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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Entertainment
Gemma Jones

ITV For The Love of Dogs: Paul O’Grady’s life off camera and Strictly star neighbour

Paul O’Grady is back on our screens again with some four-legged companions in the ITV's For The Love of Dogs.

The Birkenhead-born TV and radio star has a calming personality and wicked sense of humour, and rose to stardom with his drag queen persona Lily Savage.

He also found further fame hosting The Paul O'Grady Show - the actor and comedian has been keeping audiences entertained for decades.

READ MORE: Paul O'Grady calls BBC 'tight b*******' over Lily Savage recording

As well as being loved on screen, Paul is also adored off screen with millions of fans and followers.

His own love life is interesting too as the 66-year-old has been married to ballet ace Andre Portasio - 25 years his junior - since 2017.

Spending a 10 year career in the arts, Andre featured in shows like Swan Lake, The Nutracker and The Rite of Spring, even earning medals at the Genée in 1998 and 1999, an international ballet competition for aspiring young dancers.

The pair said "I do" at a quick ceremony in the gardens of The Goring Hotel in London.

On the marriage Paul has said: “You feel more committed. You have made a vow, you have to stick to it. But we still fight like cat and dog.”

Paul began his relationship with Andre in the mid-2000s after divorcing Teresa Fernandes - a Portuguese woman who he married in 1977.

Paul admitted it was a "marriage of convenience", saying he wedded Teresa Fernandes to stop her from being deported.

He also said he was "not in a relationship” with her.

Paul said: “Teresa, I call her the lesbian Portuguese barmaid, was lovely. She looked like David Cassidy.

“We worked in a club in London, when I was 22.

“She was from a very strict Catholic family and was always being hassled by them: ‘Why aren’t you getting married?’ So I said: ‘Come on then, we’ll get married’, and we did.

“We were married for 27 years.

"I had no idea we were still married until my manager Brendan said: ‘If anything happened to you, everything would go to your wife. It’s like a real-life Corrie storyline.”

Paul's home life just gets even more interesting as he also rubs shoulders with his famous neighbours.

Fellow TV star Julian Clary, who is a close friend of Paul, lives not too far away from him.

Julian is best known for his stand-up comedy, hosting shows such as Prickly Heat and This Morning and reality show appearances on Celebrity Big Brother and Strictly Come Dancing. He also made regular appearances on the Paul O'Grady show.

The celeb has lived in a property just down the road from Paul, which was once owned by Noel Coward.

Paul spoke to Dominic King on BBC Radio Kent about the popularity of the area with stars, including Julian.

He said: "I've known Julian for years... 35 years!

"What he comes out with about me is shocking - he said when I have a party the police won't come when my sister is here unless they have tasers."

According to IdolNetWorth, Paul's popularity comes with a price - he is worth a whopping $8million or £5.9million.

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