Comedian Paul O'Grady Dies, Aged 67

English comedian and presenter Paul O’Grady has passed away at the age of 67, his husband Andre Portasio confirms. In a statement by Portasio, he died "unexpectedly but peacefully".

Paul O’Grady was seen as an icon to the LGBTQ+ community for many years, particularly achieving notability in the 1980s-90s for his drag queen alter ego Lily Savage. He gained further notoriety presenting the TV quiz show Blankety Blank, and then in the 2000s with the commission of popular teatime chat show The Paul O’Grady Show.

A full statement from O’Grady’s partner released to the press asks for privacy following his passing:

“It is with great sadness that I inform you that Paul has passed away unexpectedly but peacefully yesterday evening,” he said. “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.”

O’Grady was the recipient of numerous awards throughout his career, including a TV Bafta and an NTA (National Television Award). Many British TV personalities who worked with O’Grady have paid tribute to the presenter on social media, some describing him as “brave” and “a natural talent”.

Comedian and presenter Joe Lycett took to Twitter to pay his respects to the radio star, writing “I’m sad about Paul O’Grady. I hoped I might meet him one day to tell him what an inspiration he was to me: how I loved gloriously loose & effortless his shows were, how he proved you could be political in a light ent space and that you could do all this & be really, really funny."

“Working with Paul O’Grady was one of the greatest pleasures of my life,” wrote fellow comedian Sandi Toksvig. “Funny, fearless and full of rage. The best. The world seems a little less bright.”

Screenwriter Russell T Davies paid tribute to his fight against the AIDS crisis and his personal relationship to the presenter. Alongside a photograph of O’Grady, he wrote the caption “The saddest news. What a star. What a lovely man. He was ferocious in the fight against AIDS; he made everyone love drag, (…) When asked in 2021 if he despised anyone, he said, ‘Every single stinking member of this lying, self-serving government.’ There will never be anyone like him.”

In later life, Paul O’Grady focused on one of his strongest passions – animals. He settled down with his partner in a Kent farmhouse with goats, chickens, sheep, barn owls, and four dogs. Much of his work reflected his love for the animal kingdom, particularly dogs, with his multi-award winning show Paul O'Grady: For the Love of Dogs gaining immense popularity.

O'Grady recently took the time to talk to the myGwork team at the Rainbow Honours Awards in 2022, showing kindness and a continued interest in the progression of LGBTQ+ rights. The comedian will be remembered for his trailblazing contributions to progressing LGTBQ+ representation as a proud openly gay man in the 1980s, his efforts in fighting against the stigmatization brought by the AIDS crisis, and to many who worked with him in the TV profession, a profoundly kind-hearted individual.

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