A lost clip of Paul O’Grady, which was filmed just 20 minutes before the broadcaster died, has been shared two years after his passing. The TV presenter passed away aged 67 on March 28, 2023, from sudden cardiac arrhythmia.
Paul was buried next to his best friend and former partner Brendayn Murphy, who tragically died due to an inoperable brain tumour in 2005. The broadcaster, who originally shot to fame as a drag performer and activist in the 1990s, left behind a staggering £15,5million in his will – with £125,000 set aside for his five dogs. As his friends and family mark the second anniversary of his death, they shared a forgotten video filmed by the star less than an hour before his passing.
His anonymous family member captioned the heartbreaking post: “It’s incredible how our minds can shield us from the pain and loss in moments of shock. Today, my iPhotos reminded me of a lost video I recorded of Paul just 20 minutes before he sadly passed – what became the last recording he ever made to camera.
“In this bittersweet moment, you see him as the genuinely kind man he was, expressing heartfelt gratitude to everyone for supporting his book, which he recorded for an award ceremony he couldn’t attend. It’s hard to believe it’s been two years since his passing. All the while, he’s surrounded by his beloved dogs. We miss you dearly @paulogrady. Happy heavenly birthday!”
In the clip, the national treasure thanked his loyal fanbase after his book Eddie Albert and the Amazing Animal Gang won an award. It was not revealed which award he won. He could be seen sat on a leopard print chair with his orange and white Chihuahua Eddie sat patiently on his knee as he passed on a message of thanks.
He began: “Hello everybody, I’m Paul O’Grady and I just want to say a massive thank you for reading my book Eddie Albert and the Amazing Animal Gang, and also for voting for it. I’m absolutely delighted with my award so thank you very much”.
But Paul couldn’t forget to mention his furry friends as he gave fans an insight into one of the biggest characters in his book who was inspired by his dog Eddie. He went on: “By the way, this is Eddie, this is my dog – he’s famous – and Butch in the book is based on this little one but he’s being very quiet today, aren’t you?”
Paul signed off for one final time with a poignant message, adding: “Anyway, once again, thank you so much, I really appreciate it. Look after yourselves.” It didn’t take long before fans flooded to the comments to pass on their sympathies to the family online.
One user penned: “How was this 20 minutes before he died!!!!!!! I cannot cope with this – I cannot even imagine how you have been…. Sending so much love to you all who knew him, as the beautiful soul he is [four heart emojis].”
Another added: “Wow [crying emoji] 20 minutes .. wow [heartbroken emoji] Such a beautiful soul and I am still sending you a happy heavenly birthday with all your beloved animal friends [heart emoji].”
A third echoed: “[heart emoji] I think maybe Eddie was quiet for a reason. Dogs know things. Paul you are missed [heart emoji]”. as a fourth chimed in with: “Happy birthday Paul, my hero. I hope you’re parying well with the angels [heart emoji].”
