Paul O'Grady

The TV star, also known for his drag queen persona Lily Savage, died "unexpectedly but peacefully" on Tuesday evening, his partner Andre Portasio said in a ...

A really special man." He presented The Lily Savage Show for the BBC for a short run in 1997 and later that year had success as the host of a revived version of gameshow Blankety Blank, which ran until 2002. "Such sad news. O’Grady’s career as Savage took off with TV and radio appearances in character and he was eventually asked to take over from Paula Yates as The Big Breakfast presenter as Savage from 1995 to 1996. O'Grady took over the reins from Blind Date's long-running presenter and his close friend Cilla Black, who died in 2015, as he hosted the Channel 5 reboot of the show in 2017. During his career, he hosted The Paul O'Grady Show, Blind Date and Blankety Blank, as well as ITV's multi-award-winning For The Love Of Dogs.

The comedian and TV personality first rose to prominence as his drag queen persona Lily Savage in the 1980s and 1990s before going on to host a string of ...

Speaking when it was published, the TV star recalled the death of his partner of 25 years, Brendan Murphy, in 2005 and said: “Grief doesn’t happen immediately, it hits you after a while, because you’ve got all the funeral and the fuss, then when that dies down you find yourself on your own, with time to contemplate what’s happened. I say to them, ‘Heart attack or not, I’m hopeless on treadmills!”‘ He also spoke about his health at the time, having had two heart attacks, saying: “The worst thing you can do is to sit and fret. He took on chat show The Lily Savage Show for the BBC for a short run in 1997 and later that year had success as the host of a revived version of gameshow Blankety Blank, which ran until 2002. He will be dearly missed.” O’Grady’s love of animals was also apparent through his other work and in September 2016, he was recognised for his work with animals when he won the award for Outstanding Contribution to Animal Welfare at the RSPCA’s Animal Hero Awards

Presenter, also known for his drag queen persona Lily Savage, died 'unexpectedly but peacefully'

He took on chatshow The Lily Savage Show for the BBC for a short run in 1997 and later that year had success as the host of a revived version of gameshow Blankety Blank, which ran until 2002. O’Grady’s career as Savage took off with TV and radio appearances in character and he was eventually asked to take over from Paula Yates as The Big Breakfast presenter as Savage from 1995 to 1996. 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 organisation for which he was an ambassador. He began his career performing as Lily Savage in the 1970s whilst working as a peripatetic care officer for Camden council, going on to tour northern England as part of drag duo the Playgirls. O’Grady took over the reins from Blind Date’s long-running presenter and his close friend Cilla Black, who died in 2015, as he hosted the Channel 5 reboot of the show in 2017. During his career, he hosted The Paul O’Grady Show, Blind Date and Blankety Blank, as well as ITV’s multi-award-winning For The Love Of Dogs.

Paul O'Grady had strong Irish heritage and was very proud of his roots.The comedian, actor and writer passed away 'unexpectedly but peacefully' on Tuesday ...

He later settled into a solo show as Savage that ran for eight years at London’s Royal Vauxhall Tavern, and made a name for himself speaking out about LGBT issues. Roscommon and his mother's family from Co. ITV presenter Lorraine Kelly described O’Grady as “a really special man” and said: “Such sad news. He also hosted ITV celebrity game show, Paul O’Grady’s Saturday Night Line Up. Paul O'Grady was such a gifted comedian and presenter and was always extremely proud of his Irish roots. His dad was from Co. A really special man.” Carol Vorderman tweeted: "Paul O'Grady. “He will be greatly missed by his loved ones, friends, family, animals and all those who enjoyed his humour, wit and compassion. He will forever remain a comedy legend & all round good egg.” In a statement, Andre Portasio said: “It is with great sadness that I inform you that Paul has passed away unexpectedly but peacefully yesterday evening. O’Grady has strong Irish heritage.

Host of Blind Date and Blankety Blank described as someone who stuck up for the underdog – particularly if they were canine.

The charity’s chief executive, 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.” O’Grady’s affection for animals was so great, he once said that given the choice of more sex or money, he would choose a mongoose. He retired Savage to “a convent in Brittany” in 2004. I know that he would want me to thank you for all the love you have shown him over the years.” [Carol Vorderman](https://www.theguardian.com/culture/vorderman) told the BBC that O’Grady was a “massive talent” who “made every part of you feel like you were alive”. He was discovered at a club in south London when he stood in for an act that called in sick, playing the drag persona Lily Savage, a loud-mouthed single mother and occasional sex worker.

Comedian, broadcaster and chat-show host who shot to widespread fame in the 1990s as his alter ego Lily Savage.

Last year he made a special one-off episode of For the Love of Dogs to mark 160 years of Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, for which he was an ambassador. In 2011 he quit Paul O’Grady Live after becoming exasperated with his role as a chat- show host: “I felt part of the PR machine. But O’Grady killed off Savage in 2005, claiming Lily had “seen the light, taken the veil and packed herself off to a convent in France”. A two-part eulogy to the British working class, broadcast in 2013, it prompted press scepticism – not least because O’Grady told viewers he still considered himself working class despite being a millionaire who owned a generous plot of land in Kent. Tatchell said of O’Grady: “Paul wasn’t just a brilliant comedian and broadcast personality but a much admired campaigner for LGBT+ equality and animal rights … “I was born late – what my mother calls the last kick of a dying horse,” he said in his 2009 autobiography At My Mother’s Knee … “They made many arrests but we were a stoic lot and it was business as usual the next night.” In the 70s he worked for Camden council in north London as a peripatetic carer. “So we went out every night and were the talk of the island.” The story was typical of O’Grady, who loved to dramatise his indomitability and had an unquenchable desire to be in the public eye. His defiant unshakeability and desire to perform came together in his first stage persona, the foul-mouthed Lily Savage, who sported a platinum blond beehive wig, vast quantities of makeup, white stilettos, a leopardskin miniskirt and a matching fake-fur coat. “My nose was out to here and I had a black eye, but I said: ‘I’m not ruining my holiday,’” he recalled. She even returned in triumph to her native Merseyside, and became a regular on This Morning with Richard and Judy.

One message, referring to his hit show Paul O'Grady: For The Love of Dogs, read: 'Farewell Paul… and thanks for all the #PogDogs.'

He was very entertaining and we shall miss him greatly.” “He was a lovely neighbour, loved his animals, always a great guy to talk to and a real loss for us all.” [Paul O’Grady](https://www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/people/arid-41104477.html) outside the gates to his farm in a quiet Kent village as neighbours described him as “wonderful”.

The TV star – who died unexpectedly on Tuesday night – previously opened up about his Irish roots.

Anything of Tommy Makem's and the Clancy Brothers, he was there - he knew all the words." "And that to me is the smell of Ireland: a turf fire with a frying pan with rashers going on and a bit of black pudding." "I was brought up on the farm," he explained of his trips home to his roots. "On a Sunday, he'd go out and he'd have a drink. He added: "I have pallets of turf! "He was also a drummer in an Irish band, you know the ones that went 'round doing the carnivals? "Me dad, he was on the family farm. He wasn't actually keen on farming, me dad, so he came over to England. We always had a stop-off in Dublin off the boat." "He was a true Irishman, my father. It was only when he got to England and they discovered that he had TB and that's why. I get fond of a hotel room."

As tributes pour in for TV presenter and comedian Paul O'Grady, here is a look back at his life and career in pictures - from his days as Lily Savage and ...

'We cannot thank him enough for everything he did for our charity and for rescue animals worldwide', the charity said in its tribute O'Grady was good friends with Cilla Black (pictured at Attitude's 10th anniversary in 2004). It was a role he would reprise in later years

LONDON — (AP) — Entertainer Paul O'Grady, who achieved fame as drag queen Lily Savage before becoming a much-loved comedian and host on British television, ...

“Paul was one of the loveliest people you could ever meet,” Tatchell said. Camilla, the queen consort, was a guest on the show last year. O’Grady used his platform to speak out about LGBT rights at the height of the AIDS crisis, a time when the Conservative government of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was passing anti-gay laws.

The TV star, who has died aged 67, frequently spoke of his deep connection to his parents' home country.

Speaking to Pat Kenny on The Late Late Show in 2008, O’Grady said he had a farm “because of Ireland. Because I was brought up on the farm, and I thought if I ever get a few bob – never mind the fancy cars and all that – I’m gonna get a bit of land and a cow. “You can either sit on the sofa counting your tablets or you can get on with it – and I chose the latter.” “I love the smell of it. “O’Grady came when me Dad came over and joined the airforce. “He’d say: ‘King Athel of Glinsk.’ And there’s actually Glinsk castle, and I wonder if there’s any truth in it.