Paul O'Grady took on 'exhausting work load' for months after shock BBC Radio 2 exit

The much-loved star died ‘unexpectedly and peacefully’ on Tuesday night at the age of 67.

The comedian was known for presenting TV shows such as The Paul O’Grady Show, For the Love of Dogs, and Blankety Blank, which he hosted as his drag act, Lily Savage.

His partner, Andre Portasio, described his passing as “unexpected but peaceful”.

Mr Portasio confirmed the news during the early hours of Wednesday morning, issuingthe following statement: “It is with great sadness that I inform you that Paul has passed away unexpectedly but peacefully yesterday evening.”

“We ask, at this difficult time, that whilst you celebrate his life you also respect our privacy as we come to terms with this loss.

“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.”

Before his tragic death, Paul is said to have endured an exhausting seven months in which he took on as much work as possible after he felt forced to quit his BBC Radio 2 show.

Paul had signed up for a string of TV, stage and radio shows - despite battling Covid last summer.

The much-loved TV star passed away just three days after completing a run in a UK tour playing Miss Hannigan in Annie, The Musical.

After finishing up at BBC Radio 2 last year, Paul was due to start working for a new radio station, Boom Radio and had also planned a return for another run of Annie later this spring.

Last year, Paul also made the eleventh series of his ITV show For the Love of Dogs and was finishing up a secret documentary on elephants in Laos, meaning that he was kept incredibly busy in terms of work up until his tragic death.

Speaking to The Sun, a TV insider claimed: "Paul had committed to a workload that would overwhelm a man half his age, but he liked regular work to keep him occupied.

"He was immensely popular among viewers and was used to his life being incredibly busy as a result. He didn’t want that to change.

“Despite his advancing years and ailing health, he seemed to be taking more than ever - perhaps feeling the sense that it could all come to an end at any moment.

“Losing his Radio 2 show had proved a huge shock for Paul as he loved it dearly. He felt the need to fill the void at a time when he should probably have been taking things easy. But he was more than happy not to put his feet up and knew it was his decision entirely.”

Paul untimely death has sent shockwaves through the world of showbiz, with celebrities from all walks of life rushing to pay tribute to the legendary comedian and TV star.

His husband, Andre Portasio confirmed in a statement yesterday that Paul died on Tuesday night.