Paul O'Grady

Born: 1955-06-14

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.


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In the Name of the Father

as Prisoner
Released: 1993-12-12

A small time thief from Belfast, Gerry Conlon, is falsely implicated in the IRA bombing of a pub...

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An Evening with Lily Savage

as Self (as Lily Savage)
Released: 1996-11-11

An Evening with Lily Savage

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The London Studios: Home of the Stars

as Himself
Released: 2018-12-28

The end of an era as the studios where ITV filmed its many shows for 45 years closes its doors...

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The Paul O'Grady Story

as Himself / Lily Savage (archive footage)
Released: 2017-06-23

A razor-witted entertainer who found fame as two people - first his drag queen alter ego, Lily...

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The National Television Awards Celebrate 25 Years

as Self
Released: 2020-01-07

This one-hour special documentary celebrates 25 star-studded years of the National Television...

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Filth!

as Lily Savage
Released: 1994-04-24

In the late Eighties, there had been a series of comedy concerts (modelled on the Amnesty...

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Our Cilla

as Self
Released: 2015-12-25

Tribute to entertainer Cilla Black.

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The Life and Death of Lily Savage

as Self (Archive footage)- Lily Savage
Released: 2024-03-29

Intimate documentary exploring how Paul O'Grady's creation, Lily Savage, took mainstream TV by...

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Maisie

as Self
Released: 2022-08-05

After 50 years in the business, Mr. David Raven still performs as 'Maisie Trollette', Britain's...

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Our Cilla: The One and Only

as Himself
Released: 2021-06-06

Doumentary telling the story of Cilla Black, who rose from working-class roots in Liverpool to...

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Lily Savage Live: Paying the Rent

as Lily Savage/Kitty Kelly
Released: 1993-03-10

Multi award-winning TV personality Paul O'Grady stars as Lily Savage, the Scouse bombshell who...

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Lily Savage: Live And Outrageous

as Lily Savage
Released: 1995-07-20

From her Lambeth council flat to top billing on television and the West End stage comes the...

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For the Love of Paul O'Grady

as Self (Archival Footage)
Released: 2023-04-09

ITV pays tribute to the iconic and much-loved entertainer Paul O'Grady in this special...

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Fairest of Them All

as Voice (as Lily Savage)
Released: 1994-12-31

Animated short set in the dressing room of several drag artists.

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Doctor Who

as Paul O'Grady
First aired: 2005-03-26

The Doctor is a Time Lord: a 900 year old alien with 2 hearts, part of a gifted civilization who...

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The Graham Norton Show

as Self
First aired: 2007-02-22

Each week celebrity guests join Irish comedian Graham Norton to discuss what's being going on...

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An Audience with...

as Self
First aired: 1978-01-08

An Audience with... is a British entertainment television show produced by London Weekend...

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Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway

as Self
First aired: 2002-06-08

A gameshow hosted by Ant and Dec filled with stunts, sketches, and special guest appearances.

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The Paul O'Grady Show

as Self - Host
First aired: 2004-10-11

The Paul O'Grady Show is a British comedy chat show hosted by Birkenhead-born comedian Paul...

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The New Statesman

as Marlene Dietrich
First aired: 1987-09-13

The New Statesman is a British sitcom of the late 1980s and early 1990s satirising the...

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Friday Night with Jonathan Ross

as Self
First aired: 2001-11-02

Jonathan Ross's take on current topics of conversation, guest interviews and live music from...

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Harry Hill's TV Burp

as uncredited
First aired: 2002-11-14

Harry Hill's TV Burp is a British television comedy programme that ran for 11 years from 2001 to...

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Kate Garraway's Life Stories

as Self
First aired: 2009-02-22

Celebrities open up to Kate Garraway in intimate and moving interviews.

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Blankety Blank

as Lily Savage - Presenter
First aired: 1979-01-18

Blankety Blank is a British comedy game show based on the 1977–1979 Australian game show...

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Good Morning Britain

as Self
First aired: 2014-04-28

The latest news, sport, and weather from the UK in this daily breakfast show.

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The Big Breakfast

as Lilly Savage (On the Bed Interviewer)
First aired: 1992-09-28

The Big Breakfast was a British light entertainment television show shown on Channel 4 and S4C...

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The Madame Blanc Mysteries

as David
First aired: 2021-10-16

Jean White is an antiques dealer who runs a successful business with her husband, Rory. But when...

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For the Love of Dogs

as Self - Host
First aired: 2012-09-03

Join Paul as he takes a look behind the gates of the famous home for pets.

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Alan Carr's Celebrity Ding Dong

as uncredited
First aired: 2008-02-01

Alan Carr's Celebrity Ding Dong was an entertainment show on Channel 4, presented by Alan Carr....

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Celebrity Mastermind

as uncredited
First aired: 2003-12-26

Celebrity Mastermind is a British television quiz show broadcast by BBC television. The show is...

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The Bill

as uncredited
First aired: 1984-10-16

The daily lives of the men and women at Sun Hill Police Station as they fight crime on the...

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Playhouse Presents

as uncredited
First aired: 2012-04-12

Playhouse Presents is a series of self-contained TV plays, made by British broadcaster Sky Arts....

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The Life and Times of Vivienne Vyle

as uncredited
First aired: 2007-10-04

Revolving around the life of Vivienne Vyle, a daytime TV presenter/agony aunt in the mold of...

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Eyes Down

as Ray Temple
First aired: 2003-08-15

Eyes Down is a comedy starring Paul O'Grady as Ray Temple, the manager of a bingo hall in...

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The Lily Savage Show

as Lily Savage
First aired: 1997-11-16

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Chimera

as Donaldson
First aired: 1991-07-07

A journalist investigates the death of his girlfriend at a fertility clinic where she worked and...

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This Morning

as Self
First aired: 1988-10-03

This Morning features a variety of news, as well as show business, fashion, beauty, lifestyle,...

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Paul O'Grady's Animal Orphans

as uncredited
First aired: 2014-01-14

Paul O'Grady visits Zambia and South Africa on the trail of young animals which have been...

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Paul O'Grady's Great Elephant Adventure

as Self
First aired: 2024-03-31

Paul O’Grady’s Great Elephant Adventure is a two-part series following Paul as he travels...

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Parkinson

as uncredited
First aired: 2004-09-04

Michael Parkinson's third and final Interview show, running from 2002

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Paul O'Grady: For the Love of Dogs - India

as Self - Host
First aired: 2018-04-26

Paul O'Grady travels to India to follow the work of a rescue charity caring for dogs in need.

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