Paul O’Grady, aged 67, died in bed with his previous ballet dancer husband Andre, 41, beside him,

Paul O’Grady died in bed with his partner Andre Portasio beside him, Linda Thorson has uncovered – as psychological Television stars remember his ultimate hrs.

The Avengers actress, 75, reported devastated mates of the pair are supporting Andre, who has been still left ‘bereft’ next his partner’s surprising dying aged 67 on Tuesday night.

Speaking to hosts Susanna Reid and Adil Ray, Linda extra: ‘He died in his individual bed and his husband was there, he’s only 41 Andre, he’ll be so bereft. We’ll all be there Andre.’

It arrives as Paul’s close friend and previous BBC Radio 2 colleague Malcolm Prince described him as currently being ‘full of life’ when he visited the broadcaster’s household previously on Tuesday.

In the meantime, Barbara Windsor’s widower Scott Mitchell has instructed how Andre had texted him at 2.30am yesterday to advise him of Paul’s dying.

Heartbreaking: The Avengers star, 75, became psychological as she recalled Paul’s ultimate moments, expressing he died in his personal mattress with his husband Andre Portasio beside him 

The final photograph of O’Grady who was pictured with this miniature dachshund a few times ahead of he handed absent

Comedian Jenny Eclair explained: ‘I was a stand-up and Paul came on the scene as Lily Savage and you were blown back’

He advised The Mirror: ‘I have my cellular phone by my mattress and I just took place to press the text. It reported Andre, who would by no means text me, actually. And I just realized. He just let me know what had transpired.’

Since leaving his Sunday slot on BBC Radio 2, O’Grady had embarked on a timetable that would ‘overwhelm a man 50 % his age’ – in spite of owning to halt work for two months very last 12 months after contracting Covid.

Both equally of his mothers and fathers died just after struggling coronary heart assaults, while Paul had survived two himself – in 2002 and 2006.

But despite feeling he experienced been compelled out of Radio 2 very last year, O’Grady in no way contemplated retirement, irrespective of his well being scares. 

It will come as the last image of the late Television set star and drag act shows him posing with a canine in Edinburgh, where he was accomplishing in a stage manufacturing of the musical Annie right before his loss of life at 67.

The actor and comedian was seen smiling warmly as he clutched a doggy in a photo taken three times back and shared on Instagram.

An additional photograph from 3 times in the past shows O’Grady, also acknowledged as Lily Savage, posing with a supporter outside the house Edinburgh Playhouse, and a 3rd snap from five times ago shows the star dressed as Overlook Hannigan, the main antagonist in Annie, though holding a different puppy.

Shelling out tribute, Ms Thorson before said: ‘He would have tea with the Queen. She definitely preferred him a whole lot, and then he’d have the postman for evening meal. 

‘He was generous to a fault, I’ll under no circumstances satisfy everyone like him. He cared about me and I felt that. I won’t be able to imagine it, just to cling up the mobile phone and hours later on for somebody to die, who was so happy, total of lifetime. 

Comic Jenny Eclair also compensated tribute to Paul, 67, stating he ‘never missing monitor of his kindness’ as he observed fame and achievements. 

She explained: ‘I did not know him as nicely as Linda but I discovered it terribly transferring listening to her. 

‘I was a stand-up and Paul arrived on the scene as Lily Savage and you ended up blown back again. Search at this! You can not contend. He by no means lost track of his kindness, his genuineness. 

‘The people today that understood him finest, I really feel so desperately sorry for them for the reason that it can be terribly out of the blue. We all offer with these knocks.’

Paul’s near buddy and previous BBC Radio 2 colleague Malcolm Prince described him as remaining ‘full of life’ when he visited the broadcaster’s house earlier on Tuesday

Linda claimed: ‘He was generous to a fault, I am going to by no means satisfy everyone like him. He cared about me and I felt that’

She extra: ‘He died in his very own mattress and his partner was there, he is only 41 Andre, he’ll be so bereft. We will all be there Andre’ 

Heartfelt: Jenny Eclair also compensated tribute to Paul, stating he ‘never misplaced track of his kindness, his genuineness’ 

Emotional: Linda Thorson commenced to tear up on Thursday’s Good Morning Britain as she paid tribute to her buddy Paul O’Grady just after his demise aged 67

Previous colleague Mr Prince, who worked with Paul on his Radio 2 display, tweeted yesterday: ‘Yesterday afternoon I popped spherical to Paul’s for a very good outdated catch-up. Surrounded by his beloved canine, he was laughing, smiling, and entire of daily life.

‘He was so happy of (musical) ‘Annie’, so delighted to be back again on Growth Radio, and he was seeking forward to so a lot of new projects.

‘And now he’s gone. I are unable to believe it. We have misplaced a distinctive expertise – and I have lost a expensive good friend. We were being all fortunate to have Paul in our lives. My heart goes out to Andre, Paul’s family, and mate. Oh how I will skip him.’

Their tributes come immediately after there ended up tears and cheers at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern past night – the London location where Paul O’Grady very first located fame with his beloved alter ego Lily Savage. 

Wednesday night’s show at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern (RVT), nearer to Vauxhall Bridge and the Oval cricket floor, observed a moment of raucous applause for the a great deal-cherished comedian and broadcaster, in its place of a common minute of silence.

He rose to fame on the nightclub circuit as the acerbic, platinum wig-wearing Lily Savage – a title considered to have been encouraged by his late mom.

Paul O’Grady hosted common Television set quiz demonstrate Blankety Blank as his alter-ego Lily Savage

On Wednesday, RVT host Michael Twaits, explained to a packed out audience that O’Grady experienced been ‘an absolute legend of the community’. He instructed the audience ‘a trailblazer and a legend has left us’ in advance of main them in a round of applause for O’Grady. 

‘Today we shed one particular of the biggest drag artists the Uk has at any time viewed, and it is this building, this creating was wherever it happened,’ he explained.

‘Eight many years of executing solo shows… and also undertaking displays like tonight, introducing new talent to the LGBT+ scene. Paul O’Grady was an complete legend of the neighborhood.’

He added: ‘It was about boosting up the neighborhood, and when you transfer from a stage like this into the mainstream, when you shift into breakfast f****** tv… and nevertheless keep legitimate to your self, remain genuine to your queer self, and remain genuine to your operating class roots.’

Paul became a home name in the early noughties, known for his wit and really like of animals, and hosted a string of television programmes like his self-titled daytime chat clearly show, The Paul O’Grady Display, which started airing in 2004.

He also took more than the reins from Blind Date’s very long-working presenter and his near pal Cilla Black, who died in 2015, to host the Channel 5 reboot of the display in 2017. And he fronted Blankety Blank, as properly as ITV’s award-profitable For The Adore Of Puppies.

His husband Andre praised his ‘humour, wit and compassion’ in a assertion saying his dying released just just before 3am on March 29.

This image of Paul O’Grady was posted by a enthusiast after a overall performance of Annie in Edinburgh 3 times back

The father-of-one’s trigger of demise wasn’t quickly recognized, but he experienced earlier spoken of surviving heart assaults in 2002, 2006 and 2014, and also kidney failure.  He also experienced a debilitating Covid battle that remaining him not able to work for two months.

In his statement, Andre reported: ‘It is with fantastic sadness that I notify you that Paul has passed absent unexpectedly but peacefully yesterday night.

‘We talk to, at this complicated time, that while you rejoice his existence you also respect our privacy as we arrive to phrases with this decline.

‘He will be tremendously skipped by his loved kinds, mates, spouse and children, animals and all people who enjoyed his humour, wit and compassion.

‘I know that he would want me to thank you for all the like you have revealed him over the several years.’

Paul and Andre were married for the duration of a reduced-critical wedding day ceremony in 2017.