Entertainment

Paul O’Grady’s husband recalls death of late TV star on first anniversary

The TV star died at his home on March 28 last year at the age of 67.

Paul O’Grady’s husband recalls death of late TV star on first anniversary
Paul O’Grady’s husband recalls death of late TV star on first anniversary (Stuart Wilson/PA)
By Ellie Iorizzo, PA Los Angeles Correspondent

Paul O’Grady’s husband said the TV star had “the most ordinary day” before his sudden death one year ago.

O’Grady, who rose to fame as alter-ego Lily Savage before hosting a string of popular TV programmes, died at his home on March 28 last year at the age of 67.

His husband Andre Portasio said he was marking the first anniversary with a solo trip to New Zealand, saying he did not want to be “anywhere near my kitchen where I found him, and be reminded of what happened”.

Paul O’Grady and Andre Portasio
Paul O’Grady and Andre Portasio (Ray Tang/REX Shutterstock/PA)

Mr Portasio told the Daily Mirror: “He was on wonderful form and then we settled down in the living room and switched on the telly to catch up on Kent ITV News.

“He always insisted on watching the presenter Sangeeta (Bhabra) – he loved her and would never allow me to put the BBC on. It was all about ITV.

“He left to get some tea, and I heard this loud bang.”

Mr Portasio said he found O’Grady “lying on the floor” with “a cut on his forehead”.

“I called the ambulance and they said the best chance to keep him alive was to do CPR,” the former ballet dancer said.

“I don’t know how long it took for the ambulance to arrive, but by the end I was exhausted.

“At one point, they were like ‘yes, he’s breathing’. I thought the nightmare was gone but it was very short-lived, and very shortly afterwards they pronounced him dead.”

Andre Portasio, carrying one of their dogs, arriving for the funeral of Paul O’Grady in Kent
Andre Portasio, carrying one of their dogs, arriving for the funeral of Paul O’Grady in Kent (Gareth Fuller/PA)

While ambulance crews were attempting to resuscitate O’Grady, his dog Arfur – “one of his favourites” – had escaped and “nuzzled his face as he always did on Paul’s shoulder as if to say wake up”.

The TV star shared a special bond with the Queen over their love of dogs, meeting many times and working closely in support of Battersea Dogs and Cats Home.

Since his death, Mr Portasio said Camilla had sent two “super sweet” letters which he has yet to respond to but “maybe on the anniversary of his death I will finally write to her”.

Other letters have come from O’Grady’s “valentine”, British novelist Dame Jilly Cooper, as the pair would “always write to each other”.

Mr Portasio and O’Grady first met in 2006 before marrying in an intimate London ceremony in 2017.