Paul O'Grady
Paul James O'Grady, MBE DL (14 June 1955 - 28 March 2023) was an English comedian, television presenter, actor, writer and radio disc jockey. He achieved fame using his comedic drag queen character, "Lily Savage", and later became well known for presenting TV programmes as himself, such as The Paul O'Grady Show. Born to a working-class Irish family in Birkenhead, he attended Blessed Edward Campion Secondary Modern School, in Claughton Village, Birkenhead, Cheshire (now Merseyside). O'Grady moved to London in the late-1970s, there working as a peripatetic care officer for Camden Council. It was here in 1978 that he developed his drag act, basing the character of Lily Savage upon traits found amongst female relatives. Touring northern England as part of drag mime duo, the Playgirls, he eventually went solo as a stand-up comedian. Performing as Savage for eight years at a South London gay pub, the Royal Vauxhall Tavern (RVT), he gained a popular following among the city's gay community and used his character to speak out for LGBT rights. After being nominated for a 1992 Perrier Award, he attracted mainstream attention and made various television, radio, and theatrical appearances. As Savage, he presented morning chat show The Big Breakfast (1995–96), game show Blankety Blank (1997–2002) and comedy series Lily Live! (2000–01), earning various awards and becoming a well known public figure. Seeking to diversify his career away from Savage, O'Grady starred in BBC sitcom Eyes Down (2003–04) and presented two travel documentaries for ITV. In 2004, he began presenting ITV's daytime chat show The Paul O'Grady Show, which proved a hit with audiences. After the network refused to transfer creative control of the series to O'Grady's production company, Olga TV, in 2006 he defected to rival Channel 4, where the show was rebranded as The New Paul O'Grady Show and ran until 2009. O'Grady subsequently presented a late night ITV show, Paul O'Grady Live (2010–11) as well as Paul O'Grady: For the Love of Dogs (which ran from 2012 until his death in 2023) and Paul O'Grady's Animal Orphans (2014–2016), while presenting BBC Radio 2's Paul O'Grady on the Wireless and publishing a four-volume autobiography. O'Grady received a variety of awards, among them honorary degrees and an MBE in the 2008 Birthday Honours for services to entertainment. He died on 28th March 2023 aged 67.
Photos
Movies (23)
Ken Dodd: A Legacy of Happiness
2025
The Real Ken Dodd: The Man I Loved
2024
The Life and Death of Lily Savage
2024 · Self (archive footage)
For the Love of Paul O'Grady
2023 · Self (archive footage)
Maisie
2022 · Self
Our Cilla: The One and Only
2021 · Self
The National Television Awards Celebrate 25 Years
2020 · Self
The London Studios: Home of the Stars
2018 · Self
The Paul O'Grady Story
2017 · Self - Lily Savage (archive footage)
Paul O'Grady's Favourite Fairy Tales
2016 · Self - Presenter
Our Cilla
2015 · Self
Stanley Baxter: Now and Then
2008 · Self
Comic Aid
2005
County Kilburn
2000 · Paul O'Grady
Lily Savage: The Live Show
1998 · Lily Savage
The Untransmittable Lily Savage Show
1997 · Lily Savage, Writer
An Evening with Lily Savage
1996 · Self, Writer
Lily Savage: Live And Outrageous
1995 · Lily Savage
Fairest of Them All
1994 · Lily Savage (voice)
Filth!
1994 · Lily Savage, Writer
En el nombre del padre
1993 · Prisoner
Lily Savage Live: Paying the Rent
1993 · Lily Savage/Kitty Kelly
Lily Savage Live from the Hackney Empire
1991 · Lily Savage
TV shows (49)
Paul O'Grady's Great Elephant Adventure
2024 · Self
The Madame Blanc Mysteries
2021 · David
Paul O'Grady's Saturday Night Line Up
2021 · Self - Presenter, Creator
Paul O'Grady's Great British Escape
2020 · Self - Presenter
Paul O'Grady: For the Love of Dogs - India
2018 · Self - Host
Bob Monkhouse: Million Joke Man
2015
Good Morning Britain
2014 · Self
Paul O'Grady's Animal Orphans
2014 · Self
Paul O Grady's Working Britain
2013
For the Love of Dogs
2012 · Self - Host
Playhouse Presents
2012 · Neville, Writer
Perspectives
2011
Little Crackers
2010 · Various, Writer
Coronation Street - 50 Years, 50 Moments
2010
Death In Venice
2009
Kate Garraway's Life Stories
2009 · Self
Let's Dance for Comic Relief
2009 · Self
Alan Carr's Celebrity Ding Dong
2008 · Self
Dawn French's Boys Who Do Comedy
2007 · Self
The Life and Times of Vivienne Vyle
2007
El show de Graham Norton
2007 · Self
Doctor Who
2005 · Paul O'Grady
The Paul O'Grady Show
2004 · Self - Host
Parkinson
2004 · Self - Guest, Lily Savage
Celebrity Mastermind
2003
Eyes Down
2003 · Ray Temple
Celebrity Driving School
2003
Outtake TV
2002
Harry Hill's TV Burp
2002 · Self - Special Guest
Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway
2002 · Self
Friday Night with Jonathan Ross
2001 · Self
Lily Live!
2000 · Lily Savage
The British Soap Awards
1999 · Self - Presenter
Parkinson
1998 · Lily Savage, Self
The Lily Savage Show
1997 · Lily Savage
TFI Friday
1996
The Ant & Dec Show
1995
Eurotrash
1993
Viva Cabaret
1993 · Self
The Big Breakfast
1992 · Lilly Savage (On the Bed Interviewer)
Chimera
1991 · Donaldson
This Morning
1988 · Self
Comic Relief
1988
Smash Hits Poll Winners Party
1988 · Self
The New Statesman
1987 · Marlene Dietrich
The Bill
1984
Blankety Blank
1979 · Lily Savage - Presenter
An Audience with...
1978 · Self
Top of the Pops
1964 · Lilly Savage (Host)