Paul O’Grady’s sudden passing was announced in a statement this morning by his husband, Andre Portasio as “unexpected but peaceful”. As a long-time family favourite entertainer in our home, Donnatella’s Space pays respect.
When I told my youngest child this morning that “Paulo had gone“, she instantly knew who I was talking about. Paul O’Grady had affectionately gained that name in our household from when the said child was just a nipper and assumed it was his first name no matter how often we tried to explain and so it stuck.
Watching him from the early 90s on TV performing as Lily Savage, his chat shows, right through to his presenting For The Love Of Dogs, Paulo has entertained four generations in our family, as he had done in many other families across Britain and will be sorely missed. He never failed to raise belly laughs, his straight-up talk on current affairs showed his connection towards the working classes and poor, and his passion for animals could only get me, a non-dog lover, bawling in front of the TV with him when his beloved Buster died.
“What’s in the bitch, comes out in the pup”
One of my favourite Paul O’Grady quotes from ‘At My Mother’s Knee’
Seeing the tributes from his peers, friends, and fans today shows how much he was loved which I hope is some comfort to his loved ones. I also recommend reading his brilliant and bluntly honest biography, ‘At My Mother’s Knee’ if you want to learn more about his life, in his own words, before his rise to fame. Rest In Peace, Paulo, and thanks for the laughs.
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