The husband of late telly star Paul O’Grady has shared heartbreaking new details about the day he died earlier this year.
For the Love of Dogs host Paul passed away in March aged 67. His partner Andre Portasio announced at the time that Paul’s death was ‘unexpected’ but ‘peaceful’.
Andre said: “Paul will be greatly missed by his loved ones, friends, family, animals and all those who enjoyed his humour, wit and compassion.”
Now, at Paul’s memorial service, Andre has revealed circumstances surrounding the Lily Savage star’s final hours.
Paul O’Grady memorial service
The gathering in Paul’s memory took place at London’s Bloomsbury Ballroom on Wednesday (October 18) evening.
Among the 320 guests for the event were Paul’s pals Alan Carr, Amanda Holden, and Julian Clary. Dawn French, Sheila Hancock, and Corrie star Helen Worth were also said to have been in attendance.
Both comic Julian and Andre are said to have shared eye-opening anecdotes about Paul. But Andre also reportedly told the audience containing so many famous faces how Paul spent his last moments before he passed away in a chair.
An onlooker is quoted as reflecting to The Sun: “It was a very moving speech, with some lovely memories and stories – and everyone laughed a lot – but it was also surprisingly candid. It was just Andre’s way of dealing with grief and getting things off his chest.”
Paul O’Grady ‘final moments’, according to husband
Andre, who married Paul in 2017, reportedly told those celebrating Paul’s life how he died while smoking a spliff.
He explained they were sharing a cannabis joint and watching telly at their home in Kent that evening in March.
Andre is said to have said: “We’d had a very ordinary day. Just watching TV together at home, when Paul said he wanted to make a ‘cup of tea’. And that was our little code for rolling a spliff.
That was our last time together, the last thing we did.
“So Paul went to the kitchen to make a cup of tea, brought it back, lit it and started smoking it. And that was our last time together, the last thing we did. He passed away there in his chair.”
Among other stories shared with guests fondly remembering Paul, Andre also recalled how his husband joked about being put up in cheap hotels during filming for TV shows.
Read more: Inside memorial service for Paul O’Grady from Queen Camilla’s message to husband Andre’s tribute
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