Vanessa Feltz has opened up on the tragic and sudden death of Paul O'Grady, saying he managed to make everyone he came across in life feel "valued, understood and appreciated."
The TV personality, 61, penned a special tribute to her late pal after he died suddenly last month on March 28, which has sent shockwaves across the globe following his death.
"He didn’t do soppy sentiment or compliments, but his salty and acerbic humour was underscored with such genuine interest – and was so intensely bespoke – that folk brightened and stood taller in his company," she penned.
"I’ve adored Paul since inheriting the Big Breakfast bed from his alter ego Lily Savage in 1996. He instinctively bestowed the gift of attention and compassion, and hefty helpings of hilarity, on all he met."
Vanessa wrote a touching column in the Express in tribute to the late television icon, who has seen heartfelt tributes flood in from across the entertainment industry.
She continued to say how even his local shopkeepers all "thought of him as their best pal in the world" having previously referred to him as reminding her of Nelson Mandela.
She said: "Isn't the very measure of a man the number of people who considered him their best friend? I truly believe Paul O’Grady – although he’ll laugh his head off reading this in Heaven – had a special quality in common with the late-lamented Nelson Mandela."
Vanessa quipped: "When I woke to the news of his death I was consumed by shock and sadness.
"My phone still bristles with his messages promising nights of 'debauchery and dissipation'. I looked forward to both immensely, of course."
While his sudden passing came as a shock, the iconic comedian's health had been ailing for years and he previously survived several heart attacks along with a near-fatal bout of covid. Paul also spoke openly about his addiction to cigarettes.
But according to those closest to Paul, there was no sign that anything was wrong, with the comedian-turned-presenter said to have been laughing and smiling just hours before his tragic passing.
"Paul was in his prime and none of us – his husband Andre, daughter and grandchildren – were ready to lose the star illuminating all our lives," Vanessa continued.
"Dog-lover Paul was a campaigner for social justice, animal rights and LGBTQ+ equality with an astringent tongue, rapier-sharp wit, a soaring intellect and a heart of shimmering gold. I will miss him every single day."
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