Paul O’Grady has died aged 67

Paul O’Grady has died aged 67.

The British comedian, actor, and television presenter, was well known for his drag queen alter ego Lily Savage. He was born on 14 June 1955, in Birkenhead, England.

O’Grady started his career as a stand-up comedian in the 1980s, and in the early 1990s, he created the character of Lily Savage, a brash and outspoken drag queen. Savage became very popular, and O’Grady performed as her in various venues, including on television.

In the late 1990s, O’Grady began to branch out from his Lily Savage persona and started appearing as himself on television shows such as The Big Breakfast and “Blankety Blank.” He also hosted his own chat show, The Paul O’Grady Show, which aired from 2004 to 2009.

O’Grady has also appeared in a number of films and TV shows, including Coronation Street. He also appeared in the London Palladium pantomimes, Cinderella and Goldilocks and the Three Bears, in 2017 and 2019 respectively. He had been due to appear in the newly launched tour of Annie, playing the role of Miss Hannigan alongside Craig Revel Horwood, Elaine C Smith and Jodie Prenger.

In 2015, O’Grady was awarded an OBE (Order of the British Empire) for his services to entertainment, and in 2018, he was awarded a Special Recognition Award at the National Television Awards.

According to his husband, O’Grady died “unexpectedly but peacefully” on Tuesday evening.