Paul O'Grady to be remembered in one-off ITV documentary on the first anniversary of his death
Paul O'Grady will be remembered in a one-off documentary that will air around the first anniversary of his death in March, with ITV wanting to pay "further tribute" to one of their top stars.
Paul O'Grady
Paul O'Grady will be remembered in a one-off documentary that will air around the first anniversary of his death.
The TV legend - who shot to fame as pioneering drag queen Lily Savage in the 1980s before carving out a second career as himself with his own chat show in the early 2000s - passed away in March 2023 after suffering sudden cardiac arrhythmia at the age of 67 and now The Sun has revealed that ITV1 will air 'The Life And Death of Lily Savage' at some point in the coming weeks.
The documentary will explore the life and career of Paul from his days on the drag scene, through his days hosting the ITV teatime series 'The Paul O'Grady Show' and his years hosting the multi-award-winning reality show 'For the Love of Dogs', in which he explored and campaigned for dogs in care at Battersea.
The one-off special has been in production for some time, with a source explaining last summer that the project is the broadcaster's way of "paying further tribute" to one of their top stars.
A source said: "He occupies a special place in the hearts of everyone at ITV and this is part of paying further tribute to him.
"This is an interesting angle to take to look back on Paul’s career, but making the leap from edgy drag queen to a household name and star of teatime telly is a story worth exploring."
Paul is survived by his husband Andre Portasio - who he tied the knot with in 2017 - and at the time of his passing, he noted that the TV star would be missed by "everyone" from his audiences, showbiz pals and all the animals he cared for.
He said: "It is with great sadness that I inform you that Paul has passed away unexpectedly but peacefully yesterday evening.
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."
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