Amanda Holden is suffering backlash following comments she made in tribute to the late Paul O'Grady.
The radio presenter, 52, spoke about the death of Paul, aged 67, which happened "unexpectedly but peacefully" in the last few days, The Mirror reported.
She was speaking about the late entertainer - whom she had appeared together with on a special episode of For the Love of Dogs last year - on Heart Breakfast yesterday.
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Talking about his passing, she said to her co-host, Jamie Theakston, 52, that she was "completely shocked". She went on to offer further details about Paul.
She said on the show: "Do you know what I loved about him? He was not woke in any way. He had massive opinions on everything, which I love people like that."
Amanda - who's assumes the role of ambassador for animal charity Battersea, like Paul was - stated: "Really really funny, very witty. Everything that came out of his mouth was brilliant".
Reacting to her opinion, one Twitter user wrote: "Either [Amanda] has no idea what 'woke' means, or she has no idea who Paul O'Grady was".
Another wrote: "'He didn't have a woke bone in his body'. That would be the drag artist, AIDS campaigner, LGBTQ+ hero and anti austerity critic Paul O'Grady."
A third reminded that Paul was a queer activist, trailblazer and "unapologetic drag queen on prime time TV when being gay was seen as dirty." They questioned what about that isn't woke?
Another commented: "[Paul] was woke before woke was woke." while another said: "[He] was the epitome of woke. Btw it's a good thing".
Some, however have come to her aid following the comments. One said: "I think she means he wasn't afraid to offend. Which is fair enough". Another said: "She knew him better than any of us ever did".
And others stated that she may have been referring to 'political correctness'. One person said she "exposed the difference between being woke, which [Paul] clearly was, and being politically correct, which [he] wasn't."
Paul revealed that his life was 'woke' during an interview a few years ago.
He told the Sun in 2020: "I'm married to a ballet dancer, I've got a daughter, two grandkids and was married to a Portuguese lesbian barmaid. It doesn't get much more woke."
It was announced yesterday, in a statement shared by his husband Andre Portasio, that Paul had died on Tuesday evening. The news prompted an outpouring of tributes.
The presenter further commented alongside a photo of herself alongside Paul: "I loved our conversations. I can't quite believe it. Thoughts with Andre and their family".
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