Paul O’Grady’s funeral will take place near his residence in Kent, with fans and dogs from Battersea Dogs & Cats residents lining the streets.
The comedian and presenter, who passed away last month at the age of 67, will be laid to rest in Aldington in a private ceremony.
Hundreds of mourners, some accompanied by their canines, have gathered to pay their respects to the host of For the Love of Dogs.
Famous acquaintances of O’Grady, such as comedian Alan Carr and television host Gaby Roslin, are also in attendance.
A Salvation Army band welcomed mourners at St Rumwold’s Parish Church, where comedian Jo Brand, actress Cheryl Fergison, and LGBT rights activist Peter Tatchell were present.
One mourner, Astrid Allen, traveled from Margate to line the streets with her canines.
She told Colin Paterson of the BBC that O’Grady “put rehoming dogs on the map and did so much for Battersea and the LGBT community.”
“It’s going to be a happy but sad day,” she added.
Paul O’Grady resided in Kent for over two decades, and it is anticipated that his coffin will travel through the village in a horse-drawn carriage.
Ben Dawson, co-headmaster of Aldington Primary School, whose students honored O’Grady with banners and photographs, recalled O’Grady’s appearances at school fetes.
“He would not simply show up and leave; he would remain and converse with the children. Everyone who has encountered him has stated that what you see on the screen is exactly what you see in person. He was a larger-than-life personality who illuminated the room.
“As a community, we took him into our hearts, and he accepted us into his.”
Claire Gates, a second-grade teacher at the school, remarked,
“He was incredibly kind and appreciative of teaching, but insisted he could never do it himself.
“We are such a small town, it is sweet that he took an interest in us when he didn’t have to. He could have lived on top of the hill and avoided us, but he chose not to. He made a conscious endeavor.”
Andre Portasio, the spouse of O’Grady, expressed his “deep gratitude” for the “overwhelming outpouring of support and love” he had received by posting on local Facebook groups an invitation for the local school and community to attend the funeral and expressing his “deep gratitude” for the “outpouring of support and love” he had received.
“Although the funeral will be private, as many of you know, Paul cared deeply about his neighborhood,” he wrote.
As a tribute to Paul’s fondness for the area, we have requested that the funeral procession passes through Aldington before proceeding to the church.
Michael Cashman, an actor, and peer and an acquaintance of O’Grady, told BBC Radio Kent that he would read Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18, which begins “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?”, at the funeral.
Lord Cashman said,
“My heart will be grieving, but I’ll be smiling about the love and the fun.”
The presence of dogs from Battersea will represent O’Grady’s duty as a representative for the animal shelter, as well as the connection through his popular television series.
After his passing, Battersea established a “tribute fund” that has raised over £270,000 for the charity.
As part of a community event in Birkenhead, where the star was born and raised, mourners brought their pets. Before singing along to songs such as Who Let The Dogs Out, the audience applauded for one minute and shouted “Paul!” in response.
Paul O’Grady was also well-known for his drag queen persona Lily Savage and for hosting the chat and game programs, in addition to For the Love of Dogs.
Multiple reports indicate that he perished from a sudden cardiac arrhythmia. According to the British Heart Foundation, sudden arrhythmic death syndrome, or SADS, is when a person dies suddenly after a cardiac arrest for which no evident cause can be identified.
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