Paul O’Grady death: Queen Consort leads tributes to ‘brilliant’ comedian and ‘fearless’ campaigner
The Queen Consort has said she is “deeply saddened” at the death of Paul O’Grady after the TV star died “unexpectedly but peacefully” on Tuesday evening.
Camilla said his “warm heart and infectious humour lit up the lives of so many”, according to Palace sources, who added she would be sharing her sympathies with the star’s family privately in due course.
They added that she had a special bond with O’Grady and worked closely with him in their support of Battersea Dogs & Cats Home.
The Royal Family’s official Twitter account paid tribute to O’Grady, posting an image of Camilla with the star.
It read: “Deeply saddened to hear of the death of Paul O’Grady, who worked closely with Her Majesty in support of @Battersea_, providing lots of laughter and many waggy-tailed memories.”
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Paul O’Grady: Funny and serious
Long-time friend and producer, Malcolm Prince, said he had visited O’Grady at his home only yesterday.
“I popped round to Paul’s for a good old catch-up. Surrounded by his beloved dogs, he was laughing smiling and full of life. He was looking forward to so many new projects,” he said.
“And now he’s gone I can’t believe it. We have lost a unique talent – and I’ve lost a dear friend. We were all lucky to have Paul in our lives.”
O’Grady’s career spanned more than 30 years, during which he hosted The Paul O’Grady Show, Blind Date and For The Love Of Dogs
ITV presenter Lorraine Kelly described O’Grady as “a really special man”.
She said he was “funny, fearless, brave, kind and wise” and “will be sorely missed”.
Commenting on O’Grady’s affectionate nature towards animals, she added: “I always think dogs are the best judge of character and they ADORED him.”
Gavin & Stacey star Rob Brydon said O’Grady was “a lovely, warm and caring man with a lightning fast and devastating wit”. “What terrible news,” he added.
Amanda Holden described O’Grady as “brilliantly opinionated, searingly sharp and very funny”.
Human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell echoed their sentiments, highlighting how much O’Grady contributed to the LGBT+ voice.
Mr Tatchell said: “Paul wasn’t just a brilliant comedian and broadcast personality but a much-admired campaigner for LGBT+ equality and animal rights.”
Money-saving expert Martin Lewis tweeted: “Quite shocked and saddened to wake up to the news of Paul O’Grady passing. A funny man, with incredibly quick wit, who made millions laugh.”
“Already giving them raucous, ripping up the rulebook, mischief making, calling it out, loving hell in heaven,” wrote TV presenter Carol Vorderman.
“Paul, what are we meant to do without you?”
Battersea Dogs & Cats Home described O’Grady as a “devoted animal lover” and a “champion for the underdog”.
The organisation, for which the TV star was an ambassador, praised his “razor-sharp humour and perpetual generosity and warmth”.
The late Queen with Paul O’Grady at Battersea Dogs and Cats Home in London in 2015
Its chief executive Peter Laurie said: “Battersea will forever remember Paul as a devoted animal lover with the biggest heart, who fell head over heels in love with every dog he met at our centres.
“Paul will always be associated with Battersea and we are truly saddened to have lost such a true friend and huge part of our charity.”
Paul O’Grady being handed an OBE by then Prince Charles in 2008
Comedian Sooz Kempner said: “We all grew up watching Lily Savage (I can remember watching her on The Big Breakfast and my mum proper laughing) but it’s only in more recent years I realised what an incredible life Paul had had. What a loss!”
Actor John Barrowman tweeted: “I am totally shocked and sad to hear the awful news that Paul O’Grady has died. An awesome talent stretching decades. From watching him as Lily Savage at the Vauxhall Tavern to sitting with him laughing backstage at West End Bares to being a guest on his @itv Paul O’Grady show…”
Paul O’Grady with rescue dogs at London’s Battersea Park
TV presenter Les Dennis said O’Grady was “a true comedy great”, adding his “twinkly, mischievous presence” would be missed.
Fellow broadcaster Vernon Kay said O’Grady was “always a joy to be around” and described the star as “one of the best”.
Meanwhile, presenter Toby Anstis said O’Grady was “hugely talented” and “the warmest, loveliest man”.
“Loved by so many, gone too soon,” he added.
Danny Beard, winner of the fourth series of Ru Paul’s Drag Race UK, said O’Grady was “the most important person in British culture for drag”.
“I don’t think there’s anyone who does the job that I do that doesn’t class Paul as an icon,” Beard told BBC Breakfast.
O’Grady next to a costume of his alter ego Lily Savage at Liverpool’s Walker Art Gallery
“Paul was a trailblazer, they were on telly just after the AIDS crisis.
“They’ve been the most important person, I think, in British culture for drag, for the queer community.
“This is a really sad loss today.”
The crash involving a cargo ship and oil tanker off the East Yorkshire coast is bad news for the sea, fish and air in the area. What we don’t know yet is quite how bad it will be.
That depends on a few things – but the speed of the collision, clouds of filthy black smoke from the fires and the leaked fuel are certainly worrying.
Firstly, it matters what was on board those two massive vessels.
Follow live: Jet fuel spilling into sea after tanker collision
Analytics firm Vortexa estimates the 183m-long tanker was carrying about 130,000 barrels of jet fuel (kerosene), which is now leaking into the sea.
Jet fuel is not as sticky or viscous as heavier types of oil, thankfully, so it’s less likely to clog the feathers and fur of birds and seals. It can also be broken down by natural bacteria.
But it can still poison fish and kill animals and plants on the shoreline if it makes its way into the soil there.
The Marine Conservation Society has pointed out the site in the Humber estuary is close to some protected areas and is important for seabirds and harbour porpoises.
And both ships will have been powered by a dirtier, heavier kind of oil – likely marine gas oil or heavy fuel oil, though we don’t know the details yet.
Heavy fuel oil is nasty stuff.
Pic: Bartek Smialek/PA
Cheap, thick and tar-like, it can smother animals and is very dangerous if they consume it, and is extremely difficult to clean up. Let’s hope this isn’t creeping around the North Sea already.
We don’t know how much of either the jet fuel or the oil powering the ships has leaked, or how much will be burned off in the violent fires – which themselves are ploughing black smoke and filthy air pollution into the surrounding atmosphere.
And we don’t know for sure what was on the Solong cargo ship and if, or what, will go into the sea.
Cargo ship ‘had sodium cyanide on board’
It was carrying 15 containers of sodium cyanide among other cargo, according to a report from maritime data provider Lloyd’s List Intelligence.
The container vessel was also transporting an unknown quantity of alcohol, said the casualty report – an assessment of incidents at sea – citing a message from the local coastguard.
Plastic takes hundreds of years to break down, and potentially can choke or trap animals.
Many of us have seen that uncomfortable viral video of a turtle having a straw yanked out of its nose. Previous accidents on cargo ships have seen plastic Lego pieces wash up in Cornwall 25 years later.
Read more:
How UK North Sea platforms dump gas
Secondly, the impact depends on the sea and weather conditions around it.
Things like the wind and currents affect how an oil spill spreads in the sea. Scientists can draw up computer models to simulate how the oil could behave.
Thirdly, it matters how quickly this is all tackled and then cleaned up, if necessary, and if it can be.
Usually the slower the response, the worse the impact.
The coastguard has said the incident “remains ongoing” and it has started assessing the “likely counter pollution response” that will be required.
Such a response might need the help of numerous public bodies: the government environment department, the transport department, the Environment Agency and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.
So for now the best we can hope for – aside from the welfare of the people involved – is that not all the oil is spilled or burnt, that conditions are calm and that rescuers and those cleaning up can work swiftly.
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