RuPaul's Drag Race UK stars have paid tribute to Paul O'Grady.
The Birkenhead-born star, who found fame as his alter ego Lily Savage, died “unexpectedly but peacefully” on Tuesday, March 28, aged 67. The news was confirmed by Andre Portasio, who married the TV presenter during a low-key wedding ceremony in 2017.
The much-loved TV presenter was a trailblazer for the LGBTQ+ community both in and out of drag. Whilst wearing a blonde wig, red lipstick and some heels, Paul, known as Lily, wouldn’t shy away from speaking out on issues which impacted the community directly.
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Paul marched against Section 28 and regularly held fundraisers for HIV/AIDS research at a time when quite often no one else would - and for that, the LGBTQ+ community have to thank him.
In light of the news of Paul's death, the latest winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race, Danny Beard, originally from Halewood, tweeted: “We just lost one of the greats #RIPPaulO’Grady.”
Former Pride Quarter DJ, The Vivienne said: “A very sad day. The First Lady of British Drag, an icon, a trailblazer and a legend. Cause havoc wherever you may be you inspiration.”
Paul retired Lily's stilettos back in 2004 but her legacy as one of the UK's most iconic drag queens will live on. While working in London, Paul made his first appearance as Lily Savage at a gay pub in Camden back in 1978.
Basing Lily on traits found among his female relatives, her debut performance at The Black Cap involved miming the words to Barbra Streisand's Nobody Makes a Pass at Me.
But despite Paul describing Lily as “a creature that was more cartoon than human," he found little work in London and so as part of a two-man drag mime act, the Playgirls, he toured around the North of England.
After the pair went their separate ways, Paul continued to perform as a solo act for a while until mass unemployment crippled the country and left him with no other option but to move back in with his mum in Birkenhead.
It wasn’t long before Paul returned to London as a barman at Vauxhall gay pub, the Elephant and Castle, in 1984.
Every Tuesday, Lily would make an appearance to host ‘Ladies Night’, where amateur drag acts would perform. Here, he dabbled with hosting and he tried his luck at comedy routines. Unsurprisingly, he quickly became known for his quick wit and for insulting both the acts and the audience.
Paul then revamped his show to the ‘Stars of the Future’ and took it to the nearby Royal Vauxhall Tavern (RVT) gay pub every Thursday. When Paul got his own flat, he quit his work and began focusing on his career as Lily full-time, taking her across the country and abroad.
Lily began to release VHS videos of her performances and at one stage, it was hard to escape her. After appearing on Channel 4’s comedy show, Viva Cabaret! And Channel 4's Brookside, she swapped to radio and even presented an episode of Top of the Pops.
Lily’s career ended on a high note having added advert appearances for Ford Escort, Pretty Polly Tights and the soft drink Oasis.
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