Paul O’Grady, TV presenter and comedian, dies aged 67

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The TV presenter and comedian Paul O’Grady has died at the age of 67, his partner Andre Portasio has said.

O’Grady, also known for his drag queen persona Lily Savage, died “unexpectedly but peacefully” on Tuesday evening, a statement by his representative said.

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

“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.”

Born in Tranmere, Cheshire in 1955, O’Grady moved to London in his twenties and, by 1978, was developing his drag act Lily Savage in gay clubs, basing her on the traits of his female relatives. When he was nominated for the Perrier award, the UK’s most prestigious comedy prize, in 1992 he came to mainstream attention and began appearing on radio and television.

During his career, he hosted The Paul O’Grady Show, Blankety Blank, celebrity gameshow Paul O’Grady’s Saturday Night Line Up and the reboot of Blind Date, taking over the reins from the show’s long-running presenter and his close friend Cilla Black, who died in 2015.

A well-known animal lover, he also presented the award-winning show For The Love Of Dogs. Last year 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 & Cats Home, an organisation for which he was an ambassador.

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