TV star Paul O’Grady dies aged 67
Paul O’Grady dies at age 67: TV presenter, DJ and comedian passed away ‘unexpectedly but peacefully’ last night, his partner reveals
- Star rose to fame as drag act Lily Savage and hosted shows on both TV and radio
- His partner Andre Portasio revealed that he passed away on Tuesday evening at the age of 67
TV presenter and comedian Paul O’Grady has died at the age of 67, his partner Andre Portasio has said.
The TV star, also known for his drag queen character Lily Savage, passed away “unexpectedly but peacefully” Tuesday night, Portasio said in a statement.
Mr. Portasio said in his statement: “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.
TV star Paul O’Grady passed away ‘unexpectedly but peacefully’ on Tuesday evening, according to his partner
Paul and Amanda Holden talk to Camilla, the then Duchess of Cornwall, outside Buckingham Palace in July last year
“I know he would like me to thank you for all the love you’ve shown him over the years.”
O’Grady and Portasio got married in 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 hosted the ITV celebrity game show, Paul O’Grady’s Saturday Night Line Up.
O’Grady 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 2022 he presented his last BBC Radio 2 show, after presenting the Sunday afternoon program for nearly 14 years.
Born in Birkenhead, on the Wirral, Merseyside, O’Grady’s mother’s maiden name was Savage – believed to have inspired his famous drag alter ego.
He began his career as Lily Savage in the 1970s while working as an outpatient care worker for Camden Council, then went on to tour Northern England as part of the drag duo the Playgirls.
He later established himself in a solo show as Savage that lasted eight years at London’s Royal Vauxhall Tavern, and made a name for himself speaking out on LGBT issues.
O’Grady’s career as Savage began with TV and radio appearances in character and he was eventually asked to take over from Paula Yates as The Big Breakfast host as Savage from 1995 to 1996.
Paul hosted the classic TV quiz show Blankety Blank as his alter ego Lily Savage
Paul first found fame as transvestite prostitute Roxanne in The Bill, a role he played three times between 1988 and 1990
He briefly participated in the chat show The Lily Savage Show for the BBC in 1997, and had success later that year hosting a revived version of the game show Blankety Blank, which ran until 2002.
His self-titled teatime program The Paul O’Grady Show aired on ITV from 2004 to 2005, later moving to Channel 4 as The New Paul O’Grady Show.
Throughout his career, O’Grady won numerous accolades, including a TV Bafta, a British Comedy Award, and a National Television Award for The Paul O’Grady Show.
He was awarded an MBE in the 2008 Queen’s Birthday Honors for services to entertainment.