Paul O’Grady lives a relatively private life away from the spotlight, despite being one of the most beloved faces on TV.
The comedian, who shot to stardom with his iconic drag queen persona Lily Savage, has seen his career go from strength to strength, hosting primetime TV shows including his popular ITV chat show The Paul O'Grady Show.
Paul also fronts his own Radio 2 show, but his fans were furious when it was announced he would be stepping down until May, with funnyman Rob Beckett replacing him for the next 13 weeks.
He’s won over a new legion of fans thanks to his touching series For the Love of Dogs, which sees him follow the heartbreaking stories of abandoned pets at Battersea Dogs and Cats Home in south London.
The 66-year-old has successfully kept his private life hidden, and he’s rarely spoken about his husband, Andre Portasio, 41.
The ballet dancer, who is a former member of the English National Ballet, met Paul in the mid-2000s, and the couple dated for 11 years before they finally tied the knot in the summer of 2017.
Paul divulged details of their unique living arrangements, revealing that the couple don’t live in the same house in a similar setup to actress Helena Bonham Carter and her ex-husband Tim Burton.
“We see each other all the time. We just don’t live together, which for me makes for a perfect relationship because when you’ve had enough, you can say; 'I’ll see you, I’m off',” he told the Irish News.
He said he’s too cranky in the mornings to deal with Andre, who he said is “pristine”, so prefers to live alone at his sumptuous country home in Aldington, Kent.
Before tying the knot with Andre, the comedian was in what he described as a 'marriage of convenience' to Portuguese lesbian Teresa Fernandes, who he wed in 1977.
Paul also has one child, a daughter named Sharon, who he fathered with close friend Diane Jansen back in 1974.
The TV star is a doting dad to his only child, and a proud grandfather, and gave Sharon away when she married her childhood sweetheart Philip Moseley.
“It was a really great day. Sharon looked fabulous and Philip is a smashing fella. They fit together like a pan and a lid,” he said.
Paul has a long list of famous friends, including the late Cilla Black who he called his ‘partner in crime’, but he’s also friends with his celebrity neighbour Julian Clary, who has lived at his 17th century Goldenhurst Farm in Aldington for more than a decade.
“I've known Julian for years... 35 years! What he comes out with about me is shocking - he said when I have a party the police won't come when my sister is here unless they have tasers,” Paul once joked.
And the comedian said he’s had to stop bringing animals home to his countryside farm, and loves his life away from the glitz and glamour of showbusiness.
“The joy for me of living in the countryside, you can let yourself go, I do anyway,” he said on This Morning in 2017.
“I have friends who come down and go... ‘When did you last have a wash?’ I've got no shoes and feet like a hobbit,” Paul joked.
