Paul O'Grady

Paul O'Grady, one of Britain's most popular TV personalities, has died aged 67.

[official Twitter account](https://twitter.com/RoyalFamily/status/1640997462176419840?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet), writing: “Deeply saddened to hear of the death of Paul O’Grady, who worked closely with Her Majesty in support of O’Grady also hosted ITV’s “For The Love Of Dogs.” In a one-off special for the show last year, O’Grady was joined by Camilla, Queen Consort to mark 160 years of Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, an organization for which he was an ambassador. An awesome talent stretching decades.” O’Grady won numerous accolades during his career, including a TV BAFTA, and in 2008 he was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to entertainment. In 1997, “The Lily Savage Show” ran briefly on the BBC before, later that year O’Grady took on the role of presenting the revived version of BBC gameshow “Blankety Blank,” which ran until 2002. [Doctor Who](https://cnn.com/2022/05/08/entertainment/doctor-who-ncuti-gatwa-intl-scli/index.html)” star John Barrowman [tweeted](https://twitter.com/JohnBarrowman/status/1640948230761631745): “I am totally shocked and sad to hear the awful news that Paul O’Grady has died.

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.

U.K. broadcaster ITV has revealed the schedule changes brought about by the death of popular British presenter and comedian Paul O'Grady.

Under the Savage persona, he also went on to host light entertainment shows such as “The Big Breakfast,” “Blankety Blank” and “Lily Live!” He had a profound passion for animals too, which resonated with so many viewers, and ‘For The Love of Dogs’ remains one of our best-loved series, and a really special programme for so many. He was a huge, inimitable talent, delighting our viewers through his comedy and entertainment with a warmth, humor and joy that audiences of all generations related to and connected with.

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.

Paul O'Grady, the British comedian, TV star, and actor also known as drag queen Lily Savage, has died at 67.

"Everyone at Annie the Musical is stunned and saddened by the passing of Paul O'Grady," the statement read. The show released a "We love you, Ms. We need it," Willam wrote on Instagram. I tip my wig to you." [RuPaul's Drag Race](https://ew.com/creative-work/rupauls-drag-race/) season 4 queen [Willam](https://ew.com/person/willam/) also paid tribute to O'Grady, remembering the actor in a sweet Instagram post.

Paul O'Grady died "unexpectedly but peacefully" on Tuesday, according to his husband, Andre Portasio. The beloved 'Lily Savage Show' star was 67.

In the 1990s, O’Grady took his talents to television. Once a care worker in Camden Town, O’Grady made his debut as Lily Savage “You went places nobody had gone before and we will miss you very much.” I’m obsessed with them.” [Q&A with the Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2021/nov/27/paul-ogrady-im-not-worried-about-sex-money-or-fame-i-just-want-a-mongoose) published in November 2021, O’Grady talked about the “happiest” moment of his life, his greatest fear (“finding a rat swimming in my toilet’’) and his brushes with death. “It’s all animals.

A boundary-busting standup, a radio sensation, a knockout on TV, a champion for LGBTQ rights, and a pet-lover extraordinaire … stars and writers pay tribute ...

He was backstage at the Tavern in 1987, preparing for his performance and adjusting his wig, when suddenly the police burst into his dressing room. O’Grady developed the act (“a creature,” he said, “that was more cartoon than human”) in the gay clubs of London’s Camden Town – specifically, the Black Cap. Recently, when we were working on a campaign to get an apology from the police for their past persecution of the LGBTQ+ community, he told me a story that stuck in my mind. So, in his final months, he was preparing to stand up, accuse them of homophobia and demand they finally take responsibility and apologise. And what he landed on often, was fury – at the “criminals” in government. The fact that a lot of people who wrote in seemed to be of advanced years – the requests were often to thank helpful younger family members or carers – said a great deal about the breadth of his appeal. He wrinkled his nose and said: “I’m just the burnt-out wreck of a once glorious disco.” He worried about them when they were poorly and shared the joy when we found them loving homes. I got the feeling that, with his programmes about animals, he had to really push to make them happen. These tales echoed back to the war, with secrets and debts and back-alley shags in the Liverpool of the Blitz. He could just talk about whatever was in his head and get laughs. He stared at me like the scan of a 3D printer.

Fellow drag queens praised the character for helping to pave the way for thousands of artists.

"They've paved the way for legions of drag artists and I wouldn't be here without them." at the time I had no idea who I was and what I wanted to be... "Drag isn't scary and it's been around for a long time and we ain't going anywhere, baby!," they said, adding: "He's an icon and he's an inspiration to so many queer people that want to make it in the entertainment industry." "For Paul to make it mainstream on television just after the Aids crisis and working through it as an entertainer really was a testament to who he was as a person," they said. but she made me feel comfortable for the first time." Describing O'Grady as a "trailblazer", they told BBC News: "He took drag to the mainstream and really set the way for people like me to be able to do our jobs."

O'Grady won numerous accolades during his career, including a TV BAFTA, and in 2008 he was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for ...

O'Grady won numerous accolades during his career, including a TV BAFTA, and in 2008 he was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for ...

LONDON — Paul O'Grady, a British comedian and television host who portrayed drag queen Lily Savage during the 1980s and ′90s, died Tuesday. He was 67.

[BBC](https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-65108130?at_link_origin=BBCBreaking&at_campaign_type=owned&at_campaign=Social_Flow&at_ptr_name=twitter&at_link_id=ED41D83E-CDD4-11ED-9BC7-6FBBECABB293&at_link_type=web_link&at_format=link&at_medium=social&at_bbc_team=editorial), O’Grady was the host for several network shows, including the game show “Blankety Blank.” He also used his platform on television to express his love for dogs. I’m obsessed with them.” “It’s all animals. He will be so dearly missed by all of us at Battersea. He used his persona to address the AIDs crisis and LGBTQ rights. We’re deeply saddened to learn that our wonderful, kind friend and beloved Ambassador Paul O’Grady MBE has passed away.

O'Grady was preparing to go on stage in 1987 when a police officer burst into his dressing room.

When the officer asked for a "real" name, he replied: "Lily Veronica Mae Savage." According to one version of events, when the desk sergeant for a name, he gave it as "Lily Savage". this was an ugly, dangerous and very unpleasant time for LGBT+ people." So it seemed to be the fashion at the time," he said. Eleven people were arrested and two customers were injured. It wasn't illegal, and the suggestion it made people more vulnerable to Aids had already been debunked. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. God knows to this day why they raided it." We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. Around that time, newspapers were warning about the use of amyl nitrate, also known as poppers. Tables and chairs were going over. But one pre-fame story shows his role in fighting for LGBT rights.

O'Grady won numerous accolades during his career, including a TV BAFTA, and in 2008 he was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for ...

Since his sudden death, numerous celebrities have shared heartfelt words and tributes dedicated to the TV presenter and radio host. “Appearing on The Paul O' ...

O'Grady's camp creation built on the legacy of drag artists that came before him and helped change the visibility of LGBTQ+ people in the UK.

In the US, criticism of drag has escalated even further, with a [recent law](https://news.sky.com/story/tennessee-becomes-first-us-state-to-ban-public-drag-performances-12824159) passed in Tennessee that bans drag and female impersonation in public. I was asked to go on stage for an interactive segment of the show, and Lily was just as charismatic and captivating in person as she was from the back of the theatre. RIP “Lily of the Scally”. They argue that the “sexualisation and inappropriateness” of drag represent a threat to children. This led to users on internet forum Mumsnet, [gender-critical feminists](https://www.theweek.co.uk/news/society/953619/what-are-gender-critical-beliefs) (women who believe that sex is biological and immutable and cannot be conflated with gender identity) and anti-drag critics [calling for them to be cancelled](https://www.thepinknews.com/2020/06/23/drag-queen-story-hour-uk-aida-h-dee-sab-samuel-leeds-city-council-sarah-field-mumsnet/?fbclid=IwAR1kts2g7Z30tlIC1waptxwEX0C0bD5_ccjDTXeUvLkRiL6fJmW5z0ipen8). Drag is not only a unique display of artistry and a political standpoint; one of its primary functions has always been that of entertainment. However, it is important to acknowledge the cultural history of drag and those artists, such as O’Grady, who paved the way for a wider social acceptance. After this successful run, O’Grady began to step back from Lily and appear more as himself, with a number of popular programmes such as The Paul O’Grady Show and For the Love of Dogs. [Camilla the Queen Consort](https://twitter.com/RoyalFamily/status/1640997462176419840?cxt=HHwWgMC-peuf_8UtAAAA), who stated that O'Grady’s “warm heart and infectious humour lit up the lives of so many”. [term “drag” dates back to Shakespeare](https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zbkmkmn#:%7E:text=Shakespeare's%20As%20You%20Like%20It,would%20drag%20along%20the%20floor.) with men playing women’s roles. [Lily Savage](https://www.oocities.org/lilysavage_uk/biography.html) in the early 1980s, where he became popular with queer locals. [Danny La Rue](https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2009/jun/01/danny-la-rue-obituary), [Dame Edna Everage](https://twitter.com/dameednaeverage?lang=en-GB) and Lily Savage, who would often be seen on mainstream television programmes.

Suzy Eddie Izzard has paid tribute to Paul O'Grady, describing him as a “funny” and “acerbic” comedian in an article.

“You went places nobody had gone before and we will miss you very much.” But he did things his way and with aplomb.” It would have been nice if he could have stuck around for longer.” “People should always keep growing and challenging themselves,” Izzard added. “That was it, above all else: he was relaxed in his skin, while also being funny and acerbic. Izzard described her appearances on The Paul O’Grady Show as “always fun”, adding: “He was a lovely, decent guy who cared about people.

EXCLUSIVE: Paul O'Grady wed pal Theresa Fernandes in 1976 when her work permit was due to expire - and she faced having to leave London return home to ...

She was uber-cool and laid back and was a big hit with the women customers, who all fancied her David Cassidy good looks. I was a married man.' Paul wrote: 'Reluctantly I stopped what I was doing and slammed a large rum into a glass from the optic. I play her for laughs, because she's either drunk or hungover. We were filming in Malta and I only got one day's filming done. I can't.' But I'm back in business.' Because you can play her pure evil, but I don't. 'I think my last disaster was when I caught Covid last year. He joked: 'Don't take the elderly for granted. I'm no chicken. I'm OK. I'm absolutely fine, touch wood.

Amanda Holden has been criticised following her tribute to Paul O'Grady, who died aged 67 earlier this week.

I've been thinking about that bizarre, clueless Amanda Holden comment about Paul O'Grady not having "a woke bone in his body". [March 29, 2023] He knew what free speech was, and used it,” another added. The word originates from African American culture as a term to refer to someone who is aware of racial prejudices. “Do you know what I loved about him? “I have to say I’m completely shocked,” Holden said.

How Paul O'Grady went from a mould-breaking drag comedian to a much-loved prime-time TV host.

Drunken boyfriends would turn up in the middle of the night and think he was the mum's bit on the side. O'Grady had suffered a heart attack the previous year, which was followed by another in 2006. ITV scheduled The Paul O'Grady Show at teatimes in 2004, and it was poached by Channel 4 in 2006. The following night, he was back on stage, undeterred. I look back to Auntie Chris now - I see her on the bus and I sort of see where Lily was germinated." "The doctor said, 'If I could put on the death certificate, he's died of a broken heart, then I would'. "But I was a highly promiscuous teenager." "People might wonder how a gay man managed to father a daughter," he said. "She was the talk of Birkenhead," he said. But their world was shattered when O'Grady's mother suffered a heart attack when he was 17. "She was witty and had a great string of one-liners. "So it was just an extension of that."

In an old clip which has resurfaced since his shock death this week, Paul O'Grady slurred his words, cursed and burped before he was carried home during a ...

In the village of Adlington where he lived, personal messages were left outside his home, one of which read: 'Farewell Paul... He added: 'It was around raising up the community, and when you move from a stage like this into the mainstream, when you move into breakfast f****** television... Paul O'Grady was an absolute legend of the community.' O'Grady can be seen holding onto a lamppost to steady himself and is told by a friend, dressed in a red tank top, the camera crew have been looking for him 'for hours'. 'Obviously a moment of silence is polite... And I go and have a couple of bevvies. but I don't think a moment of silence is right. I don't want a verruca!' Go and have a couple of bevvies, they say. At the beginning of the clip O'Grady could be seen gesturing at the camera as he said: 'Go and have a couple of bevvies, they say' At the beginning of the video, O'Grady can be seen being helped to his feet by several men as he tells the camera operator: 'Go in a couple of bars, they say. When his friend attempts to help him put it back on, O'Grady says: 'Is that my shoe?

Entertainer Paul O'Grady, who achieved fame as drag queen Lily Savage before becoming a much-loved comedian and host on British television, has died.

“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.

Friendly and fiery, compassionate and uncompromising, O'Grady and his alter ego Lily Savage made friends wherever they went. Readers remember the ...

In the early 00s, I regularly took an early morning walk with my dog. He could have easily made a career being a serious actor if he wanted to. It was 1987 and I said: “You need to come and see what I get up to on a Sunday afternoon.” I took her to the Royal Vauxhall Tavern. His legacy was being a drag queen socialist on television. His performance was brave and touching. I met him once while working on a comedy talent show that was recording in Edinburgh. I first met him when he appeared alongside me on The Bill and I just loved him. He was a thoroughly decent man. I grew up in Buxton, a small, conservative market town. She was a diminutive lady, so when we went in she hung on to me – this was new territory to her – and all she could see was 500 gay men crammed in to a very small place to see Lily Savage. In the years after, O’Grady became a household name, known for his political and animal rights activism as well as his warmth and quick wit. My mum used it for the rest of her life.

Entertainer Paul O'Grady, who achieved fame as drag queen Lily Savage before becoming a much-loved comedian and host on British television, has died.

“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.