Paul James O'Grady (14 June 1955 – 28 March 2023) was an English comedian, broadcaster,

drag queen A drag queen is a person, usually male, who uses Drag (entertainment), drag clothing and makeup to imitate and often exaggerate Femininity, female gender signifiers and gender roles for entertainment purposes. Historically, drag queens have ...

, actor, and writer. He achieved notability in the London gay scene during the 1980s with his drag persona Lily Savage, through which he gained wider popularity in the 1990s. O'Grady subsequently dropped the character and in the 2000s became the presenter of various television and radio shows, including ''

The Paul O'Grady Show ''The Paul O'Grady Show'' was a British comedy chat show presented by comedian Paul O'Grady, first shown on 11 October 2004. The programme was a teatime chat show consisting of a mixture of celebrity guests, comic stunts, musical performances ...

''. Born to a working-class Irish migrant family in Tranmere, Cheshire, O'Grady moved to London in the late 1970s, initially working as a peripatetic care officer for Camden Council. He developed his drag act in 1978, basing the character of Lily Savage upon traits found among female relatives. Touring England as part of drag mime duo the Playgirls, O'Grady then went solo as a stand-up comedian in the early 1980s. Performing as Savage for eight years at a South London gay pub, the

Royal Vauxhall Tavern The Royal Vauxhall Tavern is a Grade II listed gay entertainment venue in Vauxhall, London. It is also known as the RVT. It is South London's oldest surviving gay venue. History The RVT was built between 1860 and 1862 at Spring Gardens, Kennin ...

(RVT), he gained a popular following among London's gay community and used his character to speak out for

gay rights Rights affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) people vary greatly by country or jurisdiction—encompassing everything from the legal recognition of same-sex marriage to the death penalty for homosexuality. Not ...

. After being nominated for a 1992 Perrier Comedy Award, O'Grady attracted mainstream attention and made various television, radio, and theatrical appearances. As Savage, he presented the television shows ''

The Big Breakfast ''The Big Breakfast'' is a British breakfast light entertainment television programme that was broadcast on Channel 4 from 1992 to 2002, and as a revival from 2021 to 2022. The show had various presenters, starting with Chris Evans (presenter), ...

'' (1995–1996), '' Blankety Blank'' (1997–2002), and '' Lily Live!'' (2000–2001), earning various awards and becoming a well known public figure. Wishing to diversify from Savage, O'Grady starred in the

BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's oldest and flagship channel, and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television b ...

sitcom '' Eyes Down'' (2003–2004) and presented two travel documentaries for ITV. In 2004, he began presenting ITV's daytime chat show ''The Paul O'Grady Show''. After the network refused to transfer creative control of the series to O'Grady's production company

Olga TV Olga TV is a British independent television production company set up by the late entertainer and talk show host, Paul O'Grady, and Pichu Straneo y Mario Pergolini in 2005. History Named after O'Grady's pet dog, Olga the company is best known ...

, he moved to

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. It is state-owned enterprise, publicly owned but, unlike the BBC, it receives no public funding and is funded en ...

in 2006, where the show was rebranded as ''The New Paul O'Grady Show,'' airing until 2009. O'Grady presented the late night ITV show '' Paul O'Grady Live'' (2010–2011) and

BBC Radio 2 BBC Radio 2 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It is the List of most-listened-to radio programs, most popular station in the United Kingdom with over 14 million weekly listeners. Since launching in 1967, the sta ...

's '' Paul O'Grady on the Wireless'' (2009–2022). Additional television shows included '' Paul O'Grady: For the Love of Dogs'' (2012–2023), '' Paul O'Grady's Animal Orphans'' (2014–2016), ''

Blind Date A blind date is a romantic meeting between two people who have never met before. Both parties arrange a date with little to no information about each other, hoping for the possibility of making a lasting impression. Typically, a family member or ...

'' (2017–2019), and ''Paul O'Grady's Great British Escape'' (2020). He also published several books, including a four-volume memoir. O'Grady was appointed a

Member of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

(MBE) in the 2008 Birthday Honours for services to entertainment. In 2020 he became president of the British Music Hall Society, taking over the role from Roy Hudd. On 31 October 2022 he was appointed as a Deputy Lieutenant for the

County A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

Kent Kent is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Essex across the Thames Estuary to the north, the Strait of Dover to the south-east, East Sussex to the south-west, Surrey to the west, and Gr ...

, where he lived for many years.

Early life

1955–1971: Childhood

O'Grady was born on 14 June 1955 at St. Catherine's Hospital in the Tranmere area of

Birkenhead Birkenhead () is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, Merseyside, England. The town is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the west bank of the River Mersey, opposite Liverpool. It lies within the Historic counties of England, historic co ...

, Cheshire (now

Merseyside Merseyside ( ) is a ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial and metropolitan county in North West England. It borders Lancashire to the north, Greater Manchester to the east, Cheshire to the south, the Wales, Welsh county of Flintshire across ...

). His father, Patrick "Paddy" Grady (1912–1973), was Irish and had grown up in Ballincurry,

County Roscommon County Roscommon () is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is part of the province of Connacht and the Northern and Western Region. It is the List of Irish counties by area, 11th largest Irish county by area and Li ...

, before moving to England in 1936 and settling in the working-class area of Birkenhead. His name was changed from "Grady" to "O'Grady" in a paperwork mistake when he joined the

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...

, and he kept the new name. Patrick married Mary "Molly" Savage (1916–1988), who was born in England to Irish immigrants from

County Louth County Louth ( ; ) is a coastal Counties of Ireland, county in the Eastern and Midland Region of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster. Louth is bordered by the counties of County Meath, Meath to the ...

. Paul was their third child; his birth came over a decade after those of brother Brendan (born 1941) and sister Sheila (born 1944). O'Grady spent his early life at the family's rented home at 23 Holly Grove in Higher Tranmere. He later said, "When I look back on my childhood I have no bad memories. Our family was loving and full of affection. I never knew what divorce was until I moved to London. I was an indulged child and completely protected from anything bad." Attending St. Joseph's Catholic Primary School, O'Grady excelled in all subjects except mathematics. Hoping that he had a good future ahead of him, his parents budgeted to send him to a private school, the Catholic-run Redcourt, but his grades dropped. Failing the

eleven plus exam The eleven-plus (11+) is a standardised examination administered to some students in England and Northern Ireland in their last year of primary education, which governs admission to grammar schools and other secondary schools which use academ ...

, he was unable to enter a grammar school so attended the Blessed Edward Campion R.C. Secondary Modern and the Corpus Christi High School. It was at the school that O'Grady experienced his first homosexual encounter, enjoying a brief romance with another boy, although he still assumed he was heterosexual. A fan of the popular television series '' The Avengers'' and ''

Batman Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on M ...

'', O'Grady was enrolled in the

Cub Scouts Cubs or Wolf Cubs are programs associated with some Scouting, Scout organizations, for young children, usually between 8 and 12, who are too young to be Scouts and make the Scout Promise. A participant in the program is called a Cub and a gro ...

by his mother, but he hated it, leaving after a month. An

altar boy An altar server is a lay assistant to a member of the clergy during a Christian liturgy. An altar server attends to supporting tasks at the altar such as fetching and carrying, ringing the altar bell, helping bring up the gifts, and bringing up ...

at a local Catholic church, he was dismissed after laughing during a funeral service. He then joined the Marine Cadet Section of the Sea Cadet Corps, later commenting that he was following in the footsteps of his childhood hero, the cartoon character

Popeye Popeye the Sailor Man is a fictional cartoon character created by E. C. Segar, Elzie Crisler Segar.paper round that he kept for a week, and through this and other jobs, he saved up to afford Mod clothes, for a time becoming a

suedehead "Suedehead" is the debut solo single by English singer Morrissey, released on 15 February 1988. Co-written by Morrissey and former Smiths producer Stephen Street, the song was Morrissey's first solo release after the Smiths break-up. Morrisse ...

1972–1977: Early adulthood

Leaving school aged 16, O'Grady obtained a job in the civil service, working as a clerical assistant for the

DHSS The Department of Health and Social Security (commonly known as the DHSS) was a ministry of the British government in existence for twenty years from 1968 until 1988, and was headed by the Secretary of State for Social Services. History In 1 ...

at their

Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...

office; he commuted in from his parents' Tranmere home. Supplementing this income, he worked part-time at the bar of the Royal Air Forces Association (RAFA) club in Oxton. Called for a disciplinary hearing at the DHSS and accused of incompetent behaviour and tardiness, he resigned. Obtaining a job at the Wheatsheaf Hotel in

Virginia Water Virginia Water is a commuter village in the Borough of Runnymede in northern Surrey, England. It is home to the Wentworth Estate and the Wentworth Club. The area has much woodland and occupies a large minority of the Runnymede district. Its na ...

, Surrey, aged 17, O'Grady moved there; the management accused him of stealing, which he denied. Promptly returning to Birkenhead, he increasingly socialised within the Liverpudlian gay scene, attending meetings of the Campaign for Homosexual Equality and working at a

gay bar A gay bar is a Bar (establishment), drinking establishment that caters to an exclusively or predominantly lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer (LGBTQ+) clientele; the term ''gay'' is used as a broadly inclusive concept for LGBTQ+ communi ...

called the Bear's Paw; this was kept a secret from his parents, to whom he was not "out of

the closet ''Closeted'' and ''in the closet'' are metaphors for LGBTQ people who have not disclosed their sexual orientation or gender identity and aspects thereof, including sexual identity and sexual behavior. This metaphor is associated and sometimes ...

". He also had

casual sex Casual sex is sexual activity that takes place outside a romantic relationship and implies an absence of commitment, emotional attachment, or familiarity between sexual partners. Examples are sexual activity while casually dating, one-nig ...

with a female friend, Diane Jansen, who became pregnant, news which O'Grady discovered in the same week that both his parents suffered heart attacks; his mother made a recovery, but his father died. Following the birth of his daughter, Sharon Lee Jansen, in May 1974, O'Grady agreed to pay towards her upkeep, but refused to marry Jansen, recognising his homosexuality. Briefly working as an assistant clerk at

Liverpool Magistrates' Court The Magistrates' Courts is a building on Dale Street, Liverpool formerly used for magistrates' court hearings until 2015. It is a Grade II listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural ...

, O'Grady subsequently worked as a barman at Yates's Wine Lodge, supplementing the income with the occasional night at the Bear's Paw. Realising this wage was insufficient to support both himself and his daughter, he travelled to London, lodging in

Westbourne Green Westbourne Green is an area of Westbourne, London, the centre of the former hamlet of Westbourne, at the north-western corner of the City of Westminster. It is named for its location west of a bourne (small stream). Traditionally a rural area, s ...

, but found only poorly paid work as a barman. In London, he began associating with

s, particularly a couple who used the stage name of the Harlequeens. Although making friends in the city, O'Grady was homesick and returned to Birkenhead. Employed as an accountant in a FMC Meats Merseyside

abattoir In livestock agriculture and the meat industry, a slaughterhouse, also called an abattoir (), is a facility where livestock animals are slaughtered to provide food. Slaughterhouses supply meat, which then becomes the responsibility of a meat ...

, he then worked for three years at the Children's Convalescent Home and School in

West Kirby West Kirby () is a coastal town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, Merseyside, England. In the north west of the Wirral Peninsula and at the mouth of the River Dee, the town is contiguous with Hoylake. It lies within the historic county bo ...

, a home for disabled and abused children. Returning to London, he rented a flat in Crouch End and began busking with a friend in

Camden Town Camden Town () is an area in the London Borough of Camden, around north-northwest of Charing Cross. Historically in Middlesex, it is identified in the London Plan as one of 34 major centres in Greater London. Laid out as a residential distri ...

before obtaining a job as a physiotherapist's assistant at the Royal Northern Hospital. Made redundant by public sector cuts, O'Grady took up a job at a gay club called the Showplace, befriending a Portuguese lesbian named Teresa Fernandes. In May 1977, they married to prevent her deportation; they lost contact and only legally divorced in 2005.Paul O'Grady, ''

The One Show ''The One Show'' is a British television magazine and chat show programme. Broadcast live on BBC One weekdays at 7:00 pm, it features topical stories and studio guests. It is currently co-hosted by Alex Jones, Roman Kemp, Ronan Keating ...

'', 16 August 2011 Taking up jobs as a cleaner and a waiter at private functions, he began working for Camden Council as a peripatetic care officer. Living in with elderly people and dysfunctional families would have a lasting effect on him.

Career in drag

1978–1984: Lily Savage and the drag circuit

While working for Camden Social Services, O'Grady made his first attempt at putting together a drag act, creating the character of Lily Savage; he later said, "I wanted to get up there but be larger than life, a creature that was more cartoon than human." His debut was on the afternoon of 7 October 1978 at The Black Cap gay pub in Camden, where his act involved miming the words to

Barbra Streisand Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand ( ; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress, songwriter, producer, and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success across multiple fields of entertainment, being the ...

's "Nobody Makes a Pass at Me" from the show ''

Pins and Needles Paresthesia is a sensation of the skin that may feel like numbness (''hypoesthesia''), tingling, pricking, chilling, or burning. It can be temporary or chronic and has many possible underlying causes. Paresthesia is usually painless and can oc ...

''. Following a holiday to Poland, he visited an ex-boyfriend in

Manila Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on ...

in the Philippines, there working briefly as a barman and waiter at a brothel. Returning to London, O'Grady moved to Purley and then

Streatham Streatham ( ) is a district in south London, England. Centred south of Charing Cross, it lies mostly within the London Borough of Lambeth, with some parts extending into the neighbouring London Borough of Wandsworth. Streatham was in Surrey ...

with a drag act, the Glamazons. With one of them, nicknamed "Hush", he founded a two-man drag mime act, the Playgirls, although found little work in London. Agreeing to a tour of northern England, they moved to Slaithwaite, West Yorkshire, also accepting a month's work at a club in

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...

, Denmark. Diversifying their act, O'Grady learned fire eating and developed a striptease while wearing a

fat suit A fatsuit, also known as a fat suit or a fat-suit, is a bodysuit-like undergarment used to thicken the appearance of an actress or actor of light to medium build into an overweight or obese character, in conjunction with prosthetic makeup. Fatsui ...

he named "Biddy". After Hush returned to London, O'Grady continued his drag performance as a solo act under the name of "Paul Monroe", a reference to

Marilyn Monroe Marilyn Monroe ( ; born Norma Jeane Mortenson; June 1, 1926 August 4, 1962) was an American actress and model. Known for playing comic "Blonde stereotype#Blonde bombshell, blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex ...

. Under financial strain, O'Grady moved back in with his mother in Birkenhead. Amid mass unemployment, O'Grady briefly lived off the dole before resurrecting the Playgirls with his friend Vera; initially performing in Liverpool, where they were caught up in the 1981 Toxteth riots, they began touring other parts of northern England until returning to London. Again working as a support worker for Camden Council Social Services, O'Grady lived in

Vauxhall Vauxhall ( , ) is an area of South London, within the London Borough of Lambeth. Named after a medieval manor called Fox Hall, it became well known for the Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens. From the Victorian period until the mid-20th century, Va ...

and then

Brixton Brixton is an area of South London, part of the London Borough of Lambeth, England. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. Brixton experienced a rapid rise in population during the 19th century ...

before reviving the Playgirls with Hush, devising an act based upon the film '' What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?'' At the end of the year, he appeared as an Ugly Sister in a drag

pantomime Pantomime (; informally panto) is a type of musical comedy stage production designed for family entertainment, generally combining gender-crossing actors and topical humour with a story more or less based on a well-known fairy tale, fable or ...

of ''

Cinderella "Cinderella", or "The Little Glass Slipper", is a Folklore, folk tale with thousands of variants that are told throughout the world.Dundes, Alan. Cinderella, a Casebook. Madison, Wis: University of Wisconsin Press, 1988. The protagonist is a you ...

''. In March 1983 he joined the Equity union, allowing him to take a role in the theatrical adaptation of ''If They'd Asked for a Lion Tamer'' at the

Donmar Warehouse The Donmar Warehouse is a 251-seat, not-for-profit Off-West End theatre in Covent Garden, London, England. It first opened on 18 July 1977. Sam Mendes, Michael Grandage, Josie Rourke and Michael Longhurst have all served as artistic direc ...

. The Playgirls gained bookings to appear across London, and also in

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...

and Copenhagen; O'Grady and Hush joined with drag artist David Dale to form an act known as "LSD", which stood for "Lily, Sandra, and Doris". Devising an act that parodied children's television show '' Andy Pandy'', they gained bookings across London and in

Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...

1984–1992: Residency in Vauxhall

In 1984, O'Grady began work as a barman at a Vauxhall gay pub, the Elephant and Castle. As Lily, he compered " Ladies Night" each Tuesday, where amateur drag acts would perform. As compere, he tried out comedy routines, becoming known for insulting both the acts and the audience; he attracted growing crowds and he was interviewed by artist Patrick Procktor. After six months, he transferred his act to the nearby

(RVT) gay pub, re-opening his show on Thursday nights as "Stars of the Future". In 1985 he obtained his own council flat in Vauxhall's Victoria Mansions. During the mid-1980s, he entered a relationship with Brendan "Murph" Murphy, the manager of a gay sauna near

the Oval The Oval, currently named for sponsorship reasons as the Kia Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, located in the borough of Lambeth, in south London. The Oval has been the home ground of Surrey County Cricket Club sinc ...

Kennington Kennington is a district in south London, England. It is mainly within the London Borough of Lambeth, running along the boundary with the London Borough of Southwark, a boundary which can be discerned from the early medieval period between th ...

. Murphy subsequently became O'Grady's manager. Eventually appearing at the RVT three times a week, on Sundays O'Grady began performing at the Union Tavern in

Camberwell Camberwell ( ) is an List of areas of London, area of South London, England, in the London Borough of Southwark, southeast of Charing Cross. Camberwell was first a village associated with the church of St Giles' Church, Camberwell, St Giles ...

and the Goldsmiths Tavern in

New Cross New Cross is an area in south-east London, England, south-east of Charing Cross in the London Borough of Lewisham and the London_postal_district#List_of_London_postal_districts, SE14 postcode district. New Cross is near St Johns, London, St Jo ...

, where he often preceded

Vic Reeves James Roderick Moir (born 24 January 1959), commonly known by his stage name Vic Reeves, is an English comedian and artist. He has a double act with Bob Mortimer as Reeves & Mortimer. He is known for his surreal sense of humour. In 2003, Ree ...

' three-hour show '' Vic Reeves Big Night Out''. Quitting his council work, he focused full-time on his career as Lily, taking his act across the country and abroad. Other venues he performed at included the Madame Jojo's club in

Soho SoHo, short for "South of Houston Street, Houston Street", is a neighborhood in Lower Manhattan, New York City. Since the 1970s, the neighborhood has been the location of many artists' lofts and art galleries, art installations such as The Wall ...

, the

Bloomsbury Theatre The Bloomsbury Theatre is a theatre located on Gordon Street in Bloomsbury, within the London Borough of Camden. It is owned by University College London. The Theatre has a seating capacity of 541 and offers a professional programme of innovati ...

, and the

Heaven Heaven, or the Heavens, is a common Religious cosmology, religious cosmological or supernatural place where beings such as deity, deities, angels, souls, saints, or Veneration of the dead, venerated ancestors are said to originate, be throne, ...

nightclub. Befriending American drag queen

Divine Divinity (from Latin ) refers to the quality, presence, or nature of that which is divine—a term that, before the rise of monotheism, evoked a broad and dynamic field of sacred power. In the ancient world, divinity was not limited to a singl ...

and his manager Bernard Jay, Jay booked O'Grady to appear in

Fort Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale ( ) is a coastal city located in the U.S. state of Florida, north of Miami along the Atlantic Ocean. It is the county seat of and most populous city in Broward County with a population of 182,760 at the 2020 census, making it ...

, Florida. As Divine had done, O'Grady also recorded his own

Hi-NRG Hi-NRG (pronounced "high energy") is a genre of uptempo disco or electronic dance music (EDM) that originated during the late 1970s and early 1980s. As a music genre, typified by its fast tempo, staccato hi-hat rhythms (and the four-on-the-flo ...

song, "Tough at the Top", which was produced by DJ

Ian Levine Ian Geoffrey Levine (born 22 June 1953) is a British songwriter, producer, DJ, and prominent Doctor Who fan. A populariser of Northern soul music in the UK, and a developer of the style of hi-NRG, he has co-written and co-produced records with sa ...

. In 1988, he performed as Madame in ''The Scythe of Reason'', and appeared at the Glasgow Mayfest, where he developed a lifelong friendship with actor

Ian McKellen Sir Ian Murray McKellen (born 25 May 1939) is an English actor. He has played roles on the screen and stage in genres ranging from Shakespearean dramas and modern theatre to popular fantasy and science fiction. He is regarded as a British cu ...

. O'Grady used his act to speak out on issues affecting the gay community, especially during the

HIV/AIDS The HIV, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that attacks the immune system. Without treatment, it can lead to a spectrum of conditions including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It is a Preventive healthcare, pr ...

crisis. In April 1988 he took part in a march against

Section 28 Section 28 refers to a part of the Local Government Act 1988, which stated that Local government in the United Kingdom, local authorities in England, Scotland and Wales "shall not intentionally promote homosexuality or publish material with t ...

, a policy introduced by

Margaret Thatcher Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher (; 13 October 19258 April 2013), was a British stateswoman who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of th ...

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...

government that many denounced as

homophobic Homophobia encompasses a range of negative attitudes and feelings toward homosexuality or people who identify or are perceived as being lesbian, Gay men, gay or bisexual. It has been defined as contempt, prejudice, aversion, hatred, or ant ...

. Regularly doing charity fundraisers for HIV/AIDS research, many of his friends died from AIDS-related complications; he later related that "People my age will never get over the horrors." He performed in a play about the disease at the

King's Head Theatre The King's Head Theatre, founded in 1970 by Dan Crawford, is an off-West End venue in London. The original venue was the oldest operating pub theatre in the UK. In 2024, the pub theatre, and the King's Head Theatre now operates from a purpose-b ...

Islington Islington ( ) is an inner-city area of north London, England, within the wider London Borough of Islington. It is a mainly residential district of Inner London, extending from Islington's #Islington High Street, High Street to Highbury Fields ...

, befriending co-star Amanda Mealing. From 1989 to 1992 O'Grady performed annually as Lily at the

Edinburgh Fringe The Edinburgh Festival Fringe (also referred to as the Edinburgh Fringe, the Fringe or the Edinburgh Fringe Festival) is the world's largest performance arts festival, which in 2024 spanned 25 days, sold more than 2.6 million tickets and featur ...

, gaining increasing recognition. He was nominated for the 1991 Perrier Award alongside Jack Dee,

Eddie Izzard Suzy Eddie Izzard ( ; born Edward John Izzard, 7 February 1962) is a British stand-up comedian, actor and activist. Her comedic style takes the form of what appears to the audience as rambling whimsical monologues and self-referential pantomi ...

, and (the ultimate winner)

Frank Skinner Christopher Graham Collins (born 28 January 1957), known professionally as Frank Skinner, is an English comedian, actor, presenter and writer. At the 2001 British Comedy Awards, he was named Best Comedy Entertainment Personality. His televisio ...

. He later related that "The Edinburgh Festival changed my life. The experience opened doors for me that would otherwise have been firmly closed, exposing me to a much wider audience than I'd previously been used to." O'Grady followed this with a show titled ''Lily Savage Live from the Hackney Empire''; a sell-out, it was the first time that his performance was recorded. In 1992 he embarked on an Australian tour, performing alongside the Australian comedian Mark Trevorrow, and proceeded to Los Angeles, where he was present for the 1992 riots in that city. O'Grady obtained his breakthrough into television when he played the character of a transvestite prostitute informant, Roxanne, in three episodes of ITV's police drama ''

The Bill ''The Bill'' is a British police procedural television series, broadcast on ITV (TV network), ITV from 16 October 1984 until 31 August 2010. The programme originated from a one-off drama, "Woodentop (The Bill), Woodentop" (part of the ''Storyb ...

'' between 1988 and 1990. Just before filming on the first episode, O'Grady's mother died. In 1990 he appeared in the ITV miniseries '' Chimera'' as a social worker; during filming he befriended co-star

Liza Tarbuck Liza Tarbuck ( ; born 21 November 1964) is an English actress, comedian, and television and radio presenter. Early life Liza Tarbuck was born in Liverpool and grew up near Kingston upon Thames. She is the daughter of comedian Jimmy Tarbuck an ...

. He followed this with a performance as a

Marlene Dietrich Marie Magdalene "Marlene" DietrichBorn as Maria Magdalena, not Marie Magdalene, according to Dietrich's biography by her daughter, Maria Riva ; however, Dietrich's biography by Charlotte Chandler cites "Marie Magdalene" as her birth name . (, ; ...

-style cabaret singer in an episode of Rik Mayall's ITV comedy '' The New Statesman''. He had continued to perform regularly at the RVT, and after the proprietors Pat and Breda McConnor decided to move on, he and Murphy unsuccessfully sought to replace them. O'Grady never performed at the RVT again after the McConnors left.

1992–1998: Mainstream success

After leaving the RVT, O'Grady continued to tour as Lily and released

VHS VHS (Video Home System) is a discontinued standard for consumer-level analog video recording on tape cassettes, introduced in 1976 by JVC. It was the dominant home video format throughout the tape media period of the 1980s and 1990s. Ma ...

videos of his performances. Gaining further public exposure through an appearance on the late-night

comedy show '' Viva Cabaret!'', he appeared on an episode of

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

quiz show '' That's Showbusiness''. Moving into radio, he began making regular appearances as Lily on ''

Woman's Hour ''Woman's Hour'' is a radio magazine programme broadcast in the United Kingdom on the BBC Light Programme, BBC Radio 2, and later BBC Radio 4. It has been on the air since 1946. History The first BBC programme for women was the programme cal ...

'' and '' Loose Ends''. Also moving into film, he travelled to

Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...

, Ireland to play an inmate in the 1993 film ''

In the Name of the Father ''In the Name of the Father'' is a 1993 biographical crime drama film co-written and directed by Jim Sheridan. It is based on the true story of the Guildford Four, four people falsely convicted of the 1974 Guildford pub bombings that killed fo ...

''; although not in the Lily character, he was credited as "Paul Savage". In character as Lily, he appeared on an October 1994 episode of BBC series '' The Steve Wright People Show'', had a cameo in the soap '' Brookside'' the following month, and presented an episode of BBC music show ''

Top of the Pops ''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British record chart television programme, made by the BBC and broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show. For most of its histo ...

''. He also appeared as a female pirate in an episode of BBC children's show '' Pirates''. Employed to narrate the

BBC 2 BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's second flagship channel, and it covers a wide range of subject matter, incorporating genres such as comedy, drama and d ...

series ''Life Swaps'', he was also given his own late-night Channel 4 series, ''Live from the Lilydrome'', which was filmed in a

working men's club Working men's clubs are British private social clubs first created in the 19th century in industrial areas, particularly the North of England, Midlands, Scotland, Northern Ireland and South Wales Valleys, to provide recreation and education ...

Blackpool Blackpool is a seaside town in Lancashire, England. It is located on the Irish Sea coast of the Fylde peninsula, approximately north of Liverpool and west of Preston, Lancashire, Preston. It is the main settlement in the Borough of Blackpool ...

. Given top billing at the gay rights charity Stonewall's 1994 Equality Show in Albert Hall, he also played the role of Nancy in the

London Palladium The London Palladium () is a Grade II* West End theatre located on Argyll Street, London, in Soho. The theatre was designed by Frank Matcham and opened in 1910. The auditorium holds 2,286 people. Hundreds of stars have played there, many wit ...

's performance of the musical ''

Oliver! ''Oliver!'' is a stage musical, with book, music and lyrics by Lionel Bart. The musical is based upon the 1838 novel ''Oliver Twist'' by Charles Dickens. It premiered at the Wimbledon Theatre, southwest London in 1960 before opening in the W ...

''. Reflecting his increasing success in mainstream British comedy, in 1994 he was nominated for both Top Live Stand-Up Comedian and Top Television Comedy Newcomer at the

British Comedy Awards The National Comedy Awards (known as the British Comedy Awards from 1990 to 2014) is an annual awards ceremony in the United Kingdom, celebrating notable comedians and entertainment performances of the previous year. The British Comedy Awards (1 ...

. Some in the South London gay scene were critical of O'Grady, accusing him of being a sell out; he fiercely denied these accusations, stating that "I've done nearly ten years on the factory floor and now I feel I deserve a shot in the office." After

Paula Yates Paula Elizabeth Yates (24 April 1959 – 17 September 2000) was a Welsh television presenter and writer. Yates is best known for her work on two television programmes, '' The Tube'' and ''The Big Breakfast''. She was subjected to intense media ...

resigned as presenter of the Channel 4 morning television program ''

'', its production company Planet 24 employed O'Grady to replace her. A four-week ''Lie-in with Lily'' was commissioned as a trial run. As Lily, O'Grady ignored the suggested questions of PR agents and instead asked personal questions of his guests; having attracted 2 million viewers, Planet 24 renewed his contract to keep him on as presenter. Through contacts made in showbusiness, he befriended many

A-list An A-list actor is a major movie star, or one of the most bankable actors in a film industry. The A-list is part of a larger guide called ''The Hot List'', which ranks the bankability of 1,400 movie actors worldwide, and has become an industry ...

celebrities, among them

Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, songwriter and pianist. His music and showmanship have had a significant, lasting impact on the music industry, and his songwriting partnership with l ...

and

Cher Cher ( ; born Cheryl Sarkisian, May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Goddess of Pop", she is known for her Androgyny, androgynous contralto voice, Music an ...

. O'Grady found the early morning starts difficult, particularly as he was also appearing as Lily in a musical version of ''Prisoner Cell Block H'' at the Queen's Theatre in London's West End. When the musical then toured the UK, O'Grady took a break from ''The Big Breakfast'' to accompany it. He took his new dog, a shih tzu- bichon frisé cross named Buster, with him on tour; O'Grady later commented that "He was never happier than in a TV studio or theatre... Buster knew all the theatre doormen and loved being fussed over. He was a smashing dog." At the time, O'Grady had been making greater attempts to get to know his teenage daughter; the ''

Daily Mirror The ''Daily Mirror'' is a British national daily Tabloid journalism, tabloid newspaper. Founded in 1903, it is part of Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN), which is owned by parent company Reach plc. From 1985 to 1987, and from 1997 to 2002, the tit ...

'' tabloid treated her existence as a headline scandal in autumn 1994. Critical of the media, O'Grady condemned them for solely referring to him as a drag queen; he commented that

Barry Humphries John Barry Humphries (17 February 1934 – 22 April 2023) was an Australian comedian, actor, author and satirist. He was best known for writing and playing his stage and television characters Dame Edna Everage and Sir Les Patterson. He appeare ...

, who played the character of

Dame Edna Everage Dame Edna Everage, often known simply as Dame Edna, is a character created and portrayed by Australian comedian Barry Humphries, known for her lilac-coloured ("wisteria hue") hair and cat eye glasses ("face furniture"); her favourite flower, ...

, was "never called a drag act because he's a heterosexual male. But I'm called one because I'm a gay man. It's homophobic and it's wrong as there is nothing remotely sexual about what I do. I dress up as a woman for financial purposes, nothing else." In April 1996, O'Grady filmed a performance at the LWT Tower as ''An Evening with Lily Savage'', broadcast on ITV in November. A hit, it was awarded Best Entertainment Program at the 1997

National Television Awards The National Television Awards (often shortened to NTAs) is a British television awards ceremony, broadcast by the ITV network and begun in 1995. The National Television Awards are the most prominent ceremony for which the results are voted o ...

. He turned down ITV's subsequent offer of a weekly show because it would air before the watershed and thus force him to drastically alter his act into a form of

light entertainment Light entertainment encompasses a broad range of television and radio programming that includes comedies, variety shows, game shows, quiz shows and the like. In the UK In the early days of the BBC, virtually all broadcast entertainment would b ...

. With Murphy he then established a production company, Wildflower. Returning to theatre, he performed ''The Lily Savage Show'' for a 16-week sell-out run at Blackpool's North Pier Theatre and then ''Lily's Christmas Cracker'' at the Blackpool Opera House, the latter filmed for broadcast by the

. At this juncture, he agreed to appear as Lily in adverts for the Ford Escort, subsequently appearing in ad campaigns for Pretty Polly tights, the soft drink

Oasis In ecology, an oasis (; : oases ) is a fertile area of a desert or semi-desert environment Tower Bridge Tower Bridge is a Listed building#Grade I, Grade I listed combined Bascule bridge, bascule, Suspension bridge, suspension, and, until 1960, Cantilever bridge, cantilever bridge in London, built between 1886 and 1894, designed by Horace Jones ...

South London South London is the southern part of Greater London, England, south of the River Thames. The region consists of the Districts of England, boroughs, in whole or in part, of London Borough of Bexley, Bexley, London Borough of Bromley, Bromley, Lon ...

. He also purchased a flat in

Saltaire Saltaire is a Victorian model village near Shipley, West Yorkshire, England, situated between the River Aire, the railway, and the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. Salts Mill and the houses were built by Titus Salt between 1851 and 1871 to allo ...

Television

1998–2003: ''Blankety Blank'', travel shows, and ''Eyes Down''

In 1998, the BBC produced a six-week Sunday series titled ''The Lily Savage Show'', during which he interviewed guests like

Alan Yentob Alan Yentob (11 March 1947 – 24 May 2025) was an English television executive and presenter. He held senior roles at the BBC, including head of music and arts, controller of BBC1 and BBC2 BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadca ...

, and Anthea Turner. O'Grady found the scripted, non-spontaneous nature of the series difficult, and it was not well received. As Lily, O'Grady was invited on to other television chat shows, such as '' Richard and Judy''; he appeared in a Christmas special of cookery show '' Ready, Steady, Cook''. He went on an eight-week tour as Lily, before starring as Miss Hannigan in a West End revival of the musical '' Annie''. He subsequently accompanied the show's tour of the UK, before appearing in

in Birmingham. The BBC decided to revive the quiz show '' Blankety Blank'', previously hosted by

Terry Wogan Sir Michael Terence Wogan (; 3 August 1938 – 31 January 2016) was an Irish radio and television broadcaster who worked for the BBC in Britain for most of his career. Between 1993 and his semi-retirement in 2009, his BBC Radio 2 weekday brea ...

and Les Dawson. They selected O'Grady to present the show as Lily, allowing him to ad lib rather than follow a script. Screened on primetime Saturday night, ''Blankety Blank'' proved a ratings winner, attracting an audience of 9 million. ITV then purchased it, offering O'Grady a two-year deal for £1 million. ITV let him be more risque in his use of humour on ''Blankety Blank'', and also commissioned a new comedy series, '' Lily Live!''. This show also proved a success, earning O'Grady nominations for both the Best Comedy Entertainment Personality and Programme at the 2000

. With increased earnings—his assets were estimated to total £4 million—in 1999 O'Grady purchased a house in

Aldington, Kent Aldington is a village and civil parish in the Ashford District of Kent, England. The village centre is south-east of the town of Ashford. As with the village centre, set on a steep escarpment above agricultural Romney Marsh and the upper ...

from comedian

, decorating it in an

art nouveau Art Nouveau ( ; ; ), Jugendstil and Sezessionstil in German, is an international style of art, architecture, and applied art, especially the decorative arts. It was often inspired by natural forms such as the sinuous curves of plants and ...

style and establishing a

smallholding A smallholding or smallholder is a small farm operating under a small-scale agriculture model. Definitions vary widely for what constitutes a smallholder or small-scale farm, including factors such as size, food production technique or technolo ...

. Tired of appearing as Lily, O'Grady decided to try to make a career for himself outside of drag. He appeared as himself in an advert campaign for Double Two shirt-makers, before pitching a six-part travelogue series to ITV, who agreed to part-fund it. The project resulted in ''Paul O'Grady's Orient'', for which he travelled throughout East and Southeast Asia. Although poorly received by the tabloid press, it achieved good ratings, and ITV commissioned a second series, ''Paul O'Grady's America'', in which he visited various U.S. cities. Again it received poor tabloid reviews. O'Grady suffered a bout of clinical depression, but recovered in time to perform alongside

Cilla Black Priscilla Maria Veronica White (27 May 1943 – 1 August 2015), better known as Cilla Black, was an English singer and television presenter. Championed by her friends the Beatles, Black began her career as a singer in 1963. Her singles "A ...

and

Barbara Windsor Dame Barbara Windsor (born Barbara Ann Deeks; 6 August 193710 December 2020) was an English actress, known for her roles in the Carry On (franchise), ''Carry On'' films and for playing Peggy Mitchell in the BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders''.

in a

burlesque A burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects.

rendition of " You Gotta Get a Gimmick" at the 2001

Royal Variety Performance The ''Royal Variety Performance'' is a televised variety show held annually in the United Kingdom to raise money for the Royal Variety Charity (of which King Charles III is life-patron). It is attended by senior members of the British royal ...

; the televised event attracted 11.5 million viewers. In April 2002, O'Grady had a heart attack, which doctors attributed to a combination of a congenital family heart problems with stress, heavy smoking, and

caffeine Caffeine is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant of the methylxanthine chemical classification, class and is the most commonly consumed Psychoactive drug, psychoactive substance globally. It is mainly used for its eugeroic (wakefulness pr ...

. His recovery meant missing the Heritage Foundation Awards ceremony, where he was awarded television personality of the year award. Returning to work, he appeared as the Child Catcher in a twelve-week run of the musical ''

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang ''Chitty Chitty Bang Bang'' is a 1968 children's film, children's Musical film, musical fantasy film directed by Ken Hughes and produced by Albert R. Broccoli. It stars Dick Van Dyke, Sally Ann Howes, Lionel Jeffries, Gert Fröbe, Anna Quayle, ...

'' at the

, receiving good reviews. He followed this with a Christmas season as the Wicked Queen in the pantomime ''Snow White'' at

Manchester Opera House The Opera House in Quay Street, Manchester, England, is a 1,920-seater commercial touring Theatre (structure), theatre that plays host to touring Musical theatre, musicals, ballet, concerts and a Christmas pantomime. It is a Grade II listed buil ...

. In 2003, O'Grady appeared in '' Celebrity Driving School'', a BBC

Comic Relief Comic Relief is a British charity, founded in 1986 by the comedy scriptwriter Richard Curtis and comedian Sir Lenny Henry in response to the 1983–1985 famine in Ethiopia. The concept of Comic Relief was to get British comedians to make t ...

show in which he learned to drive, alongside Nadia Sawalha and

Jade Goody Jade Cerisa Lorraine Goody (5 June 1981 – 22 March 2009) was an English media personality. She was a contestant on the Big Brother (British TV series) series 3, third series of the Channel 4 reality show ''Big Brother (British TV series) ...

. One of his tantrums on the shows was nominated for a Best Television Moment of the Year Award. Although turning down most offers to appear in a sitcom, he agreed to play the manager of a Merseyside bingo hall in the BBC series '' Eyes Down'', commenting: "He's an evil, twisted man who hates everything that moves. Not exactly a challenge for me". Screened in the prime Friday night slot, the show was popular with viewers, if not reviewers, and was renewed for a second series in 2004. The BBC were also planning on reviving '' The Generation Game''; O'Grady presented two pilot episodes in late 2003 but left the project, unhappy with the result. O'Grady ended 2003 in

at the Bristol Hippodrome.

2004–2011: ''The Paul O'Grady Show'' and ''Paul O'Grady Live''

O'Grady temporarily stood in for Des O'Connor on ITV's lunchtime chat show '' Today with Des and Mel'', enjoying the feeling of presenting live. ITV executives then offered him his own daytime chat show: ''The Paul O'Grady Show''. There was initial press concern that O'Grady's style of adult humour would not be appropriate for a daytime slot, but ITV's controller of entertainment, Mark Wells, declared that "Paul is one of the funniest people on television – he deserves to be on it far more than he is." The show first aired in October 2004 from 5 pm to 6 pm and saw O'Grady interviewing celebrity guests; it represented "a glorious mix of seemingly unscripted banter, chat and slapstick humour". In producing the show, O'Grady worked with many old friends, including warm-up man Andy Collins. The series was a hit, attaining between 2.5 and 2.7 million viewers daily. According to O'Grady biographer Neil Simpson, the series was "a riotous, endearingly

kitsch ''Kitsch'' ( ; loanword from German) is a term applied to art and design that is perceived as Naivety, naïve imitation, overly eccentric, gratuitous or of banal Taste (sociology), taste. The modern avant-garde traditionally opposed kitsch ...

romp with no pretensions to be anything other than pure entertainment. In some ways it was pure vaudeville ..There were novelty acts, talking dogs, whistling goldfish, extraordinary stories. His audience laughed like drains at his anecdotes and were brought right into the heart of the show." The inclusion of his dog, Buster, on the show proved particularly popular with audiences. The show gained a devoted following, with many fans attending the screenings; often, as many as a hundred had to be turned away. Describing those attending the screenings, Simpson noted that "Groups of middle aged women dominate—but they are joined by beautiful twenty-something women with flawless make-up, flash City boys with

Louis Vuitton Louis Vuitton Malletier SAS, commonly known as Louis Vuitton (, ), is a French Luxury goods, luxury fashion house and company founded in 1854 by Louis Vuitton (designer), Louis Vuitton. The label's LV monogram appears on most of its products, ...

briefcases, hip-looking students out for a good time and pensioners just wanting a laugh in the afternoon." The show's viewing figures exceeded those of Channel 4's daytime chat show, ''Richard & Judy''. Tabloids stoked the rivalry between the shows, calling it the "Chat Wars". O'Grady claimed that tabloids had been publishing false quotations attributed to him, describing Richard and Judy as "a lovely couple and we certainly haven't fallen out." At Christmas 2004, O'Grady starred in a pantomime, ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'', at the Victoria Palace Theatre in London's West End. After the second series of ''The Paul O'Grady Show'' was commissioned, in March 2005 it was awarded Best Daytime Programme by the

Royal Television Society The Royal Television Society (RTS) is a British-based educational charity for the discussion, and analysis of television in all its forms, past, present, and future. It is the oldest television society in the world. It currently has fourteen r ...

, and O'Grady was subsequently awarded Best Entertainment Performance at the

BAFTA The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA, ) is an independent trade association and charity that supports, develops, and promotes the arts of film, television and video games in the United Kingdom. In addition to its annual awa ...

s. In August controversy arose after it was revealed that the staff member responsible for interviewing the show's prospective child reporters had written derogatory notes about them; O'Grady dismissed the staff member responsible and issued a public apology. In June 2005, Murphy died of

brain cancer A brain tumor (sometimes referred to as brain cancer) occurs when a group of cells within the brain turn cancerous and grow out of control, creating a mass. There are two main types of tumors: malignant (cancerous) tumors and benign (non-cance ...

. Prior to Murphy's death, O'Grady had promised him that his production company—now named

after one of O'Grady's dogs—would take creative control over ''The Paul O'Grady Show''. ITV refused to allow this, and so O'Grady moved the show to Channel 4, where it was renamed ''The New Paul O'Grady Show''. Press accused O'Grady of moving in pursuit of a higher salary; Channel 4 offered him a contract for £2 million a year, making him one of Britain's highest-paid television stars. In June 2006, O'Grady suffered a second massive heart attack, undergoing an

angioplasty Angioplasty, also known as balloon angioplasty and percutaneous transluminal angioplasty, is a minimally invasive procedure, minimally invasive endovascular surgery, endovascular Medical procedure, procedure used to widen narrowed or obstructe ...

; he received around 7000 get-well-soon cards and letters from fans. He returned to work for the second series of ''The New Paul O'Grady Show'' in September, during which the show's viewing figures hit a new peak. To deal with his health issues, he began taking a week off mid-series, where he was replaced by guest presenters. O'Grady subsequently won the Ten Years at the Top award at the TV Quick and TV Choice awards. The tabloids tried to re-ignite the "chat wars" by claiming a rivalry between O'Grady and other daytime television shows such as '' The Sharon Osbourne Show'' and '' The Brian Conley Show''. Amid the later

News International phone hacking scandal Beginning in the 1990s, and going as far until its shutdown in 2011, employees of the now-defunct newspaper ''News of the World'' engaged in phone hacking, police bribery, and exercising improper influence in the pursuit of stories. Investi ...

, police from

Operation Weeting Operation Weeting was a British police investigation that commenced on 26 January 2011, under the Specialist Crime Directorate of the Metropolitan Police Service into allegations of phone hacking in the ''News of the World'' phone hacking affai ...

informed him that ''

News of the World The ''News of the World'' was a weekly national "Tabloid journalism#Red tops, red top" Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid newspaper published every Sunday in the United Kingdom from 1843 to 2011. It was at one time the world's highest-selling ...

'' reporter Glenn Mulcaire had hacked his mobile phone. He decided not to sue. 2006 also saw the start of his relationship with future-husband André Portasio, a ballet dancer. In 2008, O'Grady had a cameo as himself in the ''

Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series, created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson (writer and producer), Donald Wilson, depicts the adventures of an extraterre ...

'' episode " The Stolen Earth", and appeared in '' Ghosthunting with Paul O'Grady and Friends'', filmed in

Palermo Palermo ( ; ; , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital (political), capital of both the autonomous area, autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan province. The ...

, Sicily. 2008 also saw publication of the first volume of O'Grady's memoirs, ''At My Mother's Knee ... And Other Low Joints'', published by Bantam. The second volume, ''The Devil Rides Out: The Second Coming'', followed in 2010. After budget talks broke down with Channel 4, O'Grady ended ''The New Paul O'Grady Show''. In October 2009, O'Grady agreed to an £8 million deal with ITV to host a Friday prime-time chat-show, '' Paul O'Grady Live''. The first series aired from September to November 2010. In October, O'Grady attracted media attention after calling the Conservative–Liberal Democrat coalition government "bastards" on his show for mass cuts to social services. He also voiced his support for student protesters who had occupied and vandalised the Conservative Party headquarters.

Ofcom The Office of Communications, commonly known as Ofcom, is the government-approved regulatory and competition authority for the broadcasting, internet, telecommunications and mail, postal industries of the United Kingdom. Ofcom has wide-rang ...

received several complaints over the incident. ''Paul O'Grady Live'' was picked up for a second series from April to July 2011, and included a special devoted to American pop star

Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta (born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her image reinventions and versatility across the entertainment industry, she is an influ ...

. In October, ITV axed ''Paul O'Grady Live''. O'Grady stated that ITV had asked him to return for a third series, but that he had refused, claiming that he had had enough of the chat show format, Hardy 2012. and that he was fed up with the "interference" from the show's producers. That month, he also performed in '' Drama at Inish'' at the

Finborough Theatre The Finborough Theatre is a fifty-seat theatre in the West Brompton area of London (part of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea) under artistic director Neil McPherson. The theatre presents new British writing, as well as UK and world p ...

in Earl's Court.

2012–2023: Animal shows, ''Blind Date'', and final works

2012 saw the launch of ITV documentary series '' Paul O'Grady: For the Love of Dogs'', covering life at Battersea Dogs and Cats Home in south London. O'Grady commented that he had wanted to do such a show for years and that he took to it with an "enthusiasm that surprised everyone except me". Although scheduled to initially film at the centre for six days, he stayed as a volunteer for six months. At the end of the first series, O'Grady was invited to become an ambassador for the centre, and a bronze statue of his late dog, Buster, was erected on a plinth at the centre. He also adopted a dog from the home; a Jack Russell– Chihuahua cross named Eddy. Through the series he developed a friendship with actor Tom Hardy, who appeared in one episode. Battersea Dogs and Cats Home - geograph

In April 2012, O'Grady appeared on '' The One and Only Des O'Connor'', a one-off special for ITV which looked back on the life of Des O'Connor. In October 2012, the third volume of his memoirs, ''Still Standing: The Savage Years'', was released. In 2012, O'Grady also revived his Lily Savage character for a cameo in ''Paul O'Grady's Little Cracker'', a Christmas short story. He later expressed criticism of the show ''

RuPaul's Drag Race ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' is an American reality competition television series, the first in the Drag Race (franchise), ''Drag Race'' franchise, produced by World of Wonder (company), World of Wonder for Logo TV (season 1–8), WOW Presents Plus, ...

'' and the contemporary drag performers on it, stating: "It's all about shading and contouring your face now and being like supermodels ..This new brigade who just parade around going, sashay, shantay—that's not drag to me", lacking the comedic element common to drag queens of his generation. In July 2013, O'Grady narrated the ITV documentary ''Me and My Guide Dog'' following the work of Guide Dogs. In April 2013, O'Grady presented a documentary about

burlesque A burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects.

performer Gypsy Rose Lee as part of ITV's '' Perspectives'' series. That month, he also presented ITV's '' British Animal Honours'' award ceremony. In 2013, ITV revived ''The Paul O'Grady Show''. In November, O'Grady suffered an angina attack and underwent further heart surgery. In 2013, O'Grady guest starred as cancer patient Tim Connor in three episodes of the BBC medical drama ''

Holby City ''Holby City'' (stylised on-screen as HOLBY CIY) is a British medical drama television series that aired weekly on BBC One. It was created by Tony McHale and Mal Young as a Spin-off (media), spin-off from the established BBC medical drama '' ...

''. On 31 October 2013, O'Grady recorded a non-broadcast pilot for a

sitcom called ''Led Astray'', starring alongside

. The show was not commissioned for a full series due to the pair's busy schedules. In 2013, O'Grady presented two-part

documentary series ''Paul O'Grady's Working Britain'', which was nominated for a

National Television Award The National Television Awards (often shortened to NTAs) is a British television awards ceremony, broadcast by the ITV network and begun in 1995. The National Television Awards are the most prominent ceremony for which the results are voted o ...

in January 2014. On 16 October 2013, O'Grady presented '' The One and Only Cilla Black'', a 90-minute ITV special celebrating Cilla Black's 50 years in show business. The show was later repeated shortly after Cilla Black's death in August 2015, with O'Grady presenting a short tribute to her to introduce the show. The first series of '' Paul O'Grady's Animal Orphans'' screened in 2014, with O'Grady travelling to see wildlife in Africa; a second series followed in 2015 and a third in 2016. The first series averaged 3.29 million viewers while the second averaged 2.75 million. In 2014, he appeared in a '' Gogglebox'' special for

Stand Up to Cancer Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) is a charitable organization that was established as a division of the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF). In 2022, SU2C was separately incorporated and was recognized by the IRS as a Section 501(c)(3) public charit ...

. In December 2014, O'Grady appeared in ITV's documentary ''Rita & Me'' celebrating Barbara Knox's fifty years as the character Rita Tanner in ''

Coronation Street ''Coronation Street'' (colloquially referred to as ''Corrie'') is a British television soap opera created by ITV Granada, Granada Television and shown on ITV (TV network), ITV since 9 December 1960. The programme centres on a cobbled, terraced ...

''. In September 2015, O'Grady's fourth book ''Open the Cage, Murphy!: Further Savage Adventures'' was released. In 2015, O'Grady presented ''Bob Monkhouse: The Million Joke Man'', a three-part factual series for

Gold Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...

, exploring the life of comedian and presenter Bob Monkhouse. In December 2015, O'Grady appeared in ''Our Cilla'', a one-off programme about the life of

. 2016 saw O'Grady present ''Paul O'Grady: The Sally Army & Me'', a documentary series on

The Salvation Army The Salvation Army (TSA) is a Protestantism, Protestant Christian church and an international charitable organisation headquartered in London, England. It is aligned with the Wesleyan-Holiness movement. The organisation reports a worldwide m ...

for

. That year, he also presented a Channel 4 documentary, ''Paul O'Grady's 100 Years of Movie Musicals'', and another for ITV, ''Paul O'Grady's Favourite Fairy Tales''. That same evening he appeared on ITV in ''Hilda Ogden's Last Ta-ra'', which was a tribute to the late ''Coronation Street'' actress Jean Alexander. In August 2017, O'Grady married Portasio in a ceremony at London's Goring Hotel, although the pair continued to live separately. That year also saw the screening of two-part ITV series ''Paul O'Grady: For the Love of Animals – India'', and the three-part Channel 4 series ''Paul O'Grady's Hollywood'', as well as a Channel 5 documentary about his life, ''The Paul O'Grady Story''. It also saw the publication of O'Grady's fifth book, ''Paul O'Grady's Country Life''. In 2017, Channel 5 revived the game show ''

'' with O'Grady as its presenter. The first series was watched by an average of 1.5 million viewers. A Christmas episode aired on 23 December 2017, before the second series aired from 30 December 2017. A third series was filmed in February 2018. In 2020, O'Grady presented the six-part ITV series ''Paul O'Grady's Great British Escape'', in which he visited sites across Kent. In September 2021, he began hosting ''Paul O'Grady's Saturday Night Line-Up''. In May 2023, O'Grady appeared alongside Paul Hollywood, King Charles and

Queen Camilla Camilla (born Camilla Rosemary Shand, later Parker Bowles, 17 July 1947) is List of British royal consorts, Queen of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms as the wife of King Charles III. Camilla was raised in East ...

, Sister Sister and

Ricky Tomlinson Eric "Ricky" Tomlinson (born 26 September 1939) is an English actor. He is best known for his television roles as Bobby Grant in the soap opera '' Brookside'' (1982–1988), DCI Charlie Wise in '' Cracker'' (1993–2006) and Jim Royle in '' T ...

in a pre-recorded segment for the opening of the first semi-final of the

Eurovision Song Contest 2023 The Eurovision Song Contest 2023 was the 67th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Liverpool, United Kingdom, as , the winner of the with the song "Stefania (song), Stefania" by Kalush Orchestra, was unable to host the eve ...

, which was hosted in Liverpool. This was O'Grady's final television work before his death. A final series of ''For The Love of Dogs'' that O'Grady recorded in summer 2022 aired from April to September 2023 on ITV, and on 30 January 2024, it was announced that the show would continue with a new presenter, Alison Hammond. Plus, a new 2 part documentary series for ITV, ''Paul O'Grady's Great Elephant Adventure'', that O'Grady also filmed in 2022, aired on 31 March and 7 April 2024.

Radio

In 2008 and 2009, O'Grady occasionally sat in for

Elaine Paige Dame Elaine Jill Paige (born Elaine Jill Bickerstaff, 5 March 1948) is an English singer and actress, best known for her work in musical theatre. Raised in Chipping Barnet, Barnet, Hertfordshire, Paige attended the Aida Foster Theatre School, m ...

on her

show ''

Elaine Paige on Sunday ''Elaine Paige on Sunday'' (often referred to on air as ''EPOS'') is a British radio programme broadcast on BBC Radio 2 on Sunday afternoons from 1:00pm to 3:00pm, that is hosted by the actress and singer Elaine Paige. The show launched on 5 Sept ...

''. From April 2009, O'Grady presented his own two-hour long programme on BBC Radio 2 called '' Paul O'Grady on the Wireless'' which was broadcast on Sundays from 5 pm to 7 pm. O'Grady was a guest on

Kate Thornton Kate Thornton (born 7 February 1973) is an English journalist and broadcaster, best known as the first presenter of ''The X Factor'' (2004–2006) and for presenting daytime shows including '' Loose Women'' (2009–2011) and '' This Morning'' (2 ...

's ''Paper Cuts'' in 2015. In September 2017, O'Grady presented a two-part documentary for BBC Radio 2 called ''The Story of the Light''. The show saw O'Grady celebrate the 50th anniversary of Radio 2 by looking back at the

BBC Light Programme The BBC Light Programme was a national radio station which broadcast chiefly mainstream light entertainment and light music from 1945 until 1967, when it was replaced by BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 2. It opened on 29 July 1945, taking over the ...

that the channel replaced. In August 2022, it was announced that O'Grady was resigning from BBC Radio 2 due to his unhappiness with having to share his slot with

Rob Beckett Robert Anthony Beckett (born 2 January 1986) is an English comedian, actor, and presenter. He was a co-host on the ITV2 spin-off show '' I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! NOW!'' from 2012 to 2014. Since 2016, Beckett has been a team captain ...

. His final show aired that same month. On 21 November 2022, it was announced that O'Grady would join Boom Radio to present a show on Christmas Day, similar to the festive show he presented for Radio 2. Prior to his death, O'Grady had been due to present another special show on

Easter Sunday Easter, also called Pascha (Aramaic: פַּסְחָא , ''paskha''; Greek language, Greek: πάσχα, ''páskha'') or Resurrection Sunday, is a Christian festival and cultural holiday commemorating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, de ...

before joining the station permanently in May 2023.

Charity work

O'Grady supported philanthropic causes for carers. From 2008 onwards, he was an ambassador for

Save the Children The Save the Children Fund, commonly known as Save the Children, is an international non-governmental organization. It was founded in the UK in 1919; its goal is to improve the lives of children worldwide. The organization raises money to imp ...

. In 2012, O'Grady became an ambassador for Battersea Dogs and Cats Home following his series '' For the Love of Dogs'', which was filmed in the home. In 2013, he took part in the Pedigree Feeding Brighter Futures campaign with

Amanda Holden Amanda Louise Holden (born 16 February 1971) is an English media personality, actress and singer. Since 2007, she has been a judge on the television talent competition show '' Britain's Got Talent'' on ITV. She also co-hosts the national ''H ...

, which aimed to give a million meals to rescue dogs nationwide. In 2014, O'Grady co-starred in a

Dementia Dementia is a syndrome associated with many neurodegenerative diseases, characterized by a general decline in cognitive abilities that affects a person's ability to perform activities of daily living, everyday activities. This typically invo ...

Friends TV advertisement campaign to raise awareness about the disease. In October 2015, following his work on '' Animal Orphans'', O'Grady became a patron of Orangutan Appeal UK. In September 2016, O'Grady 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. As an unofficial ambassador for the county of Kent (where he lived for 20 years) and which he readily promoted (including an ITV series) he accepted the unpaid position of Deputy Lieutenant of Kent in 2022.

Personal life

In 1974, with his friend Diane Jansen, O'Grady had a daughter. From 1977 to 2005, he was in a

marriage of convenience A marriage of convenience is a marriage contracted for reasons other than that of love and commitment. Instead, such a marriage is entered into for personal gain, or some other sort of strategic purpose, such as a political marriage. Cases whe ...

with a Portuguese woman, Teresa Fernandes, although he was not in an active relationship with her. His long-term lover and business partner was Brendan Frank Murphy (b. 4 March 1956; d. 9 June 2005). In the fourth volume of his biography, he noted that he has "always had a penchant for the bad boys". In 2017 he married André Portasio. Known to many friends as "Lily" or "Lil", O'Grady was known for having had many high-profile and celebrity friends, including politician

Mo Mowlam Marjorie "Mo" Mowlam (18 September 1949 – 19 August 2005) was a British Labour Party (UK), Labour Party politician. She was the Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament (MP) for Redcar (UK Parliament constituency), Redcar f ...

, actresses Amanda Mealing and

, comedian Brenda Gilhooly and singer and television presenter

. O'Grady divided his time between his

Central London Central London is the innermost part of London, in England, spanning the City of London and several boroughs. Over time, a number of definitions have been used to define the scope of Central London for statistics, urban planning and local gove ...

flat and his rural

ish farmhouse, where he grew organic fruit and vegetables and a variety of herbs, having a keen interest in

herbal medicine Herbal medicine (also called herbalism, phytomedicine or phytotherapy) is the study of pharmacognosy and the use of medicinal plants, which are a basis of traditional medicine. Scientific evidence for the effectiveness of many herbal treatments ...

. A lifelong animal lover, as a child O'Grady kept rabbits,

hamster Hamsters are rodents (order Rodentia) belonging to the subfamily Cricetinae, which contains 19 species classified in seven genera. They have become established as popular small pets. The best-known species of hamster is the golden or Syrian ...

guinea pig The guinea pig or domestic guinea pig (''Cavia porcellus''), also known as the cavy or domestic cavy ( ), is a species of rodent belonging to the genus ''Cavia'', family Caviidae. Animal fancy, Breeders tend to use the name "cavy" for the ani ...

mice A mouse (: mice) is a small rodent. Characteristically, mice are known to have a pointed snout, small rounded ears, a body-length scaly tail, and a high breeding rate. The best known mouse species is the common house mouse (''Mus musculus' ...

, a

ferret The ferret (''Mustela furo'') is a small, domesticated species belonging to the family Mustelidae. The ferret is most likely a domesticated form of the wild European polecat (''Mustela putorius''), as evidenced by the ferret's ability to inter ...

and a

rat Rats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents. Species of rats are found throughout the order Rodentia, but stereotypical rats are found in the genus ''Rattus''. Other rat genera include '' Neotoma'' (pack rats), '' Bandicota'' (bandicoo ...

as pets; he commented that his mother thought him "a bit weird" as a result. At his farm, he owned sheep, pigs, goats, donkeys, ducks, chickens,

geese A goose (: geese) is a bird of any of several waterfowl species in the family Anatidae. This group comprises the genera '' Anser'' (grey geese and white geese) and ''Branta'' (black geese). Some members of the Tadorninae subfamily (e.g., Egyp ...

, ferrets,

bats Bats are flying mammals of the order Chiroptera (). With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are more agile in flight than most birds, flying with their very long spread-out ...

, mice and dogs. Two of O'Grady's pet dogs became well known to the British public through appearances on ''The Paul O'Grady Show''. The first was a rescue dog, Buster Elvis Savage, a Shih Tzu/ Bichon Frisé cross. Buster was euthanised in November 2009 as a result of his cancer. O'Grady dedicated the second volume of his autobiography to Buster, describing him as "The greatest canine star since Lassie". A second dog, the Cairn Terrier Olga, also attracted attention. In 2013, it was revealed that she was undergoing

chemotherapy Chemotherapy (often abbreviated chemo, sometimes CTX and CTx) is the type of cancer treatment that uses one or more anti-cancer drugs (list of chemotherapeutic agents, chemotherapeutic agents or alkylating agents) in a standard chemotherapy re ...

due to cancer. Olga was euthanised in April 2018 after suffering from kidney failure. In an interview with the ''

'' in 2006, O'Grady admitted that smoking forty cigarettes a day for several decades had contributed to his two heart attacks. In 2013, O'Grady expressed his support for the Labour Party, championing

Labour leader The ''Labour Leader'' was a British socialist newspaper published for almost one hundred years. It was later renamed ''New Leader'' and ''Socialist Leader'', before finally taking the name ''Labour Leader'' again. 19th century The origins of th ...

Ed Miliband Edward Samuel Miliband (born 24 December 1969) is a British politician who has served as Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero since July 2024. He has been Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament (MP) for D ...

as a better candidate for UK Prime Minister than

incumbent

David Cameron David William Donald Cameron, Baron Cameron of Chipping Norton (born 9 October 1966) is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2010 to 2016. Until 2015, he led the first coalition government in the UK s ...

. He lambasted the

Cameron–Clegg coalition The Cameron–Clegg coalition was formed by David Cameron and Nick Clegg when Cameron was invited by Queen Elizabeth II to form a new government, following the resignation of Prime Minister Gordon Brown on 11 May 2010, after the general el ...

government then in power, describing them as "absolutely disgusting. They have no idea what the common working man and woman are doing. They are not in touch with the working-classes. They have led privileged lives – they've had public schools and have never been on the shop floor." He also praised Miliband's successor,

Jeremy Corbyn Jeremy Bernard Corbyn (; born 26 May 1949) is a British politician who has been Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament (MP) for Islington North (UK Parliament constituency), Islington North since 1983. Now an Independent ...

. In 2015, he told a reporter that despite his wealth, he still felt "very much" working-class; "I know that probably sounds strange. Mentally, I still am. I'm still thinking, have I got the rent for Friday?" Raised as a

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

, in his autobiography he related having "grown out of Catholicism" after his mother's death, but had "always been interested in alternative religions", citing a particular interest in

Wicca Wicca (), also known as "The Craft", is a Modern paganism, modern pagan, syncretic, Earth religion, Earth-centred religion. Considered a new religious movement by Religious studies, scholars of religion, the path evolved from Western esote ...

. He also reported seeing unexplained lights over his Kent home, considering the possibility that he was being observed by extraterrestrials.

Death

O'Grady died at his home in Kent on 28 March 2023, aged 67, from sudden cardiac arrhythmia. He had previously had three heart attacks, in 2002, 2006 and 2014. His death was announced by his husband, André Portasio, and tributes poured in from global figures and celebrities, including from

, television presenter

Lorraine Kelly Lorraine Kelly (born 30 November 1959) is a Scottish television presenter. She has presented various television shows for ITV and STV, including '' Good Morning Britain'' (1988–1992), ''GMTV'' (1993–2010), ''This Morning'' (2003–2005, ...

and LGBT rights campaigner

Peter Tatchell Peter Gary Tatchell (born 25 January 1952) is an Australian-born British human rights campaigner, best known for his work with LGBT social movements. Tatchell was selected as the Labour Party (UK), Labour Party's Parliament of the United Kingdo ...

. O'Grady has been hailed by many as a national treasure. O'Grady's final performance was as Miss Hannigan in '' Annie'' at the

Edinburgh Playhouse Edinburgh Playhouse is a theatre in Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of For ...

just days before his death. His funeral was held at the Church of St Rumwold, Bonnington, Kent, on 20 April 2023; after the service he was buried there, next to his late partner Brendan Murphy.

Filmography

Recognitions

Awards and nominations

Honorary Doctorates

In 2005,

Liverpool John Moores University Liverpool John Moores University (abbreviated LJMU) is a public university, public research university in the city of Liverpool, England. The university can trace its origins to the Liverpool Mechanics' School of Arts, established in 1823. This ...

awarded O'Grady an honorary fellowship for services to entertainment, and in 2010, he received an honorary Doctor of Arts from

De Montfort University De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) is a public university in the city of Leicester, England. It was established in accordance with the Further and Higher Education Act 1992, Further and Higher Education Act in 1992 as a degree awarding body ...

Leicester Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area, and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest city in the East Midlands with a popula ...

in recognition of his outstanding contribution to television, radio and the stage.

Other

In September 2016, O'Grady 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. In October 2023, Battersea Dogs & Cats Home announced that they would be naming a new veterinary hospital after O'Grady, and a "tribute fund" set up in his honour would go towards "life-saving and transformative

medical Medicine is the science and Praxis (process), practice of caring for patients, managing the Medical diagnosis, diagnosis, prognosis, Preventive medicine, prevention, therapy, treatment, Palliative care, palliation of their injury or disease, ...

procedures" for dogs and cats which need specialist care and treatment.

References

Footnotes

Sources

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:O'Grady, Paul 1955 births 2023 deaths 20th-century English LGBTQ people 20th-century English male actors 21st-century English businesspeople 21st-century English LGBTQ people 21st-century English male actors 21st-century English male writers BBC Radio 2 presenters Best Entertainment Performance BAFTA Award (television) winners British television company founders Businesspeople from Kent Comedians from Cheshire Deputy lieutenants of Kent Dowie–Easton family English autobiographers English company founders English drag queens English game show hosts English gay actors English gay writers English LGBTQ broadcasters English LGBTQ businesspeople English LGBTQ comedians English male comedians English male non-fiction writers English male television actors English people of Irish descent English radio DJs English socialists English television producers English television talk show hosts Gay businessmen Gay comedians Labour Party (UK) people LGBTQ DJs LGBTQ television producers Male actors from Birkenhead Members of the Order of the British Empire Pantomime dames Place of death missing Television personalities from Kent