The Birkenhead-born comic will feature in a short film for the official opening of the Eurovision Song Contest, which is taking place in Liverpool, on behalf of Ukraine. The couple were wed in 1977, O’Grady later saying that he married her to prevent her from being deported. He thanked the community in local Facebook groups and said their “kind messages, beautiful flowers and thoughtful texts of condolences have brought me comfort and solace during this difficult time”.

He had been married to partner Andre Portasio since 2017, although the pair had been in a relationship since 2005.

O’Grady did not have children with Teresa, although he had a daughter Sharon, with his friend Diane Jansen. However at the time of his death he and Portasio were sharing their home with five dogs – Arfur, Conchita, Eddie, Nancy and Sausage, known as Soz. Paul O’Grady’s funeral recently took place in Bonnington, Kent, with mourners lining the streets in nearby Aldington – his adopted home of more than 20 years – to pay their respects. After his death, friend Christopher Biggins said that the “gorgeous” ballet dancer had a huge impact on “rogue” Paul.

O’Grady, who sprang to fame as his beloved drag alter ego Lily Savage, went on to present The Big Breakfast before fronting The Paul O’Grady Show, Blind Date, Blankety Blank, and ITV’s multi-award-winning For The Love Of Dogs. A well-known animal lover who kept dogs, pigs, bats, ferrets and more at his farm in Kent, O’Grady also presented the award-winning show For The Love Of Dogs.His husband, Andre Portasio, confirmed in a statement that O’Grady died “unexpectedly but peacefully” on Tuesday evening. Everyone whose lives he touched will miss him greatly, as will those who enjoyed his wit and admired his compassion”.

We ask, at this difficult time, that whilst you celebrate his life you also respect our privacy as we come to terms with this loss,” Portasio said in a statement. Days ago, O’Grady had finished a stint playing Miss Hannigan in the musical Annie and was set to resume the role in performances around the UK and Ireland later this year. Tributes poured in for O’Grady in the days following his death, including from Queen Camilla, who worked closely with him in their support of Battersea Dogs and Cats Home. His dogs also became TV stars, with another rescue, Buster, appearing alongside him on several programmes including chat show The Paul O’Grady Show. He later adopted Boycie, a shih-tzy in 2014; Conchita, a Maltese in 2015; Arfur, a mongrel puppy in 2017; Nancy, another mongrel puppy in 2020; and Sausage, a wire-haired dachshund in 2021.Paul was also granddad to Sharon’s two children, son Abel, who was born in 2006, and daughter Halo, born in 2009. A statement by Portasio said: “It is with great sadness that I inform you that Paul has passed away unexpectedly but peacefully yesterday evening. He was also a patron of Orangutan Appeal UK and won an RSPCA Animal Hero award for his “outstanding contribution to animal welfare”. By 1978, he was developing his drag act Lily Savage in gay clubs, basing the loud-mouthed single mother and occasional sex worker on female relatives. O’Grady was formerly married to Portuguese model Teresa Fernandes – but he admitted that it was a ‘marriage of convenience’, and they were not in an active relationship.