Paul O'Grady fans have hailed the late star as a "national treasure" and a "legend" after a particular moment of his career was highlighted in a tribute by ITV.
The broadcaster's special documentary For the Love of Paul O'Grady left viewers in tears when it aired on Sunday as famous faces and close friends of the comedian, who died last month aged 67, appeared to sing their praises for Paul and his incredible career. Among the highlights was his iconic drag alter ego Lily Savage, who was a staple of the London gay scene in the 1980s and has been credited with helping to transform the nation's attitude to drag.
The ITV documentary pointed out that Paul starred as Lily in an advertising campaign for Pretty Polly tights in the 1990s. As well as declaring that Paul had a "great set of pins", some viewers felt that the ad served as a stark reminder of the difference in attitudes towards drag and parts of the LGBTQ+ community today.
READ MORE: Celebrities in TV tribute to 'force for good' Paul O'Grady
Some fans couldn't help but draw comparisons between the Lily Savage ad and recent rows over drag queens over in the US. Last month, Tennessee became the first US state to ban public drag performances, amid the so-called 'drag panic' that has seen increasing levels of protest and harassment targeted towards drag events.
Others felt that the resurfacing of Paul's Pretty Polly campaign was particularly timely given the recent furore surrounding Bud Light. The beer brand has been the subject of a backlash this month for partnering with trans TikTok star Dylan Mulvaney to promote a new competition.
One person wrote on Twitter: "Being reminded that Lily Savage was the face of Pretty Polly tights has actually taken by breath away. What absolute regressive f****** we're concerning ourselves with these days."
Another asked: "Can you imagine the backlash if Lily Savage was [on] the advert for Pretty Polly tights today?"
And a third fan remarked: "It's funny, don't recall any 'fury' when Lily Savage advertised tights/stockings for Pretty Polly."
Others highlighted the outrage directed towards Nike after the sportswear brand also partnered with Dylan Mulvaney, who has been sharing her gender transition journey with her followers on TikTok since last year, to advertise its sports bras. The increasing hostility towards trans people both in the UK and the US has sparked concern that the countries are "going backwards" in terms of LGBTQ+ rights.
"Just saw a tweet mentioning that Lily Savage used to advertise Pretty Polly tights and it totally was uncontroversial, immediately followed by a tweet showing some people absolutely losing their minds about a trans woman in an ad for a sports bra. We have somehow regressed," another person tweeted.
ITV have confirmed that Paul's final For The Love of Dogs series will air from Thursday, April 13 at 8:30pm. A teaser for what is sure to be an emotional episode read: "Paul falls head over heels with a Newfoundland that needs major life-changing surgery on its back legs. He also meets a Labrador cross that is obsessed with water and keeps flooding its kennel and helps a terrified bichon frise that was found wandering around a forest."
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