Paul O'Grady
Biografia
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.
Filmografia
Filmy i seriale od najnowszych
Ken Dodd: A Legacy of Happiness
Film • 2025
The Real Ken Dodd: The Man I Loved
Film • 2024
Paul O'Grady's Great Elephant Adventure
Serial • 2024
jako Self
The Life and Death of Lily Savage
Film • 2024
jako Self (archive footage)
For the Love of Paul O'Grady
Film • 2023
jako Self (archive footage)
Maisie
Film • 2022
jako Self
The Madame Blanc Mysteries
Serial • 2021
jako David
Paul O'Grady's Saturday Night Line Up
Serial • 2021
jako Self - Presenter
Our Cilla: The One and Only
Film • 2021
jako Self
Paul O'Grady's Great British Escape
Serial • 2020
jako Self - Presenter
The National Television Awards Celebrate 25 Years
Film • 2020
jako Self
The London Studios: Home of the Stars
Film • 2018
jako Self
Paul O'Grady: For the Love of Dogs - India
Serial • 2018
jako Self - Host
The Paul O'Grady Story
Film • 2017
jako Self - Lily Savage (archive footage)
Paul O'Grady's Favourite Fairy Tales
Film • 2016
jako Self - Presenter
Our Cilla
Film • 2015
jako Self
Bob Monkhouse: Million Joke Man
Serial • 2015
Good Morning Britain
Serial • 2014
jako Self
Paul O'Grady's Animal Orphans
Serial • 2014
jako Self
Paul O Grady's Working Britain
Serial • 2013
For the Love of Dogs
Serial • 2012
jako Self - Host
Playhouse Presents
Serial • 2012
jako Neville
Perspectives
Serial • 2011
Coronation Street - 50 Years, 50 Moments
Serial • 2010
Death In Venice
Serial • 2009
Kate Garraway's Life Stories
Serial • 2009
jako Self
Let's Dance for Comic Relief
Serial • 2009
jako Self
Stanley Baxter: Now and Then
Film • 2008
jako Self
Alan Carr's Celebrity Ding Dong
Serial • 2008
jako Self
The Life and Times of Vivienne Vyle
Serial • 2007
The Graham Norton Show
Serial • 2007
jako Self
Doktor Who
Serial • 2005
jako Paul O'Grady
Comic Aid
Film • 2005
The Paul O'Grady Show
Serial • 2004
jako Self - Host
Parkinson
Serial • 2004
Celebrity Mastermind
Serial • 2003
Eyes Down
Serial • 2003
jako Ray Temple
Celebrity Driving School
Serial • 2003
Outtake TV
Serial • 2002
Harry Hill's TV Burp
Serial • 2002
jako Self - Special Guest
Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway
Serial • 2002
jako Self
Friday Night with Jonathan Ross
Serial • 2001
jako Self
Lily Live!
Serial • 2000
jako Lily Savage
County Kilburn
Film • 2000
jako Paul O'Grady
The British Soap Awards
Serial • 1999
jako Self - Presenter
Parkinson
Serial • 1998
jako Lily Savage
Lily Savage: The Live Show
Film • 1998
jako Lily Savage
The Untransmittable Lily Savage Show
Film • 1997
jako Lily Savage
The Lily Savage Show
Serial • 1997
jako Lily Savage
An Evening with Lily Savage
Film • 1996
jako Self
TFI Friday
Serial • 1996
Lily Savage: Live And Outrageous
Film • 1995
jako Lily Savage
The Ant & Dec Show
Serial • 1995
Fairest of Them All
Film • 1994
jako Lily Savage (voice)
Filth!
Film • 1994
jako Lily Savage
W imię ojca
Film • 1993
jako Prisoner
Eurotrash
Serial • 1993
Viva Cabaret
Serial • 1993
jako Self
Lily Savage Live: Paying the Rent
Film • 1993
jako Lily Savage/Kitty Kelly
The Big Breakfast
Serial • 1992
jako Lilly Savage (On the Bed Interviewer)
Lily Savage Live from the Hackney Empire
Film • 1991
jako Lily Savage
Chimera
Serial • 1991
jako Donaldson
This Morning
Serial • 1988
jako Self
Smash Hits Poll Winners Party
Serial • 1988
jako Self
The New Statesman
Serial • 1987
jako Marlene Dietrich
The Bill
Serial • 1984
Blankety Blank
Serial • 1979
jako Lily Savage - Presenter
An Audience with...
Serial • 1978
jako Self
Top of the Pops
Serial • 1964
jako Lilly Savage (Host)