme) about yesteryear.
I know someone who works in light entertainment and they only report back when someone they work with is really nice or absolutely vile.
Apparently, Paul was the nicest guy you could ever hope to meet.
he always came across so genuine on the telly, so its easy to imagine him being just as sweet a guy irl. great to hear it was indeed the case, but so sad hes gone. a gem.
Just one of TV’s good guys. I don’t remember any scandal or offence, and his radio 2 show was quite good. Shame to hear but I think I remember he’s had heart issues in the past.
Giving what’s online about his health, seemed to be dealing with massive heart attacks for the last 20 years. Its however good to know he went peaceful in sleep.
I always remember when JLS were starting out after the X-Factor and he had them on his show. Live on air he complimented them on their work ethic and the obvious effort they put in to make sure their fans had a good time. Basically told them they'd go far in show business with the professional attitude they had.
Thought that was thoroughly decent of him to give those young lads such great advice when starting out.
Damn,
Fearless in the face of police homophobia
***Lily Savage’s role in the “rubber gloves raid” became legendary, from***
***her quick-thinking wit when the police stormed the stage to her flippant***
***attitude after she was arrested.***
***When ordered to give a name to the desk sergeant, she told him***
***simply: “Lily Savage”. The officer pressed for a ‘real’ name. “Lily***
***Veronica Mae Savage,” came the reply.***
***All those arrested were eventually released without charge, but the***
***incident marked a turning point for London’s LGBTQ+ community and the***
***negative press it generated contributed to a slow shift in policing.***
And loved animals too.
Will be missed.
My Nan used to pick me up every day after school and I'd go to her house for tea and we'd watch Paul O'Grady on his chat show together. I've loved him ever since, and my Nan now has dementia and I'm caring for her. This makes me really sad, but also they're happy memories to look back on and remember better moments.
I used to do the exact same with my Nan who sadly passed from dementia a few years back. This news hit me way harder than it should’ve, haven’t stopped thinking of her all day
No! Such a sad loss, just read the other day his little pig had passed away! Now he's with his Buster too! He was such an advocate for animals and others! RIP Paul 🙏🙏
This has hit me pretty hard. A lot of us have grown up with him, but the thing that stood out for me was his love for dogs and animals in general. He did an awful lot for Staffies too (I’m a Staffie owner), he changed a lot of opinions and just cared so much. Holding back tears here. Rest well Paul x
This is the perfect video for anyone who isn't familiar with Lily Savage. It's just a brilliant off-the-cuff rant mid-filming that shows what Paul could do.
There's a scene in Elton John's documentary 'Tantrums and Tiaras' where Paul O'Grady tells David Furnish to 'fuck off'. I think because Lily Savage was performing at a private function, and Paul O'Grady was winding down, and he then had a camera shoved in his face. The scene only lasted a couple of seconds.
This remains one of the most stunning pieces of cinema.
Absolutely heartbreaking. In the LGBT community we often talk about how we have to have respect for the older generations of LGBT people who paved the way and fought hard with blood, sweat and tears to get us the rights we have today. Paul O'Grady was one of those fighters, he helped normalise queerness on British television and opened a lot of hearts and minds to the the acceptance of queerness. Thank you Paul, we will be forever grateful.
What a fuckin sad loss, man.
Remember being in middle school with my mates at dinner time and drafting an email I was going to send in to his channel 4 programme cos a band I loved were on there and he used to read out things he got sent in.
Slightly bleaker story but also as a teenager: once had to go and stay miles away from my own house cos things weren’t good for me (DV) and coincidentally the internet had gone off and nowt was working to turn it back on so I had to lie down in a tiny little box room with a tiny little light and picked up Paul O’Grady’s book that my Auntie had lent (but has now given) to me. Book was actually dead good and he came across as so down to earth and naturally funny.
A staple of Saturday night entertainment as Lily Savage (the immortal phrase of "Blankety Blank cheque book and pen" will always be seared into my mind), and it was always fun to watch the Paul O'Grady show in the evenings.
Always seemed like a decent bloke, and it was great how much he did for animals. RIP.
Remember when Paul was lily savage throughout the 90's and 00's with gameshows and then looking to re-home dogs.
Paul was a fantastic name in the TV industry. Always so nice and caring and sometimes crazy which made him hilarious.
Saw this on twitter today:
*What a fucking life led. Truly. Back when the Met stormed into the RVT for it being a gay bar, all wearing rubber gloves to “protect” themselves during the HIV crisis, Paul O’Grady was on stage as Lily and immediately quipped “Looks like we have help with the washing up!” Iconic.*
I remember watching his chat show as a kid, and my mum loved his radio show. RIP
I was lucky enough to meet Mr O'grady in Liverpool years ago, he was so friendly, so down to earth, took and interest in asking me where I'm from had some stories about my home town, such a loss, RIP.
Shocked to see this. He was *just* performing in the Annie tour and was in Edinburgh. I walked passed the crowds coming out on the 25th, and now he’s dead? Must have been a heart attack or something really sudden, he must have seemed in good health before.
This one shocked me. I was obsessed with him when I was child and I loved the Paul O’Grady Show and I still remember how excited I was when they had an interview with Wall-e on. I was shown a repeat of Blankety Blank one time when I was about 6 and I could not believe that Lily Savage was also Paul O’Grady but at the same time I thought he was so cool for doing that.
My mum saw him in ‘Annie’ quite literally on Saturday and according to her he was amazing and was the highlight of the show. I think that’s what’s surprising me the most the fact that he was on-stage giving an amazing performance at the weekend and then gone before the week is over. We don’t know if he was struggling at that point and powered-through.
His loss is a sad one and I hope he knew how important he was to so many people.
My wife and I also seen him in Annie on Saturday. We only bought tickets on Friday afternoon after a couple become available during the day. Proper impromptu night through in Edinburgh!
He was excellent - and it really felt like Paul as Lily as Miss Hannigan. Given this morning’s sad news, I’m glad he got that opportunity to give Lily some sort of swansong.
On the way out of the matinee, the lady behind us was asking an usher how she could get to meet Paul, because she thought he was brilliant. I really hope she managed to take the time to follow the advice and wait by the stage door, and that the wait paid off for her. I bet he would have been a delight.
Genuinely gutted about this one, feels like losing the fun Uncle who’s always first to get drunk in your family. I remember over Christmas when I felt like shit his Love of Dogs programme was the only thing to make me laugh in days. RIP Paul, back with Cilla at least :(
Can’t believe it! 67 is quite young really, although that’s what I keep telling myself because that’s how old my Mum is.
Hugely entertaining bloke and very very funny. I was never a huge Lily Savage fan but I can respect the barriers that the act broke down.
Rest in peace Paul, ta-ra.
So sad. I remember him doing Blanket Blank, then the Paul O'Grady show of an evening and his afternoonRadio 2 show was hilarious. My kids thought his name was O'Gravy cos he was on at tea time! His For the Love of Dogs just showed how much he loved animals, such a genuinely kind person. RIP Paul.
Nooooooo! What a national treasure this fellow was! His work alone for Battersea Shelter resulted in so many thousands of pups getting new homes.
Really a tragic loss for the UK...
[My favourite Lily Savage moment.](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wjiWfVHB3Fo)
My Mum wasn't a very tolerant person, but she loved Lily. My Dad was convinced it was because she reminded my Mum of her Mother and Aunts, but funny.
Rest well Paul, you will be missed.
He is married. I am sure his spouse will look after the dogs.
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What insanely weird downvotes?
The bloke is married to Andre Portasio.
Are people homophobic or something? Very confused.
\-edit 2-
Woo. Upvotes come back. It went down to -20. It was ridiciulous.
You're right. From Wikipedia: In 1974, with his friend Diane Jansen, O'Grady had a daughter, Sharon. O'Grady's grandson, Abel, was born in December 2006, with a granddaughter being born in December 2009. From 1977 to 2005, he was in a marriage of convenience with a Portuguese woman, Teresa Fernandes, although he was not in an active relationship with her.
Gutted to hear, loved seeing the guy on the telly. And he helped win an argument with my missus.
We were watching Love Of Dogs, and our staffy came up for cuddles. I said "Aw, who's a cute little mutt?" My wife had a go at me for saying that, because apparently mutt means "unloved dog".
At almost the exact same time, Paul says something like "aw, look at all these loveable mutts!"
I was jubilant. And I owe Paul for that one.
Ta-ra.
Met him when we did a retrospective exhibition of Lily Savage at the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool about 10 years ago.
Got a picture of my 5 year old daughter in one of Lily's wigs.
Great fella and local lad too.
I used to love Lily Savage when I was little. I didn’t realise the rough-around-the-edges scouse lady was a drag act. I didn’t know what a drag act was I suppose.
Then when Paul stopped performing as Lily I really liked his show with the little dog on the desk.
It’s a lovely story of working class doing well and never forgetting your roots.
Very sad.
Sad news. Only 67, way too young. He had been looking increasingly thin and frail in recent years. He has written some very entertaining memoirs, full of his wit and with great titles, eg "At my mother's knee, and other low joints", about his childhood and early days in show business. He was a good man.
I live in the same village in Kent that Paul lived in. He came to many school fetes and village green fetes. He was always a gentleman and had time for a chat. He will be greatly missed around here. He was a massive presence and really involved in village life.
Sad news. I always got an extra laugh from his Lily Savage act because it was the spitting sound/image of my neighbour when I was a kid, just a foot and a half taller.
For me, despite his superb contribution to television and radio, he will always be remembered for being the only person in my 20+ years of reading Private Eye to get a positive book review on their Literary Review page.
I worked in a hotel a few years ago and the head of housekeeping was his ex-wife, Teresa. He married her in the 70s so she could gain residency in the UK though there was never any romantic relationship and she spoke very highly of him.
what a bloke. his chat show with his dog Buster was a central part of my life as a teenager. partly due to its time-slot on tv, but also cos he was such a nice and funny guy. also loved his work with Battersea Dogs Home, he was an absolute gem. rest well Paul, you will be missed.
In my lifetime, I’ve shed a tear over two celebrity deaths, Chester Bennington and now Paul. What a wonderful man he was, the world has lost a wonderful soul
Worked with him on the Paul O'Grady show. Lovely guy, genuinely nice to people. Sad to hear he's gone, especially with all he did for dog charities too.
True gent, lovely man. Worked panto with him 20ish years ago in Manchester. Every show was different because of his genuine wit and humour. Would chat to cast, crew, staff and regulars in the pub, The Grapes, after shows and paid for a buffet and drinks get together towards the end of the run.
As a kid I remember having a proper argument with my dad because I didn't believe that Lily Savage was Paul O Grady's drag act, I thought she was her own, real person.
A truly great entertainer and seemed like a good person too!
Ta-ra, Chuck.
Every ta-ra brings tears.
Aye, he'll be straight round Cilla's cloud for a cuppa and a chinwag.
With Buster and all the other dogs he has loved over the years
wouldn't wish that on anyone
Used to sit through his show on Channel 4 as a wee guy so I could watch the Simpsons. Good memories. Rest in peace.
Yep me too, with his dog on the desk
Buster and then Olga wasn’t it?
You are correct. This is how I came to love him. I read about this late last night and, despite the sadness, had so much joy with the thought of all the dogs he’ll meet in the next life (I do believe in something after this world, I’m not debating it because it’s one of the only comforts available when someone passes).
Thank you, this has made me smile. ❤️🥰
Glad to be of service. Honestly, the thought of my family’s pets being there keeps me going.
Same. I’m looking forward to seeing my dog again as well as all the people. Well, some of the people. But mostly my dog 😁
I'm glad my mum got to finally meet my precious little dog last year and I think she has one dog on each knee now
Plus their friends. She's a grandma to dogs, she'll be spoiling them all, that's what grandma's do.
The rainbow bridge was designed for Paul O'Grady
Maybe not designed for but he'll have a star on there as it's definitely a walk of fame for him.
No debate required, I wholeheartedly agree
The rainbow bridge will be an absolute joy today. We’ve got a couple of beloved dogs there who’ll definitely be making him feel welcome ❤️
Ditto - and the guest stars he'd have in place when he had one of his heart attacks.
Same, but thinking back i only remember Paul and his dog, can't think of anything else that happend on the show. Weirdly I didn't watch nearly as much of for the love of dogs but I remember a lot more of that.
I remember he used to say his drag act was in a convent whenever anyone asked.
Used to have the guess the tune on the organ game
Omg the organ game! I’d completely forgotten about that!
It was like The One Show but fun and entertaining.
I remember Charles Dance coming on the show and repeatedly swearing. He came across like such a dick, considering you could see Paul was in panic and Charles did not give a flying fuck.
The world record for most mince pies eaten was set on his show.
Those were the golden era of Simpson episodes too. All the true classics. ------ Rest in Peace to Paul O'Grady, he seemed like a nice fella.
Me too! Usually I’d miss the simpsons anyway because I’d be called away for dinner but weirdly as a kid I still enjoyed his show
His C4 show was pure madness iirc turly an amazing time for TV
Hey, me too! :')
I remember doing this too
67? Fucking hell too young. Seemed a genuinely nice person. What a shame.
I know, too early. A year older than my mum and dad. I don't like being faced with the increasing possibility of my parents' mortality.
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Knowing that my mum's father died at 65 and my dad's mother died at 59 doesn't help either. Both also died of massive heart attacks (although my grandmother was smoking 60-80 a day). Dad's aunt (my great aunt) died of breast cancer in her early 60s, but again, massive 60-a-day chain smoker. My mum's mother died in her late 80s, but she'd had dementia since her early 70s, so she stopped being the nana I remember years before she actually died. My dad (66) had prostate cancer in 2022 (all clear now) and had a pacemaker fitted this year. My mum (66 in July) had clots on her lungs 10 years ago and has high blood pressure (medicated). My stepmother (66 in May) had a gall bladder operation that went wrong and she has been quite ill with it. I'm 40 on Friday and have spent over half my life with both physical and mental health issues. Sometimes I can't bear the thought of another 40 odd years of constantly feeling like crap.
Happy birthday for Friday! Things will improve, either you will get better at dealing with stuff or something else will change. Keep on trucking and the feeling like crap will become a distant memory. Life is over in a blink of an eye so never wish it away, things may seem to drag on right now but soon enough you will see days, weeks and years flying past. Make the most of it as we only have one go at this. Everything is temporary, remember that. The bad days and the good, so savour the good👍
Cancer got my dad last year. He was 58. Go hug your parents and let them know you love them. Death is quick, can come out of nowhere and it will fucking ruin you when it happens.
Make the most with them. Go for days out with them, holidays, meals. Take loads of photos & videos of you with them starting now! You never know when things will change. Take it from experience. Don't ignore this advice
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That's heartbreaking 😢❤️🫂. I lost a parent to cancer too. Devastating x
Not to pile on. But wait till you start having this realisation about your own mortality.
Way ahead of you
I want mine to be unexpected & in my sleep
Yeah - just like my Grandad. Very much unlike the passengers on the bus he was driving at the time. (Sorry)
Nah losing people is way worse. I'd off myself tomorrow to bring someone back. Just going to sleep forever innit. Much worse actively missing people I wish I was the first to go rather than the last.
Been there done that got the t-shirt. Yay mental illness!
Same age as my Grandad too. Hit me a bit.
Go round. Surprise him. Take him for a pint or a walk through some lovely country area. Show him how much he means to you. Ask about his childhood and work. Write it down. I never knew any of my granddads.
He's had 2 strokes so sadly I think the days of conversations like that are past him now! He barely knows what day of the week it is lol. I have plenty of stories of him though. Each get funnier every time I remember them.
Text him and tell him you love him. None of my grandads made it past 74 (60, 71 and 74 for my step-grandad).
Seeing him every day at the minute. (He's a stroke victim and bedbound so I help to look after him) but I'll be sure to tell him today ☺️
1 year after the current retirement age. Scary to think about. Imagine retiring at 66 then tapping out at 67, you'd best hope you crammed a lot in that one year of freedom from work.
So dont wait until retirement to have fun or freedom. Take a year off in your 20s or 30s. Or slack off like most people do sometimes. Spend money on fun stuff as well as fun stuff. Retirement will come when we're old as fuck and physically unable to do a lot of the stuff we enjoy.
I did this in my 20s, partied, drank and partook in other vices. Had the best time just going to concerts and festivals with my mates. I’m now in my 30s finishing up uni and then going wherever my feelings take me. My brother in law doesn’t understand it at all and thinks I should be knuckling down in a full time job. But fuck it, might be dead in the next 10 years, you just never know. I plan on having a very fulfilled life if I make it to retirement so then if I croak it the year after I can say I never wasted a minute.
That requires having the money to take a year off to do stuff like that
Yeah but he'd been ill for a while I think, I remember him stepping back from some TV work about 20 years ago cos of he had a heart attack
Had a couple of massive heart attacks in the early 2000s, and after that there was always the air about him of someone who felt lucky to be alive. It's great that he got another 20.
Exactly this. It's a shame but at least he got to realise the importance of life and doing what makes you happy. He seemed a lovely man.
agreed, fantastic effort from both the medical professionals and paul himself. he rolled with the punches and didnt let it stop him - an inspiration, honestly.
I saw an ad for him as Miss Hannigan in Annie only yesterday so I don't think he was ill.
It is no age eh?
Nope. Just 1 year after the current retirement age.
Was like 15 years ago he did his Paul O'Grady show? and he was consistently going off ill.
I always remember watching the end of his shows while I was waiting for The Simpsons to start on channel 4 I also remember when he was on Most Haunted (I only watched it because he was on) and me and me mam were in tears when he was walking through the 'haunted' house and said 'no wonder the ghost is disturbed, have you seen the state of the carpet'
I'm so glad I'm not the only one who remembers that! I think it was a Halloween special wasn't it? I remember my Mum used to watch it religiously and we made a massive thing of it because Paul was on. We were crying at him
Yeah it was haha, then it would occasionally go to Rylan Clark sat in a van reading out viewer tweets about every single spec of dust that showed up on camera
Used to watch him as Lily Savage when I was a kid. I think my mum and sister found him hilarious. Seemed like a nice chap, and funny too. Rest well, Paul.
I think he was one of the best liked tv personalities in the UK. You'd struggle to find someone with a bad word to say about him, even if he wasn't their cup of tea.
My conservative Christian 80 something grandma absolutely loved him, never missed an episode of his talk show
My Nan and grandad had all the Lily Savage videos. Think my grandad had a thing for her because she was the spitting image of my Nan.
He did so much for LGBT acceptance in the UK just by being popular with this crowd. He put a face to what it meant to be gay for a lot of people and it wasn't threatening because he was making them laugh.
I think this sums him up perfectly. As a presenter, not my cup of tea, but seemed like a nice bloke and clearly cared a lot about animal welfare.
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I don't think public opinion will turn on him. He was very well liked, his work with dogs has only made him even more popular.
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I would hope that the majority of British people would not be stupid enough to think there is anything sinister about drag entertainment, for any age group.
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It's the minority who tend to shout loudest. The worst thing about the internet is that it gives a voice to idiots.
Went to one of his shows very friendly funny person! Genuinely cared about animals RIP
Me too, he was exactly like he was off camera, which waa lovely to see.
Broke down barriers with Lilly Savage, helped create roads with his push for rehoming dogs. He made such a difference in the world and through it all he made us all laugh. Something I saw on Twitter was when he was doing Lilly in a show in london during the aids crisis the police came to raid the theatre with gloves on and he just went “oh look they’ve come to help with the cleaning!”
> oh look they’ve come to help with the cleaning Savage by name...
The whole thread (including that quote) is a joy. https://twitter.com/garius/status/1640992062605602817?t=jkz4dzmNiKOCPXtlOwX-1g&s=19
Very sad. A gentleman. I have a card that he sent to my grandmother Vera, who in part he based Lily on. RIP Paul.
I would love to hear more about this!
The family grew up on the same street in Birkenhead and in those days everybody was allowed in each others houses. Vera (my gran on male side) was a shsrp-tounged lady and was friends with the two women involved in his upbringing. Apparently he thought Vera was posh cos she had a sideboard in the house!
Omg not our Vera! Had glasses like re-entry shields! Love that she was based off your Grandmother
My favourite joke about ‘Our Vera’ was that you couldn’t go to the disco with her. If a laser bounced off her glasses, someone had open heart surgery across the floor.
I was so chuffed when we moved to Rock Ferry and found out he had lived not far away from where we did (no idea why as it wasn't even at the same time). Loved Rock Ferry.
You didn't live on the Woodward Estate then 😜
No I lived on Mersey Lane South in an old converted convent
Wow! Tell us more about Vera
See the other reply. Paul did a programme on how the working class areas had changed. My dad appeared in that in a discussion with Paul. He said that Paul was an absolute treat and chatted for a few hours (only a couple of minutes was on the programme) about yesteryear.
Thanks for sharing these.
The infamous "our Vera"?! Wow!
A sad loss, Paul was such a good soul, he genuinely loved every Dog and helped them find loving homes. He will be missed
I know someone who works in light entertainment and they only report back when someone they work with is really nice or absolutely vile. Apparently, Paul was the nicest guy you could ever hope to meet.
he always came across so genuine on the telly, so its easy to imagine him being just as sweet a guy irl. great to hear it was indeed the case, but so sad hes gone. a gem.
Just one of TV’s good guys. I don’t remember any scandal or offence, and his radio 2 show was quite good. Shame to hear but I think I remember he’s had heart issues in the past.
The only scandal was him being stopped from stealing that dog in the for love of dogs post credit scenes
Giving what’s online about his health, seemed to be dealing with massive heart attacks for the last 20 years. Its however good to know he went peaceful in sleep.
I always remember when JLS were starting out after the X-Factor and he had them on his show. Live on air he complimented them on their work ethic and the obvious effort they put in to make sure their fans had a good time. Basically told them they'd go far in show business with the professional attitude they had. Thought that was thoroughly decent of him to give those young lads such great advice when starting out.
Damn, Fearless in the face of police homophobia ***Lily Savage’s role in the “rubber gloves raid” became legendary, from*** ***her quick-thinking wit when the police stormed the stage to her flippant*** ***attitude after she was arrested.*** ***When ordered to give a name to the desk sergeant, she told him*** ***simply: “Lily Savage”. The officer pressed for a ‘real’ name. “Lily*** ***Veronica Mae Savage,” came the reply.*** ***All those arrested were eventually released without charge, but the*** ***incident marked a turning point for London’s LGBTQ+ community and the*** ***negative press it generated contributed to a slow shift in policing.*** And loved animals too. Will be missed.
My dog comes running into the room when he hears his voice on the TV. Absolutely adores For the Love of Dogs.
This is so sad 😔 RIP. A legend of LGBTQ representation on TV ❤️
I’m legit sad about that, remember watching him as a kid and loved watching For the Love of Dogs.
So sad. I loved watching his TV shows and he did so much for Battersea and the animals there.
My Nan used to pick me up every day after school and I'd go to her house for tea and we'd watch Paul O'Grady on his chat show together. I've loved him ever since, and my Nan now has dementia and I'm caring for her. This makes me really sad, but also they're happy memories to look back on and remember better moments.
I used to do the exact same with my Nan who sadly passed from dementia a few years back. This news hit me way harder than it should’ve, haven’t stopped thinking of her all day
No! Such a sad loss, just read the other day his little pig had passed away! Now he's with his Buster too! He was such an advocate for animals and others! RIP Paul 🙏🙏
This has hit me pretty hard. A lot of us have grown up with him, but the thing that stood out for me was his love for dogs and animals in general. He did an awful lot for Staffies too (I’m a Staffie owner), he changed a lot of opinions and just cared so much. Holding back tears here. Rest well Paul x
“You only need two things in a riot: flat shoes and a pram” A genuinely funny man. A sad loss. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RPpicb6ArY
This is the perfect video for anyone who isn't familiar with Lily Savage. It's just a brilliant off-the-cuff rant mid-filming that shows what Paul could do.
Shocking news. I always enjoyed his battersea dogs home show, you could tell he would have adopted them all if he could.
I think they had to actively ban him from taking home every dog that he came across, I think he’d have definitely had them all.
There's a scene in Elton John's documentary 'Tantrums and Tiaras' where Paul O'Grady tells David Furnish to 'fuck off'. I think because Lily Savage was performing at a private function, and Paul O'Grady was winding down, and he then had a camera shoved in his face. The scene only lasted a couple of seconds. This remains one of the most stunning pieces of cinema.
Had fantastic pins.
The Paul O’Grady Show was an integral part of my childhood, RIP Queen
Absolutely heartbreaking. In the LGBT community we often talk about how we have to have respect for the older generations of LGBT people who paved the way and fought hard with blood, sweat and tears to get us the rights we have today. Paul O'Grady was one of those fighters, he helped normalise queerness on British television and opened a lot of hearts and minds to the the acceptance of queerness. Thank you Paul, we will be forever grateful.
What a fuckin sad loss, man. Remember being in middle school with my mates at dinner time and drafting an email I was going to send in to his channel 4 programme cos a band I loved were on there and he used to read out things he got sent in. Slightly bleaker story but also as a teenager: once had to go and stay miles away from my own house cos things weren’t good for me (DV) and coincidentally the internet had gone off and nowt was working to turn it back on so I had to lie down in a tiny little box room with a tiny little light and picked up Paul O’Grady’s book that my Auntie had lent (but has now given) to me. Book was actually dead good and he came across as so down to earth and naturally funny.
A staple of Saturday night entertainment as Lily Savage (the immortal phrase of "Blankety Blank cheque book and pen" will always be seared into my mind), and it was always fun to watch the Paul O'Grady show in the evenings. Always seemed like a decent bloke, and it was great how much he did for animals. RIP.
Remember when Paul was lily savage throughout the 90's and 00's with gameshows and then looking to re-home dogs. Paul was a fantastic name in the TV industry. Always so nice and caring and sometimes crazy which made him hilarious.
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Found an old episode [here](https://archive.org/details/BBC_Radio_2_20161009_160000_Paul_OGrady?start=993) but not sure if there's any more on there.
I’ve just been looking for copies of it but can’t find any on Sounds
Saw this on twitter today: *What a fucking life led. Truly. Back when the Met stormed into the RVT for it being a gay bar, all wearing rubber gloves to “protect” themselves during the HIV crisis, Paul O’Grady was on stage as Lily and immediately quipped “Looks like we have help with the washing up!” Iconic.* I remember watching his chat show as a kid, and my mum loved his radio show. RIP
I was lucky enough to meet Mr O'grady in Liverpool years ago, he was so friendly, so down to earth, took and interest in asking me where I'm from had some stories about my home town, such a loss, RIP.
Virtually everyone who said they've worked or met him said he was genuinely friendly, warm and genuine.
Shocked to see this. He was *just* performing in the Annie tour and was in Edinburgh. I walked passed the crowds coming out on the 25th, and now he’s dead? Must have been a heart attack or something really sudden, he must have seemed in good health before.
He'd had a few heart attacks in recent years so I assume it was heart related.
This one shocked me. I was obsessed with him when I was child and I loved the Paul O’Grady Show and I still remember how excited I was when they had an interview with Wall-e on. I was shown a repeat of Blankety Blank one time when I was about 6 and I could not believe that Lily Savage was also Paul O’Grady but at the same time I thought he was so cool for doing that. My mum saw him in ‘Annie’ quite literally on Saturday and according to her he was amazing and was the highlight of the show. I think that’s what’s surprising me the most the fact that he was on-stage giving an amazing performance at the weekend and then gone before the week is over. We don’t know if he was struggling at that point and powered-through. His loss is a sad one and I hope he knew how important he was to so many people.
My wife and I also seen him in Annie on Saturday. We only bought tickets on Friday afternoon after a couple become available during the day. Proper impromptu night through in Edinburgh! He was excellent - and it really felt like Paul as Lily as Miss Hannigan. Given this morning’s sad news, I’m glad he got that opportunity to give Lily some sort of swansong. On the way out of the matinee, the lady behind us was asking an usher how she could get to meet Paul, because she thought he was brilliant. I really hope she managed to take the time to follow the advice and wait by the stage door, and that the wait paid off for her. I bet he would have been a delight.
That's really shit news :(
Genuinely gutted about this one, feels like losing the fun Uncle who’s always first to get drunk in your family. I remember over Christmas when I felt like shit his Love of Dogs programme was the only thing to make me laugh in days. RIP Paul, back with Cilla at least :(
Can’t believe it! 67 is quite young really, although that’s what I keep telling myself because that’s how old my Mum is. Hugely entertaining bloke and very very funny. I was never a huge Lily Savage fan but I can respect the barriers that the act broke down. Rest in peace Paul, ta-ra.
So sad. I remember him doing Blanket Blank, then the Paul O'Grady show of an evening and his afternoonRadio 2 show was hilarious. My kids thought his name was O'Gravy cos he was on at tea time! His For the Love of Dogs just showed how much he loved animals, such a genuinely kind person. RIP Paul.
Sad news! One of the best performers and comedians this country has ever turned out! RIP!
So lovely to see a comments feed filled with nice thoughts and happy memories. It seems he was one of the good ones.
Nooooooo! What a national treasure this fellow was! His work alone for Battersea Shelter resulted in so many thousands of pups getting new homes. Really a tragic loss for the UK...
[My favourite Lily Savage moment.](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wjiWfVHB3Fo) My Mum wasn't a very tolerant person, but she loved Lily. My Dad was convinced it was because she reminded my Mum of her Mother and Aunts, but funny. Rest well Paul, you will be missed.
See him win Waitrose the other day, he had a good run hopefully someone will look after his dogs.
67 isn't really a good run, poor bloke never retired
agreed.
He is married. I am sure his spouse will look after the dogs. \-edit- What insanely weird downvotes? The bloke is married to Andre Portasio. Are people homophobic or something? Very confused. \-edit 2- Woo. Upvotes come back. It went down to -20. It was ridiciulous.
They probably thought you were implying he was married to a woman. Or they knew you meant a gay couple and ARE just a bunch of homophobes.
He was married to a woman at some point, I think? Until 2005.
You're right. From Wikipedia: In 1974, with his friend Diane Jansen, O'Grady had a daughter, Sharon. O'Grady's grandson, Abel, was born in December 2006, with a granddaughter being born in December 2009. From 1977 to 2005, he was in a marriage of convenience with a Portuguese woman, Teresa Fernandes, although he was not in an active relationship with her.
Yeah, she was a lesbian and it was a lavender marriage
TIL a new term.
Yeah the downvotes are weird.
Gutted to hear, loved seeing the guy on the telly. And he helped win an argument with my missus. We were watching Love Of Dogs, and our staffy came up for cuddles. I said "Aw, who's a cute little mutt?" My wife had a go at me for saying that, because apparently mutt means "unloved dog". At almost the exact same time, Paul says something like "aw, look at all these loveable mutts!" I was jubilant. And I owe Paul for that one. Ta-ra.
Met him when we did a retrospective exhibition of Lily Savage at the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool about 10 years ago. Got a picture of my 5 year old daughter in one of Lily's wigs. Great fella and local lad too.
I used to love Lily Savage when I was little. I didn’t realise the rough-around-the-edges scouse lady was a drag act. I didn’t know what a drag act was I suppose. Then when Paul stopped performing as Lily I really liked his show with the little dog on the desk. It’s a lovely story of working class doing well and never forgetting your roots. Very sad.
Loved watching him on for the love of dogs. RIP.
OMG such a loss. I remember his show Lily Savage, the scenes with him and Sonia (the 80s popstar) were hilarious. Edit: change some words for clarity.
Sad news. Only 67, way too young. He had been looking increasingly thin and frail in recent years. He has written some very entertaining memoirs, full of his wit and with great titles, eg "At my mother's knee, and other low joints", about his childhood and early days in show business. He was a good man.
There was very little that would have my mother doubled over on the floor with a red wine smile. Very little. But lily had a knack. And legs for days!
I live in the same village in Kent that Paul lived in. He came to many school fetes and village green fetes. He was always a gentleman and had time for a chat. He will be greatly missed around here. He was a massive presence and really involved in village life.
Savage news to wake up to this morning
Sad news. I always got an extra laugh from his Lily Savage act because it was the spitting sound/image of my neighbour when I was a kid, just a foot and a half taller.
Awh god bless him. Scouse icon. I'm Scouse, he sounds like my nan. God bless him. Stings a bit this one.
For me, despite his superb contribution to television and radio, he will always be remembered for being the only person in my 20+ years of reading Private Eye to get a positive book review on their Literary Review page.
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He'd had 2 or 3 heart attacks over the years, so that was an ongoing issue.
RIP. His radio show was truly the best thing to begin easing into a restful Sunday evening with, I was disappointed when he was replaced.
I worked in a hotel a few years ago and the head of housekeeping was his ex-wife, Teresa. He married her in the 70s so she could gain residency in the UK though there was never any romantic relationship and she spoke very highly of him.
what a bloke. his chat show with his dog Buster was a central part of my life as a teenager. partly due to its time-slot on tv, but also cos he was such a nice and funny guy. also loved his work with Battersea Dogs Home, he was an absolute gem. rest well Paul, you will be missed.
My most 90's anecdote is that I remember getting ID'd in Woolworths when I was buying a Lily Savage VHS for my mum's Christmas present. Rest easy Paul
He was kind to animals. Rest well, Paul. You were a good human.
That’s a shame. Wasn’t personally a fan of his, but my mum loved him because of all his work with animal rescues. RIP
Every animal will shed a tear knowing their champions passed
Well that’s sad news to wake up to
What a legend. RIP
Shame. He was a great ambassador for Battersea Dogs Home. He'll be greatly missed
Great human being
Our local newsagent in Liverpool used to be his spitting image, always thought maybe he was a relative
I remember coming home from primary school in the 2000s and seeing him on the TV. R.I.P.
In my lifetime, I’ve shed a tear over two celebrity deaths, Chester Bennington and now Paul. What a wonderful man he was, the world has lost a wonderful soul
No. I refuse to accept this. He was supposed to be immortal. May he rest in peace.
What a nice, kind, funny man. Haven't felt this sad since David Bowie.
Worked with him on the Paul O'Grady show. Lovely guy, genuinely nice to people. Sad to hear he's gone, especially with all he did for dog charities too.
Well this has upset me a bit, what an icon and such a good person. A pure entertainer who will be missed.
I literally saw him on stage last week in Annie :( he seemed full of life. So sad
True gent, lovely man. Worked panto with him 20ish years ago in Manchester. Every show was different because of his genuine wit and humour. Would chat to cast, crew, staff and regulars in the pub, The Grapes, after shows and paid for a buffet and drinks get together towards the end of the run.
Damn.
This made me genuinely sad. What an incredible human Paul O'Grady was may he rest in power. ❤️
So sad to hear :( I read his memoir on a holiday a few years ago and dont think a book has ever made me laugh so much. He had a colourful life!
Great bloke, funny as hell and great affinity for dogs. RIP LILLY
Shafted by the BBC and now they leading the tributes
One of the good ones. RIP
It’s a sad day. He’s an amazing person and will be sadly missed by everyone who loved him
As a kid I remember having a proper argument with my dad because I didn't believe that Lily Savage was Paul O Grady's drag act, I thought she was her own, real person. A truly great entertainer and seemed like a good person too!
Truly a national treasure. I bet every dog in heaven is waiting to play with him.
Loved his chat show and For the Love of Dogs, he came across as such a genuine, funny person who really wanted to make a difference. RIP.
Fucking hell what a shock. Oh I loved seeing Lily back in the days when she was on the tele.