The TV presenter passed away on March 28 2023 after suffering sudden cardiac arrhythmia at the age of 67
Paul O’Grady thanked his fans for their support just 20 minutes before he died. The TV presenter passed away on March 28 2023 after suffering sudden cardiac arrhythmia at the age of 67.
Now, his widower André Portasio has shared a video message on the second anniversary of his death in which Paul spoke out about his book ‘Eddie Albert and the Amazing Animal Gang’, after he had received an award for it.
Speaking in the video posted to Instagram on Friday (28.03.25), Paul said: “Hello everybody, I’m Paul O’Grady and I just want to say a massive thank you for reading my book, and also for voting for it. I’m absolutely delighted with my award so thank you very much.”
The former drag queen – who shot to fame as his alter-ego of Lily Savage in the 1980s – was also known for his love of animals, and cuddled up with his corgi
“And by the way, this is Eddie, this is my dog. Aren’t you? You’re famous. And Butch in the book is based on this little one. You’re being very quiet today aren’t you? Anyway, once again, thank you so much.
“I really appreciate it. Look after yourselves.”
In the caption of the post, Andre – who married the For the Love of Dogs star in 2017 – admitted that it is sometimes “hard to believe” to years have passed since his husband died, and was remembered him as a “genuinely kind man” who cared about his fans.
He wrote: “It’s incredible how our minds can shield us from the pain of 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!”
Several of Paul’s friends and fellow celebrities had noticed the post and took to the comments section to pay tribute. Presenter Gaby Roslin described the clip as “special and precious”, whilst ‘EastEnders’ icon Michelle Collins felt “sad” at the realisation of just how “fragile” life can be.
She said: “This is unbelievable, so sad makes you realise what a wonderful person he was life can be so fragile we have to really embrace it like paul did , such a loss wish there were more like him x”
