Tributes have flooded in for Paul O'Grady since the tragic news of his death.
The Birkenhead born comedian and TV personality first rose to prominence as his drag queen persona Lily Savage in the 1980s and 1990s before going on to host a string of television programmes, from The Paul O'Grady Show and Blankety Blank to ITV's multi-award-winning For The Love Of Dogs.
Paul is also remembered for his longstanding friendship with fellow Merseysider Cilla Black - and both stars were no strangers to the entertainment industry.
READ MORE: 41 photos celebrating life of TV legend Paul O'Grady
Cilla, who died in 2015 at the age of 72, hit the big time in the 1960s with her number one singles Anyone Who Had A Heart and You're My World before coming to our TV screens to host Blind Date and Surprise Surprise.
Back in 2015, Paul told the ECHO how he and best mate Cilla Black shared an unbreakable bond because of their Merseyside roots. Paul said at the time: "God I’m going miss her. She was a very loyal friend Cilla.
"She was more like a sister. I’ve lost my good mate. It’s very sad. It just doesn’t seem real.
"We used to get invited to dinner parties as the entertainment, of course we didn’t mind. We were just being ourselves but people said we were like a double act. We had the same roots you see, that’s how we connected. We were both from similar working class backgrounds.
"We had a hell of a lot in common. We’d always be banging on about Liverpool and saying ‘Do you remember this?’ She was very Liverpool, the way she acted - she was dead Scouse Cilla.
"We just laughed all the time. We’d say things like "don’t be so nesh" and “it sounds Antwacky” – no one else understood what we were talking about, and we’d say ‘it’s a Liverpool thing."
Cilla first met telly favourite Paul on chat show Parkinson in 1998 and the pair immediately hit it off. And it wasn’t long before they became close friends and worked together on several occasions.
In 2001, as part of six-part series Paul O'Grady's America, Paul and Cilla shared a stretch limo in New York and enjoyed lunch at Nello's. That same year, Paul, Cilla and the late Barbara Windsor performed ‘Gotta have a Gimmick’ from the musical Gypsy at the Royal Variety Performance.
Paul also attended the wedding of Cilla's son, Robert, in August that year. In 2006, Cilla was a guest host on The Paul O’Grady show and in 2010 she appeared on Paul O'Grady's Christmas, were the pair sang a duet of Baby It's Cold Outside.
And of course, Paul was only one person who could host the 2013 ITV show to mark Cilla’s 50 years in showbiz. Following Cilla's death, Paul previously said: "The sad thing is we were going to do panto together with her as the good fairy and me as the wicked fairy. We would have had a ball but it’ll never happen now, it’s just so sad.
"She lived life to the full. We’d go out for meals these days.The days where we’d be out until six in the morning were well over I’m sad to say. But she just loved to enjoy herself. We got up to all sorts."
Paul also recalled one occasion where Cilla lost her keys in Barbados and attempted to climb through a tiny window. He said: "She was upside down and I had hold of her by her ankles.
"Someone came out and saw us and Cilla shouted: ‘Surprise, Surprise.’ She was hilarious. We had Samba lessons and all sorts, we had such a laugh.
"I remember I took her on the Orient Express for her 60 and the guard asked if he should make up one bedroom or two, I said two - with a wall between us!’ We howled laughing."
But the duo were always there to support each other off screen. The ECHO previously reported how Paul was by Cilla's side following the death of her husband Bobby, and likewise the former Blind Date host helped him get through the loss of his beloved partner Brendan Murphy, who died from a brain tumour in 2005.
From 2017 to 2019, Paul himself took over the reigns of Blind Date - something Cilla's family convinced him to pursue. In June 2017, Paul told Radio Times: “It was a shock at first when I heard the music, and they said ‘Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome your host, Paul O’Grady’.
What are your fond memories of Paul and Cilla? Let us know in the comments section below.
"I thought this isn’t right, it’s so synonymous with Cilla, she should be here, not me. I felt like I shouldn’t be doing it. It was her show.
“But then I spoke to her sons and lots of people who knew her and they said ‘You have to do it, because she’d want you to do it for everyone."
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Paul and Cilla were also friends with the late Dale Winton and the trio would often spend time at her home in Spain, the ECHO previously reported. In 2018, Paul said: "One time, 20 years ago, he was the one making sure Cilla was in bed early and I was the bad one who was out partying until 5am.
"It was a joke between the three of us, he was Nurse Winton and I was Nurse Savage."
Paul previously revealed his sadness that his best friend Cilla Black was not there to see him wed his partner of 11 years. But in an earlier interview he said he was lucky to have shared so many precious memories with the Liverpool TV legend.
Paul said: "I love the bones of her.I feel completely lost without her, and that’s not an exaggeration. I don’t have a mate to make mischief with anymore."
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Tributes have been flooding in following the news that Birkenhead born presenter Paul O'Grady has died aged 67. His partner, Andre Portasio, who married Paul during a low-key wedding ceremony in 2017, said in his statement: "It is with great sadness that I inform you that Paul has passed away unexpectedly but peacefully yesterday evening.
"We ask, at this difficult time, that whilst you celebrate his life you also respect our privacy as we come to terms with this loss. 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." Most recently, Paul O'Grady has been travelling up and down the country to play Miss Hannigan in the touring stage version of Annie.
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