Paul O'Grady health issues explored as comedian dies aged 67

Presenter and comedian Paul O'Grady tragically passed away at the age of 67. The news of his demise was confirmed in a statement by his husband Andre Portasio, who shared that O'Grady died “unexpectedly but peacefully.”

The statement read:

“It is with great sadness that I inform you that Paul has passed away unexpectedly but peacefully yesterday evening.”

Portasio also thanked the admirers and supporters of O’Grady on his late husband’s behalf as he said:

“He will be greatly missed by his loved ones, friends, family, animals and all those who enjoyed his humour, wit and compassion. I know that he would want me to thank you for all the love you have shown him over the years.”

O’Grady and Portasio reportedly tied the knot in a low-key wedding ceremony in 2017. Prior to his death, the comedian was on tour playing Miss Hannigan in the musical Annie. A few weeks ago, Paul O'Grady took to Instagram to share that he was “thoroughly enjoying” playing the role again after so long, “especially with a truly amazing and lovely cast.”

In August 2022, Paul O'Grady left his role as a broadcaster on Radio 2, mentioning that he was unhappy about sharing his Sunday afternoon slot. However, he was due to present on Boom Radio on the occasion of Easter Sunday.

One of O'Grady’s most recent TV appearances was with Queen Consort Camilla for a 2022 one-off episode of For the Love of Dogs. Reports suggest that the comedian helped launch the series in 2012 alongside staff at Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, an organization where he served as an ambassador.

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Paul O'Grady suffered two heart attacks in his life

Prior to his death, Paul O'Grady opened up about his health issues following a long COVID diagnosis (Image via Getty Images)

Comedian Paul O'Grady recently passed away “unexpectedly but peacefully.” While his death was tragically sudden, the media personality previously expressed concerns over his health.

O'Grady suffered two heart attacks during his life and had an incredibly difficult battle with COVID-19. In an interview with Mirror UK, the presenter shared that he contracted the virus in Malta, and was unable to work for two months as the disease left him “wheezing.”

The comedian asked his cardiologist to perform the required tests. He was diagnosed with “recovering COVID” following an X-ray scan. The results made O'Grady fear he might never recover and things took a turn for the worse after he was forced to take time off from work due to persistent symptoms.

The presenter suffered from the symptoms after filming the second series of Sally Lindsay’s The Madame Blanc Mysteries in Malta and fell “really ill.”

As per Mirror, he said:

“I managed to escape COVID until last year and then I caught it. I didn’t half get it; I was really ill. It wiped me out. I was shocked at how bad I was. I [took] a good two months getting over it. My breath had gone.”

Paul O'Grady reportedly spent the summer at his farm in Kent while recovering from his health issues.

He continued:

“I’d go out to feed the pigs and I’d have to sit down two or three times on my way there, wheezing. All I did was sleep. I’d wake up, go downstairs and sit on the couch and then pass out for another four hours.”

The comedian went on to elaborate on his routine and said he “felt terrible” about his health condition. He also recalled how he felt like he was “dying” after the initial symptoms.

He mentioned:

“We got one day’s filming in the can and that night I felt a bit off and then the next day I felt like I was dying. I had a vicious headache and a terrible cough. I spent nine days in a hostel room going slowly around the bend.”

He said that he felt better after flying back home but ended up sick once again after a few days.

The 67-year-old said he was thankful that the battle came to an end after two months but shared that his experience was not pleasant:

“Thank God I’m over it now, but at one time I thought: ‘Is this ever going to go? Am I ever going to get my energy back and stop being tired?' It wasn’t pleasant.”

Paul O'Grady’s sudden demise left his family, friends, colleagues, industry associates, and admirers heartbroken. The immediate cause of his death is yet to be made known to the public at the time of this writing.