In the wake of Paul O’Grady’s ‘unexpected’ death at 67, many people are remembering the presenter and comedian’s best moments.
The TV star was well known for hosting the likes of The Paul O’Grady Show, Blind Date and Blankety Blank, celebrity game show Paul O’Grady’s Saturday Night Line Up, as well as ITV’s multi-award-winning For The Love Of Dogs.
O’Grady’s husband, Andre Portasio, confirmed he had passed away in a statement shared just before 3am today (29 March).
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It said: “It is with great sadness that I inform you that Paul has passed away unexpectedly but peacefully yesterday evening.
"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."
After the sad news broke, many of his friends and fans have been sharing anecdotes about his incredible life and career.
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But while some people might feel honoured to have tributes firing out left, right and centre, it seems O’Grady wouldn’t have been too bothered - having had the best response when discussing how he’d most like to be remembered after death.
Speaking to The Guardian in November 2021, O'Grady was asked when the closest he came to death was.
“I had a bad heart attack 20 years ago: I think I slid off the mortal coil for about 30 seconds,” the star - who had heart attacks in 2002, 2006 and 2014 - responded.
O’Grady admitted ‘being dependent on somebody’ was something that scared him about getting older, but he didn’t seem too bothered about the idea of death itself.
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When asked how he would like to be remembered, he replied bluntly and brilliantly: “I don’t care, because I won’t be here.”
In a 2017 interview with The Mirror, O’Grady also poignantly said he wasn’t scared of dying.
"I used to think I was invincible, but now I'm running out of lives," he told the outlet.
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He recalled how he'd once handled wounded puppies in India, which were likely to be carrying bugs which infect the star, saying: "They had been bitten by rats and there were maggots in them.
"I must have touched my mouth with my hand and I started vomiting at five in the morning. The doctor was called and he said, 'You're so seriously dehydrated, you're heading for renal failure'.
"The nurse came every half hour to pump me full of antibiotics and saline.
"When I was in hospital I couldn't face breakfast. The thought was making me feel so sick and a lovely guy said, 'hang on, I'll get you some fresh coconut water', and he presented me with half a coconut and a straw.
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"I'm not scared of death at all. It's the way you die that worries me - that's the fear. I think I could lie there on my death bed and say, 'well I've had a good time and filled a book. I've done everything I wanted to do'."
Topics: Celebrity, Paul O'Grady
Jess Hardiman