Paul O’Grady’s spouse, Andre Portasio, has opened up about the TV personality’s passing, a year later.
The beloved British host and comedian O’Grady passed away due to cardiac arrhythmia on March 28, 2023, at 67, a loss that elicited a flood of tributes from the entertainment industry.
Portasio broke the news, describing O’Grady’s departure as “unexpected yet tranquil”. Now, a month after disclosing the generous amount the ITV presenter left for his family, he’s sharing memories of O’Grady’s final day in their rural Kent home.
He recalls it being “an utterly normal day”, noting O’Grady “had just returned from a tour, feeling somewhat weary and slept in late”.
Seeing O’Grady that day, “dressed sharply in a white shirt” for a meeting with his longtime radio show producer, Malcolm Prince, Portasio reminisced about O’Grady’s characteristic humor, “I told him he looked handsome, to which he humorously retorted, ‘F*** off!’”
Following a walk with their five dogs, the pair relaxed on the sofa. O’Grady then went to the kitchen, where Portasio soon heard a startling thud.
“He went to make some tea, and then there was this loud crash – but given the size and age of our house, I initially dismissed it,” Portasio said, mentioning he thought O’Grady had perhaps headed upstairs without a second thought.
Portasio shared, “I was preparing some food in the kitchen when suddenly, I found him on the ground. It was confusing at first.”
He noticed O’Grady “had a bruise on his forehead” from the fall, leading him to hope “he might just be knocked out”.
“Calling for an ambulance, they instructed me to perform CPR,” Portasio disclosed, noting the effort left him completely drained by the time help arrived.
Portasio tenderly recalled one of O’Grady’s beloved dogs, Arfur, gently nudging his face, seemingly urging him to “wake up.” Despite the paramedics’ efforts to revive O’Grady, he was ultimately declared deceased.
O’Grady and Portasio’s paths crossed in 2006, culminating in their marriage in 2017.
After his passing, O’Grady was lauded as a “force for good” by celebrities like Carol Vorderman and Julian Clary.
O’Grady, renowned for his animal advocacy, resided in a Kent farmhouse with Portasio, surrounded by a diverse collection of animals, including five dogs, goats, sheep, chickens, and barn owls.
