TV´s favourite comedian and dog lover Paul O´Grady dies at 67—Queen is ´deeply saddened´´

TV presenter, comedian, household name and dog lover Paul O´Grady has passed away aged 67, Andre Portasio his partner has said.

O´Grady, well known for his drag queen character Lily Savage, died ‘unexpectedly but peacefully’ on Tuesday evening, March 28, a statement shared with the PA news agency via a representative said.

The star was performing in a stage production of Annie in Edinburgh right up until his untimely end.

Mr Portasio said in his statement: ‘It is with great sadness that I inform you that Paul has passed away unexpectedly but peacefully yesterday evening.’

“We ask, at this difficult time, that whilst 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 humour, wit and compassion.

“I know that he would want me to thank you for all the love you have shown him over the years.”

O’Grady and Portasio were married during a low-key wedding ceremony in 2017.

The Queen has said she is “deeply saddened” at the death of television presenter Paul O’Grady whose “warm heart and infectious humour lit up the lives of so many”, royal sources said.

She had a close relationship with O’Grady and worked with him in their support of Battersea Dogs & Cats Home. The Queen will be sharing her sympathies with O’Grady’s family privately in due course, the Palace said.

Paul O´Grady is often quoted as his comedic talent is memorable. One quote reads: “Noel Coward said work is more fun than fun, but then he didn’t work in the Bird’s Eye factory packing frozen fish fingers nine hours a day, did he?” and another; “What was I drinking last night? Furniture polish?”

Tweets are  pouring in: “How sad RIP Paul O’ Grady. Such a down to earth person. The pied piper of dogs who raised the profile of Battersea dogs him. God bless.”

And another: “I hope there is a surge of adoptions at Battersea dogs in honour of Paul O Grady.”

During his career, Birkenhead-born O´Grady 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’s Saturday Night Line Up was another show he hosted.

Paul took over the anchor role for Blind Date from his friend Cilla Black, who died in 2015, and hosted the 2017 Channel 5 reboot of the programme.

In 2022 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. Paul loved dogs.

In August of 2022 he presented his final BBC Radio 2 show having hosted the Sunday afternoon programme for nearly 14 years.

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