Paul O'Grady, a British comedian, TV presenter and radio presenter who achieved fame as drag queen Lily Savage, has died aged 67, his partner Andre Portasio said.
Portasio is quoted by the BBC saying the 67-year-old died "unexpectedly but peacefully" on Tuesday evening.
"He will be greatly missed by his loved ones, friends, family, animals and all those who enjoyed his humour, wit and compassion," he said.
"I know that he would want me to thank you for all the love you have shown him over the years."
Born in Birkenhead, near Liverpool, in 1955, O'Grady was working as a care worker when he began performing as Savage, a tart-tongued Liverpudlian drag queen.
Savage became a fixture as a stand-up comedian and talent show host at London's Royal Vauxhall Tavern, a landmark gay venue.
O'Grady used his platform to speak out about LGBT rights at the height of the AIDS crisis, a time when the Conservative government of prime minister Margaret Thatcher was passing anti-gay laws.
Savage moved into television in the 1990s, starring in television programs including The Lily Savage Show and Lily Savage's Blankety Blank.
Later, as Paul O'Grady, he hosted talk shows and game shows including The Paul O'Grady Show, a reboot of Blind Date and a long-running program on BBC Radio.
An animal lover, he also shot documentaries including Animal Orphans and Paul O'Grady: For the Love of Dogs, which profiled the work of an animal rescue charity.
Queen Consort Camilla, then the Duchess of Cornwall, was a guest on the show last year.
O'Grady has also appeared in stage productions of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
More recently, he'd been playing Miss Hannigan in a production of Annie The Musical, which is currently touring in the UK.
The production has yet to post an update about the show in the wake of O'Grady's death.
A recent post featuring O'Grady in character on the musical's Instagram account attracted tributes from fans.
"So sad. God bless your soul Paul OGrady. A talented presenter, actor and broadcaster with an unrivalled love for animals," one Instagram user wrote.
"Recently saw Paul in Newcastle and he was brilliant, still doing what he loved and doing it with oomph! What sad news, sending sympathy to the whole cast and crew," another said.
Veteran gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell said O'Grady "wasn't just a brilliant comedian and broadcast personality, but a much-admired campaigner for LGBT+ equality and animal rights".
"Paul was one of the loveliest people you could ever meet," Mr Tatchell said.
"Everyone whose lives he touched will miss him greatly, as will those who enjoyed his wit and admired his compassion."
O'Grady is survived by Portasio, whom he married in 2017, and by a daughter from a previous relationship.
ABC/AP
