Paul O’Grady’s friend has revealed the heartbreaking reason the late star turned down his vital heart operation months before his death.
Paul tragically died in March 2023 at age 67. In a statement shared by his husband, Andre Portasio, he revealed the national treasure’s passing was unexpected.
Paul O’Grady turned down heart operation before death
In a new interview with the Mirror, Paul’s friend Malcolm Prince revealed Paul didn’t want to let anyone down months before his death and refused an implantable defibrillator.
“He’d signed up to do the musical Annie, he signed up to do the dog show,” he told the newspaper.
“He didn’t want to go back into hospital to have another procedure and then spend time recuperating. He wanted to get on and live his life but also work. He didn’t want to let people down.”
If Paul had the device fitted, it could have saved his life. Previously, Paul had suffered from many heart problems but died from a sudden cardiac arrhythmia.
He was confident in his decision about not wanting medical intervention, as in a text message sent to his daughter, Sharyn, he told her: “The cardiologist just wants me to have a defib. But no way am I having one of them. He’s being over cautious and besides, I’m nowhere near as bad as I was.”
‘He worried about his own body letting him down’
At the time, Paul’s manager and close friend, Joan Marshrons, tried to explain and convince him to have the implantable defibrillator. However, he still refused.
“In the last few years, he worried about his own body letting him down and that was all very depressing for him,” Joan said.
“He was scared of losing control and I think that’s why he wouldn’t have the pacemaker because he didn’t want to be on camera or in front of an audience when the thing kicked in … he would have been embarrassed about it all.”
Following Paul’s death, tributes poured in for the beloved star.
Read more: Paul O’Grady was ‘full of life’ on day of his death, his radio co-star reveals
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