LONDON — (AP) — Entertainer Paul O’Grady, who played drag queen Lily Sawi before becoming a beloved British comedian and TV host, has died Strange (Lily Savage) shot to fame. He is 67 years old.
The Queen, who joins O’Grady in supporting animal charities, pays tribute to an artist who rose from the world of alternative gay comedy to become a national treasure.
O’Grady’s partner Andre Portacio said he died “unexpectedly but peacefully” on Tuesday night. “He will be greatly missed by his loved ones, friends, family, animals and all who appreciated his humor, wit and compassion,” Portacio said in a statement.
Born in Birkenhead, near Liverpool, in 1955, O’Grady was a local authority care worker when he began playing Savage, a sharp-tongued drag queen from Liverpool.
Savage becomes host of a talk show and talent show at the famous gay venue, Royal Vauxhall Tavern in London. O’Grady used her platform to advocate for LGBT rights at the height of the AIDS crisis, when Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative government passed anti-gay laws.
Lily Savage entered the television industry in the 1990s, notably on the talk show “The Lily Savage Show”.
Later, as Paul O’Grady, he hosted talk shows and game shows, including “The Paul O’Grady Show”, “Blind Date” and “Blankety Blank”, as well as a long-running BBC Radio programme.
An animal lover, he also presented ‘Love for Dogs’, about the work of Battersea Dogs and Cats Home. Queen Camilla was a guest on the show last year.
The official Royal Family Twitter account posted a picture of O’Grady and Camilla with the caption: “Deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Paul O’Grady, who stood alongside the Queen with the support of @Battersea_ Her Majesty worked closely together, lots of laughs and lots of thrilling memories.
Veteran gay rights activist Peter Tatchell said O’Grady was not only a talented comedian and radio personality, but also a widely admired campaigner for LGBT+ equality and animal rights.
“Paul is one of the nicest people you can meet,” Tuchel said. “He will be greatly missed by all those he touched, as well as those who appreciated his intelligence and admired his compassion.”
O’Grady is left by Portasio, whom he married in 2017, and the previous paragraph A Girl in Love .
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