Paul O’Grady’s radio producer and friend Malcolm Prince has paid tribute to the late star, recalling their last meeting hours before his death at age 67.
Tributes have poured in for the legendary presenter and radio star after his partner Andre Portasio shared that he passed away “unexpectedly but peacefully” last week.
Malcolm wrote a piece in the Radio Times reflecting on Paul’s incredible career and their long friendship and collaboration on Radio 2.
But he added that by the time of his show’s end, Paul was becoming disillusioned with the BBC and was “so disappointed” with how he was treated.
Talking about the last time he saw Paul, Malcolm revealed that he was with him just hours before his death.
Pals: Paul O’Grady’s radio producer and friend Malcolm Prince has paid tribute to the late star, recalling their last meeting hours before his death at age 67
Tragic: Tributes have poured in for the legendary presenter and radio star after his partner Andre Portasio shared that he passed away ‘unexpectedly but peacefully’ last week
He said, “On the day Paul died, I was at his house having a cup of tea. We were supposed to be making plans for our new show to be on Boom Radio, but really we were laughing, reminiscing, making plans, doing what we used to do.
“It was the perfect afternoon. When I left, he hugged me and said, “I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” I said, “Go in, I don’t want you to watch me try to reverse the car into the driveway.” We had fun for two hours and two hours later he was gone.’
Speaking of Paul’s relationship with the BBC, he wrote: ‘When I pitched him the Radio 2 show and he said yes, he was so proud to work for the BBC.
“But towards the end, when Radio 2 told us the show was coming to an end, he was so disappointed with the way he was treated.
“He honored his contract, did what he was asked to do and then in August last year he politely left.
“There was no hamper or going-away party or anything like that. He recently told me that Radio 2 wasn’t what it was when he joined.’
Tribute: Malcolm wrote a piece in the Radio Times, reflecting on Paul’s incredible career and their long friendship and collaboration on Radio 2
Malcolm reminisced about Paul’s humor, calling it his “superpower” and expressing gratitude for the star’s years of friendship.
Paul became a household name in the early 1990s, known for his humor and love of animals, and hosted a range of television programs, including his self-titled daytime talk show, The Paul O’Grady Show, which began airing in 2004.
He also took over the reins from long-running Blind Date presenter and his close friend Cilla Black, who died in 2015, to host the 2017 Channel 5 reboot of the show. For the love of dogs.
The cause of the child’s father’s death was not immediately known, but he had previously spoken of surviving heart attacks in 2002, 2006 and 2014, as well as kidney failure. He also had a grueling Covid battle that kept him out of work for two months.
Paul married Portuguese lesbian barmaid Teresa Fernandes in 1977 to stop her deportation. They divorced in 2005 and he married ex-ballerina Mr Portasio in 2017.
Decades earlier, in 1974, he had his only child, a daughter named Sharyn Mousley, with his good friend Diane Jansen.
Paul is also a grandfather to Sharyn’s son Abel, who was born in 2006 and is now 16, and Sharyn’s daughter Halo, born in 2009.
Portasio said, “It is with great sadness that I inform you that Paul passed away unexpectedly but peacefully last night.
“We ask, at this difficult time, that as you celebrate his life, you also respect our privacy as we process this loss.
He will be greatly missed by his loved ones, friends, family, animals and all who enjoyed his wit, wit and compassion.
“I know he would like me to thank you for all the love you’ve shown him over the years.”
Iconic: The TV star was best known for his drag alter ego Lily Savage, host of the beloved game show Blankety Blank
Tributes: Paul’s death was announced by his partner Andre Portasio, whom he married in 2017 (the couple are pictured here at London’s Royal Opera House in 2018)
Paul and Portasio got married in 2017 in a low-key wedding ceremony.
During his career he has presented The Paul O’Grady Show, Blind Date and Blankety Blank, as well as ITV’s multi-award winning For The Love Of Dogs. He also hosted the ITV celebrity game show, Paul O’Grady’s Saturday Night Line Up.
Paul took over the reins from long-running Blind Date presenter and his close friend Cilla Black, who died in 2015, when he presented the 2017 Channel 5 reboot of the show.
Last year he was joined by the Queen Consort in a special one-off episode of For The Love Of Dogs to mark 160 years of Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, an organization for which he was an ambassador.
In August last year he presented his last BBC Radio 2 show after presenting the Sunday afternoon program for nearly 14 years, later saying the station’s drive for younger listeners ‘doesn’t make sense’.
Paul was scheduled to return to the airwaves next month to host a one-off Easter Sunday radio show on Boom Radio.
And he performed to the end – he took the stage as Mrs Hannigan in Annie at the Edinburgh Playhouse.
In a statement, Battersea Dogs and Cats Home paid tribute to Paul as a ‘dedicated animal lover’ and a ‘champion for the underdog’.
Screen favourite: During his career he has presented The Paul O’Grady Show (pictured with his dog Olga), Blind Date and Blankety Blank, as well as ITV’s For The Love Of Dogs
The organization’s CEO, 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 such a great part of our charity.”
Paul’s love of animals was well known, and he had lived with Portasio on a farmhouse in Kent, along with a menagerie of animals, including four dogs, goats, sheep, hens and barn owls.
During the coronavirus lockdown, he wrote his debut children’s book, Eddie Albert And The Amazing Animal Gang, which will be published in September 2021.