His last post on the social media platform, dated March 13, paid tribute to Tom Tom, one of his pigs who had been put to sleep, with the star saying: "I knew it was coming as he'd been diagnosed with a tumour but even so it's awful when you lose a pet." O'Grady's love for animals was well-known, and he lived in a farmhouse in Kent with Portasio along with a menagerie of animals including four dogs, goats, sheep, chickens and barn owls, and his profile picture on Instagram shows him with one of his dogs. "I know that he would want me to thank you for all the love you have shown him over the years." "He will be greatly missed by his loved ones, friends, family, animals and all those who enjoyed his humour, wit and compassion. "We ask, at this difficult time that whilst you celebrate his life you also respect our privacy as we come to terms with this loss. O'Grady and Mr Portasio married in a low-key wedding ceremony in 2017 and Mr Portasio's statement said: "It is with great sadness that I inform you that Paul has passed away unexpectedly but peacefully yesterday evening. The British royal family's official Twitter account paid tribute, posting an image of O'Grady with Camilla, after they worked closely in support of Battersea Dogs and Cats Home.Ĭamilla will be sharing her sympathies with O'Grady's family privately in due course, Buckingham Palace added. He and Prince, known to fans as #TeamPOG, appeared on Boom Radio for a Christmas special and were due to return to the station for a one-off show on Easter Sunday. O'Grady left his Radio 2 Sunday afternoon slot in August last year after almost 14 years, following a schedule shake-up which saw him regularly swapping with comic Rob Beckett. My heart goes out to Andre, Paul's family, and friends. We were all lucky to have Paul in our lives. We have lost a unique talent - and I've lost a dear friend. He said that O'Grady, who had been touring playing Miss Hannigan in the musical Annie, had been "so proud" of the role and added: "He was looking forward to so many new projects. "Surrounded by his beloved dogs, he was laughing, smiling and full of life." Prince, who worked with O'Grady at both BBC Radio 2 and Boom Radio - an independent station aimed at Baby Boomers - said he is devastated by his loss and added in a tweet: "Yesterday afternoon I popped round to Paul's for a good old catch-up. O'Grady has been hailed as a "trailblazer" for breaking into the mainstream broadcasting landscape with his alter ego and for his charity work around animals and Aids. The comedian and TV presenter, who rose to fame on the nightclub circuit as the acerbic, platinum wig-wearing Lily Savage, died "unexpectedly but peacefully" on Tuesday evening at the age of 67, his partner, Andre Portasio, said in a statement. Paul O'Grady was "laughing, smiling and full of life" shortly before his death, his friend and radio producer Malcolm Prince said, as the Queen Consort joined those paying tribute.
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