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Paul O’Grady was filmed sharing a final emotional message with fans 20 minutes before he died.
The world-famous entertainer died aged 67 on March 28, 2023, of a sudden cardiac arrhythmia.
His death was announced by his widower André Portasio, who has shared a video message from the Lily Savage performer on the second anniversary of his death.
The video message sees Paul speak out about his book Eddie Albert and the Amazing Animal Gan, after he had received an award for it.
‘Hello everybody, I’m Paul O’Grady and I just want to say a massive thank you for reading my book, and also for voting for it. I’m absolutely delighted with my award so thank you very much,’ he began.
The former drag queen was also known for his love of animals, cuddling up with his beloved corgi in the clip.
‘And by the way, this is Eddie, this is my dog. Aren’t you? You’re famous. And Butch in the book is based on this little one. You’re being very quiet today aren’t you? Anyway, once again, thank you so much.’
He concluded: ‘I really appreciate it. Look after yourselves.’
In the caption of the post, Andre – who married the For the Love of Dogs star in 2017 – admitted that it is sometimes ‘hard to believe’ years have passed since his husband died.
He said he remembered Paul as a ‘genuinely kind man’ who cared about his fans.
‘It’s incredible how our minds can shield us from the pain of loss in moments of shock,’ Andre wrote.
‘Today, my iPhotos reminded me of a lost video I recorded of Paul just 20 minutes before he sadly passed—what became the last recording he ever made to camera.
‘In this bittersweet moment, you see him as the genuinely kind man he was, expressing heartfelt gratitude to everyone for supporting his book, which he recorded for an award ceremony he couldn’t attend.’
He continued: ‘It’s hard to believe it’s been two years since his passing. All the while, he’s surrounded by his beloved dogs. We miss you dearly, @paulogrady. Happy heavenly birthday!’
Several of Paul’s friends and fellow celebrities had noticed the post and took to the comments section to pay tribute.
Presenter Gaby Roslin described the clip as ‘special and precious’, whilst EastEnders icon Michelle Collins felt ‘sad’ at the realisation of just how “fragile” life can be.
She said: ‘This is unbelievable, so sad makes you realise what a wonderful person he was life can be so fragile we have to really embrace it like Paul did, such a loss wish there were more like him x’
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