Paul O’Grady: Comedian and host who rose to fame as Lily Savage

Paul O’Grady, known for his resourcefulness and love for animals, became a household name in the early 2000s.

The comedian and television personality rose to prominence as drag queen Lily Savage in the 1980s and 1990s before hosting a string of television shows.

He was best known for his self-proclaimed daytime chat show, The Paul O’Grady Show, which began airing in 2004, followed by The New Paul O’Grady Show.

O’Grady took the reins from the longtime Blind Date host and his best friend Shira Blackwho died in 2015, will host the Channel 5 reboot of the show in 2017.

He also fronted Blankety Blank and ITV’s multi-award-winning For The Love Of Dogs.

Following the latter’s success, filmed at the Battersea Dog and Cat House, he became an ambassador for the organization.

Last year, he joined the Queen Consort in a special one-off episode of For The Love Of Dogs to mark the house’s 160th anniversary.

O’Grady’s love for animals is evident in his other work, and in September 2016, he was honored with an award for outstanding contribution to animal welfare at the RSPCA’s Animal Hero Awards. efforts have been recognized.

He and his partner Andre Portacio Kentalong with a zoo of animals including 4 dogs, a goat, a sheep, a chicken and a barn owl.

O’Grady’s other on-air appearances included hosting the ITV celebrity game show, Paul O’Grady’s Saturday Night Line Up.

Last year he signed off from his final BBC Radio 2 show and has been hosting Sunday afternoon shows for almost 14 years.

hello MBE In the 2008 Birthday Honors, he was recognized for his contributions to entertainment and last year was named Kent’s First Lieutenant.

The ceremony was attended by Portacio, sister Sheila Rudd and daughter Sharyn Moseley.

Paul James Michael O’Grady was born in 1955 in Birkenhead, Merseyside. His mother’s maiden name was Savage.

The name is believed to have inspired his famous drug alter ego, Lily Savage.

O’Grady began his career as a savage in the 1970s working as a traveling care officer for the Camden Council of the North. London.

He toured the North of England as part of the drag duo Playgirls before settling into a solo show as Savage at London’s Royal Vauxhall Tavern for eight years.

The comedian made a name for himself speaking out on LGBT issues, Perrier Award Performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 1991.

O’Grady’s career as Savage began with television and radio appearances, and in 1995-1996 he was asked by Paula Yates to take over as presenter of The Big Breakfast as Savage.

He made a brief appearance on the BBC chat show The Lily Savage Show in 1997 and later that year successfully hosted a revived version of the game show Blankety Blank, which ran until 2002.

On stage, she appeared in various stage productions, including versions of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Annie, and was in the BBC bingo hall sitcom Eyes Down from 2003 to 2004.

O’Grady gained popularity with a whole new audience as the host of The Paul O’Grady Show, which aired on ITV’s teatime slot in 2004-2005, and later renamed it The New Paul O’Grady Show. Moved to channel 4.

In the same year he founded his own production company Olga TV. The company was reportedly named after his beloved dog.

The company gained creative control for stints on Channel 4 from 2006-2009 and 2013-2015.

O’Grady’s lifelong love of animals led him to create shows of various styles, including Paul O’Grady’s Animal Orphans, which aired from 2014-2016, and traveled to Africa to meet baby animals. I visited

After his work on the show, he became a patron of Orangutan Appeal UK.

O’Grady has also authored several books, including an autobiographical series detailing his childhood, the creation of Savage, and his years in the spotlight.

The series is divided into four titles. At Mother’s knees…and at other low joints, the devil leans in and stands still: Savage Age, and open the cage, Murphy.

After the publication of her third book in 2012, O’Grady recalled the death of her partner of 25 years, Brendan Murphy, in 2005.

“Grief doesn’t happen instantly. After a while, grief hits. After all the funerals and the fuss, when it subsides, you have time to find yourself and reflect on what happened.” he said.

“I thought, ‘I’m alone, what should I do now?

He also spoke about his health at the time he had two heart attacks. I take pills and have a checkup every eight months when I get on the treadmill. I tell them, “Heart attack or not, I can’t help it on the treadmill!”

O’Grady has authored two other books, among them Country Life by Paul O’Grady, about his love of country life.

During the coronavirus lockdown, he wrote his debut children’s book, Eddie Albert and the Amazing Animal Gang, which will be published in September 2021.

Throughout his career, O’Grady has received numerous accolades, including a TV Bafta, a British Comedy Award and a National Television Award for The Paul O’Grady Show.