Tributes continue to pour in for TV and radio legend Paul O'Grady, who passed away "unexpectedly but peacefully" aged 67 on Tuesday, March 28.
Many tributes echo the same sentiment, that the TV actor, known for his iconic Scouse drag persona Lily Savage, was incredibly generous, with Battersea Dogs and Cats Home saying he would be remembered for his "razor-sharp humour and perpetual generosity and warmth".
Actor John Barrowman added that he was "shocked" at the news, and that he would "never forget his generosity, warmth and humour".
Paul was known for his work with animal shelters and charity Save the Children – but it was also his more personal and quiet acts of generosity that earned him his reputation.
In another selfless act, Paul, an openly gay man, previously admitted he had married Portuguese ex wife Teresa Fernandes in 1977 to stop her from being deported.
The Blankety Blank presenter met Teresa in a gay club where they worked, and he decided to marry her out of "convenience" and to stop her being "hassled" by her family.
Despite losing contact, they only legally divorced in 2005 after being married for 28 years, but Paul said he had never been in a relationship with her.
Speaking about the marriage, Paul said: "Teresa, I call her the lesbian Portuguese barmaid, was lovely. She looked like David Cassidy.
"We worked in a club in Westbourne Grove, 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 28 years."
He also admitted he had forgotten he had married the barmaid all those years ago, until his manager Brendan reminded him. His manager had told him: "If anything happened to you, everything would go to your wife. It's like a real-life Corrie storyline."
The Radio 2 star went on to marry Brazilian ballet dancer Andre Portasio, who was 25 years his junior, in 2017, after meeting at London-based gay club Showplace and becoming friends.
It was fellow actor Julian Clary that inspired him to tie the knot, with Paul explaining: "Julian put the seed in my head. He said, 'I've got married. You should'."
Paul said that he was "right" because it "protected" his partner if anything happened to him, adding: "It makes sense".
He continued: "You feel more committed. You have made a vow, you have to stick to it. But we still fight like cat and dog.
"Married life is the same as before. We have known each other so long. Nothing has changed, really.
"And it's nice. I like saying I'm married – better than saying I'm a divorcee, which I was before."
Paul also had a daughter, Sharon, with his close friend Diane Jansen, in 1974. He also had a grandson, Abel and a granddaughter, Halo.
