Fans have offered their condolences to Paul O'Grady after he was given some "awful" news upon returning home from starring on stage in Newcastle earlier this week.
The 67-year-old star shared that one of his beloved pets, pig Tom Tom, had sadly been put to sleep while he was away. The pig had been diagnosed with a tumour, Paul explained, as he wrote a sweet tribute to the animal alongside a short clip of Tom Tom on social media.
Paul had been performing at the Theatre Royal on tour with the hit musical Annie, in which he stars as Miss Hannigan, when he came home to the sad news. The For the Love of Dogs host is known for his lifelong love of animals, with his farm having been home to pigs, sheep, goats, donkeys, chickens, geese and more.
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Paul shared the heartbreaking news on Instagram, writing: "Got back from a week in Newcastle playing Miss Hannigan in Annie to find that Tom Tom, one of my pigs had been put to sleep. I knew it was coming as he'd been diagnosed with a tumour but even so it's awful when you lose a pet.
"He was the cheekiest of the gang and one of the other pigs who was obviously very fond of him is now depressed and gone into mourning - and there's those who say that animals don't have feelings. On a lighter note I'm thoroughly enjoying playing Hannigan again after so long especially with a truly amazing and lovely cast."
Fans and friends rushed to support Paul on Instagram after he shared the touching tribute. One person wrote: "Sorry to hear your sad news - losing a pet is like losing a member of your family."
Another said: "What a gorgeous boy Tom Tom was. So sorry my darling, sending so much love your way."
A third said in a heartfelt message: "So sorry for the loss of your gorgeous pig Tom Tom. I bet he had a wonderful life with you and he'll never forget you."
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