Paul O'Grady's final hours - surrounded by dogs, laughing and full of life
The entertainment world has been rocked by the sudden death of Paul O'Grady aged 67.
Iconic star Paul died "unexpectedly but peacefully" yesterday evening, his husband confirmed.
But according to those who knew the star, there was no sign that anything was wrong, with the comedian-turned-presenter said to have been laughing and smiling just hours before.
According to Paul's close friend and colleague Malcolm Prince, Paul was "full of life" when he called in for a visit at the Cheshire-born star's home yesterday.
Paul O'Grady pictured with husband Andre Portasio (WireImage)In a heartfelt tribute, Malcolm tweeted: "Yesterday afternoon I popped round to Paul's for a good old catch-up.
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"Surrounded by his beloved dogs, he was laughing, smiling, and full of life.
"He was so proud of (musical) 'Annie', so happy to be back on Boom Radio, and he was looking forward to so many new projects.
"And now he's gone. I can't believe it. We have lost a unique talent - and I've lost a dear friend. We were all lucky to have Paul in our lives. My heart goes out to Andre, Paul's family, and friend. Oh how I'll miss him."
Malcolm and Paul worked together for years and were fan favourites on the comedian's Radio 2 show.
Friend and colleague Malcolm revealed Paul was 'full of life' and laughing in his final hoursPaul and Andre moved in together following the pandemic. They shared their Adlington home in Kent with their beloved brood of animals including five rescue dogs, Nancy, Arfur, Conchita, Eddie and Sausage, as well as pigs, alpacas, chickens, sheep and goats.
In a statement released on March 28, Andre said: "He will be greatly missed by his loved ones, friends, family, animals and all those who enjoyed his humour, wit and compassion.
"I know that he would want me to thank you for all the love you have shown him over the years."
Paul's final social media post revealed him opening up about losing his pet pig, just two weeks before his death.
He wrote a heartfelt caption to tell his 750,000 followers that he was grieving the death of Tom Tom, who was diagnosed with a tumour and had to be put to sleep.
The 67-year-old "knew it was coming" but said it was still "awful" to lose a pet and described the hog as "the cheekiest of the gang".
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Paul's last Instagram post was a heartfelt announcement of the death of his pet pig (Instagram/paulogrady)Though he added: "On a lighter note I'm thoroughly enjoying playing Hannigan again after so long especially with a truly amazing and lovely cast. Next stop Edinburgh."
Right up until his death, the actor had been happily touring around the country in a production of Annie, playing character Ms Hannigan. He was even due to play the part for an additional week in June, in Liverpool.
Paul rose to fame as drag queen Lily Savage in the seventies, but become well-known in recent decades for his devotion to dogs and animal rights campaigning.
In possibly one of the final photos of the entertainer, Paul was captured doing what he did best - giving "cuddles and all the attention" to a little pooch in Edinburgh.
Possibly the last photo of Paul cuddling a dachshund in Edinburgh while touring (Instagram / @frankietheminidaxie)
Staff at the bar described Paul O'Grady as a 'lovely man' and 'legend' (Paul Smith)The picture, which was shared on Instagram just a few days ago on an account dedicated to the miniature dachshund Frankie, Paul can be seen posing with the dog backstage.
The caption read: "Yesterday was the best day at work ever! I got to meet everyone's favourite dog loving legend. Thanks for the cuddles and all the attention."
As reported by the Sun, another photo - also understood to have been taken last week - shows Paul during a visit to a bar in the city just days before his death.
He's understood to have visited Planet Bar and Kitchen on March 23 and a photo of him holding a drink has been shared on social media. He was reportedly described by staff member Darren Paterson as a "legend" and a "lovely man".
While his sudden passing came as a shock, the iconic comedian's health had been ailing for years and he previously survived several heart attacks along with a near-fatal bout of covid.
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