London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Jul 19, 2025

Paul O'Grady: Stars, fans and dogs turn out to say farewell at funeral

Paul O'Grady: Stars, fans and dogs turn out to say farewell at funeral

Paul O'Grady's funeral has taken place near his home in Kent after fans lined the streets to pay their respects - many with their dogs.

The comedian and presenter, who died last month at the age of 67, was laid to rest following a private service.

Fellow comic Julian Clary and actor Michael Cashman delivered readings.

Hundreds of mourners, and their pets, turned out in the village of Aldington to view the cortege and say farewell to the host of ITV's For the Love of Dogs.

O'Grady's husband Andre Portasio (right) rode with their pet Conchita on the funeral carriage

One of the floral tributes was of O'Grady's beloved dog Buster


A horse-drawn carriage carried O'Grady's wooden coffin, along with husband Andre Portasio and their dog Conchita, through Aldington and to St Rumwold's Church in nearby Bonnington.

O'Grady's daughter, Sharyn Mousley, entered with a young man, reported to be O'Grady's grandson, holding the wig of Lily Savage - the comedian's drag alter ego.

Melanie Sykes and Alan Carr attended the funeral


His coffin was then placed next to the grave of his former partner Brendan Murphy, who died in 2005.

The funeral was also attended by Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood, actress Dame Sheila Hancock and comics Alan Carr and Jo Brand.

Coronation Street's Sally Lindsay, TV presenter Gaby Roslin, celebrity chef Andi Oliver, LGBT rights campaigner Peter Tatchell and EastEnders actresses Cheryl Fergison and Linda Henry were also there.

Rolling Stones star Ronnie and wife Sally were among those at the service


A dog called Ernie, from Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, where O'Grady filmed his ITV series, greeted people arriving for the funeral.

Ali Taylor, head of canine behaviour at Battersea, said: "Ernie met Paul two years ago when he was about five weeks old. He's met him several times. We felt he should come along today.

"We're here to really honour Paul and everything he has done for everyone, all the different communities, and especially Battersea."

Another mourner, Astrid Allen, travelled with her dogs from Margate to line the streets in Aldington.

She told the BBC that O'Grady had "put rehoming dogs on the map, and did so much for Battersea, for the LGBT community".

Fleur Boyd (left) and her mother Astrid Allen travelled from Margate


The Reverend Canon Roger Martin described the funeral as a "very fitting send-off" to O'Grady.

The vicar told the PA news agency: "The mood was very jolly. There were some recordings of Paul, favourite clips, a good selection of varied music, it was light-hearted. It was a moving occasion."

The eulogy from Clary as "very entertaining", he said, while Lord Cashman read Shakespeare's Sonnet 18, which begins "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?"

O'Grady reportedly died of sudden cardiac arrhythmia


The music included You Gotta Get A Gimmick from Stephen Sondheim's 1959 musical Gypsy, which O'Grady famously performed as Lily Savage alongside Cilla Black and Dame Barbara Windsor at the 2001 Royal Variety Performance.

The other musical choices included Meditation from the opera Thais by French composer Jules Massenet, which was O'Grady's favourite when he appeared on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs in 2003.

The closing music was Looking For Trouble by Elvis Presley.

A sign saying "Thank you Mr O'Grady" and collages of dog drawings were placed outside Aldington Primary School


Pupils from Aldington Primary School paid their respects by displaying banners and pictures.

Co-headteacher Ben Dawson recalled: "Everyone who met him would say, what you see on the screen is what you see in real life. He was a larger-than-life character who lit up a room.

"As a community, we took him into our hearts and he took us into his."

Claire Gates, a year two teacher, said: "He was lovely and very, very appreciative of teaching, and always said how he could never do it. He could have lived up the top of the hill and had nothing to do with us, but he didn't. He made a conscious effort."

O'Grady had a strong connection with animals, including those on his TV show


The presence of a number of dogs from Battersea signified O'Grady's role as an ambassador for the animal home, as well as the connection through his popular TV series.

Following his death, Battersea set up a "tribute fund", which has raised more than £270,000 for the charity.

Mourners also gathered with their dogs as part of a community event in Birkenhead in Merseyside, where the star was born and grew up.


 They had a minute's applause before a sing-along to songs like Who Let The Dogs Out, with fans shouting "Paul!" in response.

As well as For The Love of Dogs, O'Grady was known for his appearances as Lily Savage and for hosting chat and game shows.

According to multiple reports, he died of sudden cardiac arrhythmia. The British Heart Foundation describes sudden arrhythmic death syndrome - or SADS - as when a person dies suddenly following a cardiac arrest where no obvious cause can be found.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Defends Attorney General Pam Bondi Amid Epstein Memo Backlash
Renault Shares Drop as CEO Luca de Meo Announces Departure Amid Reports of Move to Kering
Senior Aides for King Charles and Prince Harry Hold Secret Peace Summit
Anti‑Semitism ‘Normalised’ in Middle‑Class Britain, Says Commission Co‑Chair
King Charles Meets David Beckham at Chelsea Flower Show
If the Department is Really About Justice: Ghislaine Maxwell Should Be Freed Now
NYC Candidate Zohran Mamdani’s ‘Antifada’ Remarks Spark National Debate on Political Language and Economic Policy
President Trump Visits Flood-Ravaged Texas, Praises Community Strength and First Responders
From Mystery to Meltdown, Crisis Within the Trump Administration: Epstein Files Ignite A Deepening Rift at the Highest Levels of Government Reveals Chaos, Leaks, and Growing MAGA Backlash
Trump Slams Putin Over War Death Toll, Teases Major Russia Announcement
Reparations argument crushed
Rainmaker CEO Says Cloud Seeding Paused Before Deadly Texas Floods
×