A new presenter replacing the late Paul O’Grady on For the Love of Dogs was announced this week as Alison Hammond is set to take over the role.
It doesn’t feel like almost a year since national treasure Paul left us. He died on March 31, 2023, at the age of 67 from sudden cardiac arrhythmia.
Since then, quite a bit has happened from a posthumous award being awarded to the late star to a touching gesture from Battersea – which Paul was a proud ambassador of.
Meanwhile, most recently, ITV confirmed the new host of his hit animal show For the Love of Dogs. Let’s look into life after the beloved Paul O’Grady‘s death.
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For the Love of Dogs new presenter announced
On Tuesday (January 30), Alison became the new presenter for ITV’s For the Love of Dogs. In a statement she said: “I am very aware that I can never replace the iconic Paul in this wonderful series. But if I can continue to shine a light on the brilliant work done at Battersea and help to tell the stories of these beautiful dogs, then it will be an absolute privilege to give it my all.
“I can’t wait to share the joy of their searches for new loving forever homes. And hopefully make lots of furry friends of my own along the way!”
ITV added: “We are thrilled to be able to confirm that the series will return in the spring and that the dogs have a brand-new champion in Alison Hammond.
There will be all the fun and warmth that our viewers have come to expect.
“As Paul O’Grady always said himself, the stars of the show were the dogs themselves. But the impact that he had and the legacy he leaves will never be forgotten by any of us. We can’t wait to welcome back the series with Alison.
“There will be all the fun and warmth that our viewers have come to expect whilst continuing to showcase the wonderful and important work done by the incredible team at Battersea.”
The news has sparked a mixed reaction among fans. Some are thrilled for Alison while others believe she’s the wrong choice to host.
‘New-found love’
Elsewhere, earlier this month, Paul’s Instagram account shared a cute update on his and husband Andre’s beloved dogs. Many fans were hoping to still get updates on the couple’s pets when Paul passed.
And that’s just what Andre and Paul’s team are doing!
It showed Arthur and Sausage cuddled up together on a chair. The post read: “A new found love. Arthur has decided to dump Nancy (she might be a bit to old for him now) and has taken a shy on Sausage.
“He simple doesn’t leave her sight. #puppylove @paulogrady household.”
Fans loved the update as one person gushed: “So nice to keep us updated. Thank you Andre, love to you and all the animals.”
Another wrote: “So glad to have an update on Paul’s beloved pets. Thank you Andre.”
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Battersea gesture to honour Paul
In October last year, Battersea announced it had honoured Paul in a beautiful and fitting tribute. They revealed plans to help thousands of animals in need with the money raised from public donations following Paul’s death.
Almost 20,000 donations were made to honour Paul, totalling £480,000. With some of this money, Battersea announced that they’ve named their “state-of-the-art clinic facilites” The Paul O’Grady Veterinary Hospital.
They also confirmed that they will be sharing over a fifth of the funds raised between “five other animal charities close to Paul’s heart”.
So lovely.
Posthumous award
Finally, in December, Paul was honoured with a posthumous award. He was named Peta’s person of the year for his “lifelong determination to make the world a kinder place for animals”.
Read more: Alison Hammond’s pitch-perfect response to trolls as she’s named as new For The Love Of Dogs host
A Peta representative said: “He never wavered in his commitment to protecting the most vulnerable among us. We will always treasure his legacy of compassion.”
Meanwhile, earlier in September 2023, Paul’s show For the Love of Dogs bagged a National Television Award in the factual entertainment category.
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