Paul O'Grady's husband shared a sweet message about the TV presenter and comedian just a week before his sudden death. In his final post about his partner, Andre Portasio praised Paul's commitment, dedication and talent.
Paul, also known for his drag queen persona Lily Savage, died "unexpectedly but peacefully" on Tuesday evening (March 28). He was 67.
His husband, a former professional ballerina, said in a statement: "He will be greatly missed by his loved ones, friends, family, animals and all those who enjoyed his humour, wit and compassion. I know that he would want me to thank you for all the love you have shown him over the years."
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Andre and Paul first met in 2006 before getting married in a small and intimate ceremony in 2017, reports YorkshireLive. Paul had recently been touring the country with musical Annie, playing Miss Hannigan.
Ahead of his shows in Scotland last week, Andre penned a sweet message for his husband on social media. Sharing a poster of the musical on Instagram on March 21, he wrote: "Wishing Miss Hannigan and all the cast of Annie a wonderful week in Scotland.
"Proud of you @paulogrady for your commitment, dedication and of course TALENT." During his extraordinary career, Paul hosted The Paul O'Grady Show, Blind Date and Blankety Blank, as well as ITV's multi-award-winning For The Love Of Dogs.
From 2009 to 2022, he presented his own two-hour long programme on BBC Radio 2 called Paul O'Grady on the Wireless. In September 2021, he began hosting Paul O'Grady's Saturday Night Line-Up and Paul had been set to return to the airwaves next month to host a one-off Easter Sunday radio show on Boom Radio.
His unexpected death has sent shockwaves through the entertainment world. Hundreds of celebrities and fans have been paying tribute to the much-loved TV star.
A devoted animal lover, Paul was joined by the Queen Consort last year for a special one-off episode of For The Love Of Dogs. The episode celebrated the 160-year anniversary of Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, an organisation for which he was an ambassador.
Paying tribute to him, Battersea chief executive Peter Laurie said: "Battersea will forever remember Paul as a devoted animal lover with the biggest heart, who fell head over heels in love with every dog he met at our centres. Paul will always be associated with Battersea and we are truly saddened to have lost such a true friend and huge part of our charity.
"Paul had an extremely hands-on approach as a Battersea Ambassador and has been fundamental in helping our charity to communicate important campaign messages. He was a champion for the underdog and would do anything to ensure all animals live a healthy and happy life. He will be dearly missed."
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