Paul O’Grady fans were left in tears as his last ever TV appearance in Great Elephant Adventure aired on Sunday night.
It was announced that Paul had died ‘unexpectedly but peacefully’ at home with his partner Andre Portasio on March 28, 2023, aged 67, from sudden cardiac arrhythmia.
His last TV project was Paul O’Grady’s Great Elephant Adventure, which he completed work on just days before he died.
The documentary was filmed in Thailand and Laos in December 2022, with Paul’s voiceover work completed in the weeks leading up to his death.
The two-part series started on ITV1 last week and the final part aired on Sunday evening.
Paul O’Grady fans were left in tears as his last ever TV appearance in Great Elephant Adventure aired on Sunday night
His last TV project was Paul O’Grady’s Great Elephant Adventure, which he completed work on just days before he died.
And fans found the watch emotional as they wrote: ‘When he looks at Paul O’Grady’s elephants he looks so happy! He is missed so much and I cry.’,
‘Even the elephants knew how special Paul was and how much empathy he had for animals. It is a special memory that fortunately they will never forget.’
‘I still can’t believe he’s not here. What a great man he was.’,
‘Watched Paul O’Grady Great Elephant Adventure, what a wonderful programme, as always Paul was caring and funny, a brilliant man, a great watch #PaulOGrady #elephants.’,
‘Have you seen Paul O’Grady with the elephants, Jan? It broke my heart to watch him.’,
‘I really miss Paul O’Grady, what a lovely gentleman.’,
‘Paul O’Grady had a heart as big as an elephant. The world has truly lost a treasure.’,
‘Well, that was a wonderful program and a fitting tribute. I still can’t believe Paul O’Grady is gone.’
According to the show’s producer and Paul’s long-time friend, Claire Barton, while at one of the centres, despite being covered in mud and almost falling over, Paul declared that he was ‘in heaven’.
The documentary was filmed throughout Thailand and Laos in December 2022, with Paul’s voiceover work completed in the weeks leading up to his death.
The two-part series started on ITV1 last week and the final part aired on Sunday evening
And fans found the watch emotional as they wrote: ‘When he looks at Paul O’Grady’s elephants he looks so happy! He is missed so much and I cry.”
Claire said: ‘Paul wanted to raise awareness of the plight of elephants, which fascinated him all his life.
‘We didn’t know this would be the last TV series Paul would film before his death last year.’
The series focused on the efforts of workers at the conversation centers to rescue and rehabilitate wild elephants.
Although filming was completed in late 2022, it was only edited and completed in the days before Paul’s sudden death.
In February 2023, Claire revealed how she met Paul for meetings before he recorded voiceovers for the show.
She admitted that if they had worked with Paul the job might never have been done, but she wrote in the letter Radio times he wanted to move on.
She wrote: ‘But Paul flew through the commentary. For the first time in 18 years of working together, Paul suggested we go ahead and record the voice-over. That afternoon we finished the films with Paul’s voice. The date was March 15, 2023. It would be the last time I ever saw Paul.”
Claire also heartbreakingly revealed that she had Paul had great plans for more TV shows together, which will now never be made.
The series focused on the efforts of workers at the conversation centers to rescue and rehabilitate wild elephants
According to the show’s producer and Paul’s long-time friend, Claire Barton, while at one of the centres, despite being covered in mud and almost falling over, Paul declared that he was ‘in heaven’.
Paul was an animal lover and is pictured here in 2015 with a baby elephant for the series Paul O’Grady’s Animal Orphans
The duo had been working together on various shows for twenty years and were already in the early process of kicking around new ideas.
According to Claire, these ideas included a series about the African elephant and a series about wild dogs and wolves in Canada, which would be filmed the same year.
The series is a nod to Paul’s lifelong love of animals, having spent much of his later life filming his show For The Love Of Dogs at Battersea Dogs and Cats Home.
The series concludes with a tribute to Paul, which reads: ‘In loving memory of Paul O’Grady MBE 1955-2023.’