BBC Radio 2 has faced a backlash on Twitter after it paid tribute to its former presenter Paul O'Grady, who died 'unexpectedly and peacefully' on Tuesday evening.
The much-loved star reportedly took on an 'exhausting' amount of work after he left the BBC, prior to his death (March 28) . And it's being claimed the presenter felt forced to quit his BBC Radio 2 show, which he hosted for the final time in August 2022.
Despite a battle with a harsh bout of Covid last summer, O'Grady had signed for a plethora of TV, stage and radio shows after leaving the BBC. The TV stalwart passed away at the age of 67 only three days after finishing a UK tour playing Miss Hannigan in Annie, The Musical.
O'Grady was set to begin work at a new radio station, Boom Radio, and also return for another run of Annie later in the spring. In 2022 he starred in the eleventh series of For the Love of Dogs, and was finishing off a documentary on elephants in Laos.
A TV source told The Sun: “Paul had committed to a workload that would overwhelm a man half his age, but he liked regular work to keep him occupied.
"He was immensely popular among viewers and was used to his life being incredibly busy as a result. He didn’t want that to change. Despite his advancing years and ailing health, he seemed to be taking more than ever — perhaps feeling the sense that it could all come to an end at any moment.
“Losing his Radio 2 show had proved a huge shock for Paul as he loved it dearly. He felt the need to fill the void at a time when he should probably have been taking things easy. But he was more than happy not to put his feet up and knew it was his decision entirely.”
Some Twitter users were left upset by BBC Radio 2's tribute post to the much-loved host, who they feel was let down by the station as his tenure in the Sunday slot came to a conclusion in August 2022 after 14 years on air.
The post read: "We're incredibly saddened to hear about the sudden passing of Paul O'Grady. Paul was a brilliant broadcaster and incredible comedian. Our thoughts are with his family and friends. We’ll miss you Paul."
However, @Pietros1 felt the post was deceptive when considering O'Grady's departure last year. His tweet reads: "Wow-hypocrisy of the highest order. Shameless BBC."
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@WNS_BenKerin concurred, tweeting: "Shame you didn’t respect as much as you should have in his final years. RIP Paul".
Many believed that the corporation betrayed the popular presenter. @allfor1_none4us said: "Shame on you radio 2 he is worth 10 million of you lot. You should of felt privileged he gave you 14 years. So terribly sad he was the only programme on a Sunday night I would listen too, he filled my heart with joy. Terribly sad day for entertainment and terribly sad for the people who adored him. He was one of us."
@crossington tweeted: "Unfortunately this doesn’t feel so heartfelt from the BBC considering he lost his brilliant show. He was a genuine real entertainer and he will be greatly missed."
@venkman2_11 said: "Had he not been treated so badly by Radio 2 he may not have felt the need to go onto an arduous, physically demanding tour that probably didn’t aid his health!"
@AbrthRocket595 said: "Empty words after you treated Paul (and other much-loved DJs) so badly. No wonder your listening audience has rapidly declined, as BBC Radio 2 (in its proposed/current woke format) is now far away from its heyday."
@kennyJiliekenn1 said: "Struggle with this tribute as he should never have been forced out of radio 2 in the way he was . His show was brilliant . Paul O’Grady was a true star and his passing is as big a shock to me as the loss of Wogan . May he rest in peace ."
Christine Woodward said: "Paul's Sunday show on Radio 2 was loved by many devoted listeners. Without any just reason, you brought it to an end. I find your sentiments rather disingenuous today. Paul was one of the best and he deserved better."
@ThereSheRides said: "You’ll miss him? We’ve missed him since you pushed him off air. Paul was a wonderful broadcaster and deserved much better than the shabby treatment he received from Radio 2."
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