Paul O’Grady’s husband opens up on heartbreaking battle to save TV legend while dog nuzzled his face in final moments
AS Paul O'Grady's husband battled to save his life after he collapsed at home, one of their dogs "heartbreakingly" started nuzzling the star's face.
The Lily Savage and Radio 2 legend passed away "unexpectedly but peacefully" on March 28 last year.
And as it approached the anniversary of his death, Paul's husband Andre Portasio opened up about their final day together.
The former-professional ballet dancer said it had been an "ordinary" Wednesday at home for the pair before tragedy struck.
Andre said they had walked their five dogs, before settling back into their Kent home and popping the telly on.
He said Paul got up to make some tea and he heard a bang, but didn't think anything of it.
Heart wrenchingly when Andre did head into the kitchen to start making some food he saw Paul on the floor.
He froze, before quickly dialing for an ambulance - with the operator telling him to start CPR on his husband.
Andre said it's a day that's burnt into his memory.
He told the Mirror: “The saddest part of this all is that when all of this happened, and as I was trying to resuscitate him, I was trying to keep the dogs out of the room.
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“But somehow Paul’s dog Arfur, who is one of his favourites, escaped and he nuzzled his face as he always did on Paul’s shoulder, as if to say ‘wake up’. It was just heartbreaking.”
Andre also revealed he had escaped to the other side of the world ahead of the anniversary of Paul's death.
The TV star was said to have been smoking a cannabis joint when he died peacefully at his home.
Speaking at a star-studded memorial for O’Grady last October, Andre Portasio: “We’d had a very ordinary day, just watching TV together at home, when Paul said he wanted to make a ‘cup of tea,’ and that was our little code for rolling a spliff.
“So Paul went to the kitchen to make a cup of tea, brought it back, lit it and started smoking it – and that was our last time together, the last thing we did. He passed away there in his chair.”
The Sun revealed earlier this month that Paul left a staggering £15.5m in his will - with £125,000 set aside to look after his five pet dogs.
The presenter also left half a million pounds to the Battersea Cats and Dogs Home which featured in his best known TV show - ITV’s For the Love of Dogs.
Animal lover Paul left a total of £775,000 to organisations close to his heart, including donations of £50,000 to elephant and orangutan charities.
He also gave £50,000 to the Salvation Army, whom he’d been a lifelong fan of as a result of them helping the needy in his native Liverpool when he was growing up.
Paul once remarked that he’d left very exacting instructions to his lawyer to execute his will just as he’d stated, alongside a warning.
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In a 2012 interview he said: “I’ve put in my will – the solicitor was roaring laughing – ‘God help anyone who ignores my wishes, because when your turn comes to die I’ll be stood at the gates of hell waiting for you.”
Paul was aged 67 when he died of cardiac arrhythmia at his home on March 28th.
Paul O’Grady’s last ever TV series to hit screens
By JAKE PENKETHMAN
PAUL O'Grady is making a return to screen for his final ever TV project filmed before his death.
The TV legend recorded a final series of his Great Elephant Adventures before his death last year.
The beloved comedian and broadcaster died a year ago this month, shocking the TV world and leaving fans distraught.
Now it has been confirmed that fans will be able to tune into the show on Sunday 31 March.
It will be aired across two episodes after being the last show to be filmed after his death.
Paul was a devoted and well-known animal lover and had previously recorded a similar series in which he spent time with elephants called Paul O Grady's Animal Orphans in 2014.
The airing of the show is set to be bittersweet for his fans as they both relish getting to see him on screens once again whilst mourning the loss of such a legendary TV star.
Although Great Elephant Adventures will be the final series that Paul recorded before his untimely passing, he will still be seen on-screen in another special upcoming documentary.
ITV have confirmed they have commissioned a special programme looking at the life of Paul's alter-ego, Lily Savage.
Titled The Life and Death of Lily Savage, Paul's special doc will be told through the prism of his famous creation and set in the backdrop of 70s Britain.
For the first time Paul's daughter Sharyn Mousley will speak about her father in the doc.
The special will also reveal the real reason why Paul suddenly chose to kill his drag ego off after more than 20 years.