Richard Arnold fought back tears as he paid an emotional tribute to Paul O’Grady on Wednesday’s Good Morning Britain show following his death at the age of 67.
Tributes have poured in for the legendary radio host and star after his partner Andre Portasio shared overnight that he had passed away “unexpectedly but peacefully”.
Speaking to GMB hosts Martin Lewis and Susanna Reid, Richard said: “You never felt like you were at the raw end of your wits, it was done with such generosity and compassion.”
I’ve been in the orbit of Cilla and Paul in London, and yes, I’m deep-voiced this morning just from shock.
‘There were some lunches that lasted quite a long time. That was Paul’s charm.
Touching: Richard Arnold fought back tears as he paid an emotional tribute to Paul O’Grady on Good Morning Britain on Wednesday following his death at the age of 67.
Tragedy: Tributes have poured in for the legendary radio host and star after his partner Andre Portasio shared overnight that he had passed away “unexpectedly but peacefully”.
Susanna then shared that she had received messages from cast members of the musical Annie, which Paul was starring in before his death.
He then turned to Richard and said, ‘Richard, we are sorry for your loss as well. It’s horrible, you’re involved in the news, you’re involved in covering stories…
Richard continued: ‘I must say it feels very close to home this morning.
“I look forward to hearing more stories from people who also tune in and pay their own tributes, as they are the people it touched.”
Susanna and Martin then read various tributes submitted by viewers who had known Paul throughout his television career.
Andre, who married Paul in 2017, paid tribute to his “humour, wit and compassion” in a statement announcing his death posted just before 3 a.m.
O’Grady became a household name in the early 2000s, known for his wit and love of animals, hosting a number of television shows including his Self-titled daytime chat show, The Paul O’Grady Show, which began airing in 2004.
He also took the reins from longtime host of Blind Date and close friend Cilla Black, who died in 2015, to present the show’s 2017 reboot on Channel 5 Por El Amor De Los Perros.
The cause of death of the father-of-one was not immediately known, but he had previously spoken of surviving heart attacks in 2002, 2006 and 2014, and also kidney failure. He, too, had a debilitating battle with covid that left him unable to work for two months.
O’Grady married Portuguese lesbian waitress Teresa Fernandes in 1977 to stop her deportation. They divorced in 2005 and he married former dancer Portasio in 2017.
Decades earlier, in 1974, he had his only child, a daughter named Sharyn Mousley, with his dear friend Diane Jansen. O’Grady 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 that, at this difficult time, that as you celebrate his life, you also respect our privacy as we come to terms with this loss.
“He will be greatly missed by his loved ones, friends, family, animals, and all those who enjoyed his humor, wit, and compassion.”
I know he would want me to thank you for all the love you have shown him over the years.
O’Grady and Portasio tied the knot during a low-key wedding ceremony in 2017.
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 presented the ITV celebrity game show Paul O’Grady’s Saturday Night Line Up.
O’Grady took the reins from longtime host of Blind Date and close friend Cilla Black, who died in 2015, while presenting the reboot of the show on Channel 5 in 2017.
Last year he was joined by the Queen Consort in a one-off special episode of For The Love Of Dogs to mark 160 years of the 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 hosting the Sunday afternoon show for almost 14 years, later saying the station’s push for younger listeners “doesn’t make sense”. .
O’Grady was scheduled to return to the airwaves next month to host a one-off radio show on Easter Sunday on Boom Radio.
And she performed to the very end, taking the stage as Mrs. Hannigan in Annie at the Edinburgh Playhouse.
In a statement, the Battersea Dogs and Cats Home paid tribute to O’Grady as a “devoted animal lover” and a “champion of the underdog”.
The organisation’s chief executive, Peter Laurie, said: “Battersea will always 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 a huge part of our charity.”
O’Grady’s love of animals was well known and he had lived on a farm in Kent with Portasio along with a menagerie that included four dogs, goats, sheep, chickens, and owls.
During the coronavirus lockdown, he wrote his first children’s book, Eddie Albert And The Amazing Animal Gang, which was published in September 2021.
Tributes also started pouring in overnight from his showbiz friends. Carol Vorderman tweeted: ‘Paul O’Grady. Already giving them shrilly, tearing up the rule book, making mischief, calling it out, loving hell in heaven.
Paul, what are we supposed to do without you?
Lorraine Kelly spoke of her grief over ‘such sad news’, adding: ‘Paul O’Grady – funny, fearless, brave, kind and wise. He will be greatly missed. A really special man.
Responding to another Twitter user, he added: “I always think dogs are the best judges of character and they LOVED it.”
X Factor’s Joe McElderry was also among the first to react to the shocking news.
‘I was standing in Paul O’Grady’s dressing room less than 3 weeks ago! He was full of life chatting and being as wonderful as ever! Too sad! And what a loss! A true entertainer of show business! May he rest in peace,’ McElderry tweeted.
Actor John Barrowman said he was “shocked and saddened” to hear the news of O’Grady’s death.
Sharing two photos of the TV star on Twitter, he wrote: “I am totally shocked and saddened to hear the terrible news that Paul O’Grady has died.” An incredible talent that spans decades.
“From watching him as Lily Savage at Vauxhall Tavern to sitting with him laughing backstage at West End Bars to being a guest on his @ITV Paul O’Grady show…”
Vernon Kay said it was “always a pleasure to be around Paul O’Grady” and described the host as “one of the best” in an online tribute.
“Paul O’Grady was one of the nicest and kindest people I’ve ever met,” she tweeted.
Always a pleasure to be around and obviously a lot of fun. He will be missed. Telly and his friends have lost one of the best… RIP.
Danny Beard, winner of the fourth series of Ru Paul’s Drag Race UK, said that Paul O’Grady was “the most important person in British drag culture”.
“I don’t think there’s anyone doing the work that I do who doesn’t classify Paul as an icon,” Beard told BBC Breakfast.
‘Paul was a pioneer, they were on TV right after the AIDS crisis.
“They have been the most important person, I think, in British culture for drag, for the queer community.
“This is a really sad loss today…now a huge hole is missing.”
And human rights activist Peter Tatchell said: “Paul was not just a brilliant comedian and TV personality, but a much-admired activist for LGBT+ equality and animal rights.”
‘He supported my work for many decades and was a valued patron of the Peter Tatchell Foundation.
Paul was planning to lead our next campaign to make the police apologize for their historic persecution of the LGBT+ community. We will miss you. Our sincere condolences to his partner Andre and to all who loved him.
‘Paul was one of the loveliest people you could meet. He will be greatly missed by all whose lives he touched, as will those who enjoyed his wit and admired his compassion.’
O’Grady’s former Radio 2 colleague Aled Jones tweeted: “So sad to hear of the death of Paul O’Grady, lovely person x.”
Piers Morgan tweeted: “RIP Paul O’Grady, 67. A wonderfully warm, mischievous and hilarious guy with a sublime natural talent for streaming and making people laugh.”
O’Grady’s old radio producer and close friend, Malcolm Prince, said he was with him yesterday.
“I am devastated,” he wrote in a statement posted online. Yesterday afternoon, I stopped by Paul’s house to catch up. Surrounded by his beloved dogs, he laughed, smiled and was full of life.
“I was so proud of Annie, so happy to be back at Boom Radio, and I was looking forward to so many new projects.
And now it’s gone. I can not believe it.
He added: ‘We have lost a unique talent, and I have lost a dear friend. We were all lucky to have Paul in our lives.
‘My heart goes out to Andre, Paul’s family and his friends. Oh how I will miss him.
O’Grady had previously spoken about struggling to regain health after a heart problem, usually making light of his brushes with death.
“Three days after my last heart attack, I ate fire again with McFly,” he said.
“The heart is a muscle, so you have two options, sit on the couch and count your tablets all day, or go ahead and get moving: swimming and walking, light exercise.”