Paul O’Grady’s Funeral: A Touching Tribute to a Much-Loved Icon

On Thursday 20 April, the funeral of comedian and presenter Paul O’Grady took place in Aldington, Kent. A number of powerful tributes were made to the TV personality, including multiple celebrity appearances, and references to his drag persona Lily Savage and his renowned love for dogs.

Starting with a procession through Paul O’Grady’s home village at 2.10pm, a private ceremony took place at 3pm. Prior to the private ceremony, many famous friends of the late comedian could be seen paying their respects. Fellow comedy partner Julian Clarey and actor Michael Cashman delivered readings at the ceremony.

Other attendees included actress Dame Sheila Hancock, Rolling Stones musician Ronnie Wood, and comedians Jo Brand and Alan Carr. A crowd of 300-400 people were there to pay their respects to O’Grady, who unexpectedly passed away on 28 March earlier this year.

In a touching tribute to Paul O’Grady’s infamous drag alter-ego Lily Savage, Paul’s daughter and grandson brought one of the drag acts’ blonde wigs to the ceremony. Many dogs from Battersea Dogs and Cats Home were also brought along, in reference to the late presenter’s adoration for pets.

One of the dogs, named Ernie, came into contact with Paul several times. The head of canine behavior at Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, Ali Taylor, felt it was a fitting tribute to bring along this particular pet.

"Ernie met Paul two years ago when he was about five weeks old,” said Ali Taylor. “He's met him several times. We felt he should come along today. We're here to really honor Paul and everything he has done for everyone, all the different communities, and especially Battersea."

A horse-drawn carriage brought Paul to the village to rest, with his husband, Andre Portasio, sat in the front with one of the couple’s dogs on his lap. Hundreds of fans could be seen outside the ceremony, taking the opportunity to celebrate the life of a television legend and an LGBTQ+ icon.

On Friday, 21 April, a post was made on Paul O'Grady's Instagram account, thanking fans for paying tribute and saying farewell to the beloved presenter.

"Yesterday was a very sad day," read the caption. "We said good bye to our beloved Paul O’Grady. We thank everyone who despite the weather came to pay their respects at the procession, humans and furry friends. He would have been very humbled. The outpouring of love and kindness over the last 3 weeks has been truly amazing."

Keep up to date with the latest myGnews

LGBTQ+ professionals, LGBTQ+ Graduates, LGBTQ+ professional network, LGBTQ+ professional events, LGBTQ+ networking events, LGBTQ+ Recruitment, LGBTQ+ Friendly organizations, LGBTQ+ Friendly companies, LGBTQ+ jobs