Paul O’Grady died almost a year ago, leaving his fans, family, and his daughter devastated.
Now, his daughter, Sharyn Mousley, has spoken out since her father’s death.
Paul O’Grady daughter
Last year, Paul died at the age of 67. Now, as the first anniversary of his death approaches, his daughter Sharyn has spoken about being raised by the Lily Savage star.
Sharyn is the daughter of Paul and Diane Jansen and was born in 1974.
Paul was just 18 years old at the time. He and Diane were work colleagues and remained good friends following their brief relationship.
Speaking to the MailOnline in 2021, Paul revealed he wasn’t “equipped” to have a baby when he did.
“I’d just turned 18 when she [Sharyn] was born but I was going on five. I just wasn’t equipped for anything like that. But I was always in and out of her life. She was about ten or 12 when I met her properly and then she started to get to know me,” he said.
“She wanted to know everything about me. She’s in her 40s now and we’re very close, although we do fight. We argue because I recognise bits of her in me. I don’t like it. Like me, she’s got a mouth on her.”
Paul O’Grady’s grandchildren
Sharyn is a mother to two children, meaning Paul has two grandchildren – Abel and Halo. He previously opened up about them during the interview with the MailOnline.
“I hadn’t seen them for nearly two years because of Covid, then this big strapping 14-year-old boy comes in with a voice down there, followed by a slinky 11-year-old. You think, ‘Who are these huge monsters?’ I do feel very close to them, and I get very badly behaved with them – so much so that the adults tell me off,” he said.
New Paul O’Grady documentary on ITV
Next week a documentary about Paul’s life, titled The Life And Death Of Lily Savage, will air on ITV1. Amongst those taking part in the tribute show is Paul’s daughter, Sharyn.
Speaking on the show, Sharyn said: “People say to me now, ‘Isn’t it strange that Paul O’Grady’s your dad and Lily Savage?’ And I say, ‘I don’t know any different.'”
“I remember going to the shop for him, and the guy would say, ‘Are you coming in for your dad’s tights?’ and I’d be like ‘Yeah, have you got tan and black?’ That was just normal,” she then continued.
“He used to leave me in the flat and go to work and I used to love looking at his makeup. I remember walking round the flat in his thigh-high boots thinking I was so grown up. I think I was about 13.”
One anecdote sees Sharyn reminisce about a time her father did some fire eating for her birthday party.
“This was in my mum’s little flat and there were all scorch marks on the ceiling, and all the girls were screaming, ‘It’s a fire, it’s a fire!’ I was mortified, but he’s still blowing fire. I mean, I was seven — I wanted a clown,” she said.
Sharyn on growing up with Lily Savage star Paul
However, in the doc, Sharyn confessed she wasn’t allowed to meet Paul’s alter ego, Lily Savage for some time.
“I wasn’t allowed to see a lot of Lily when I was little, I think because of the language. And I didn’t understand a lot of the jokes anyway,” she said.
“As I got older I went to see Lily. It was a lot to take in because he was my dad and, at the end of the day, he’s in six-inch heels in a massive blonde wig,” she then continued.
“Lily had a vile tongue. I mean, my dad did as well, but he got away with more dressed as a character. He could say things he couldn’t say as Paul, so he got away with murder,” she added.
She went on to say that she believes her father didn’t know he was gay when she was born.
“I think he didn’t know if he was gay or straight when I was born. Then he went to London and started a new career,” she said.
Paul O’Grady death
Following her father’s death last year, Sharyn spoke out, admitting she was “devastated” by his passing.
“What can I say? We are all devastated, I am, my mum is, everyone is. We loved him and we will miss him,” she said.
She then added: “We are all distraught.”
At the funeral, which took place in April of last year, Sharyn left her dad a note, revealing the sweet nickname she had for him.
“Gongan, we miss you so much, Abel and Halo will never forget you,” she wrote. “Your little teddy is with you. I love you.”
Paul’s grandson carried his Lily Savage wig during the funeral too.
Read more: Paul O’Grady ‘left thousands for his beloved dogs in his will’
The Life and Death of Lily Savage airs on ITV1 and ITVX on Friday, March 29.
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