The funeral of Paul O’Grady takes place today as his family and friends gather to say their goodbyes to the beloved star.
For the Love of Dogs star Paul died on March 28 at the age of 67. His husband, Andre Portasio, said Paul died “unexpectedly but peacefully”.
On Thursday (April 20), Paul’s funeral will take place in Aldington, Kent. The service will be private, but Andre has invited locals to line the streets in honour of the star. Among Paul’s friends who are attending the service is Amanda Mealing, who shared a close bond with the star for 35 years.
View this post on Instagram
Paul O’Grady funeral
Holby City star Amanda shared a photo of herself to Instagram today. In the picture, Amanda is seen looking out of a car window in a black outfit with her hair in an updo.
She wrote: “On my way to share our last journey. The keeper of my secrets and soother of my fears. My greatest friend…I will miss you so. #PaulOGrady.”
Her followers offered their support in the comments. One person said: “Most of the country are with you in spirit today Amanda. We all felt we knew Paul, how lucky you were to call him a close dear friend.”
Another wrote: “Say goodbye from us all. He will be sorely missed by everyone.”
Paul’s husband confirms funeral details
Meanwhile, a third added: “A sad sad day. What a loss he is and even to people who didn’t know him.”
The keeper of my secrets and soother of my fears.
It comes after Andre revealed details of Paul’s funeral earlier this week. On Facebook, Andre wrote: “As a mark of respect and as Paul would have wanted, we will be holding a private funeral on Thursday, 20th April 2023. This information has not been made public, but I wanted to share it with local residents.”
He added: “While the funeral will be a private ceremony, as many of you know, Paul cared a lot about his local community. We have therefore requested that the funeral procession passes through Aldington before heading to the church, as a way of marking Paul’s affection for the area.”
Andre also said that locals are invited to pay their respects between 2.10pm and 2.45pm today. People have already began lining the streets in Aldington to pay their respects to the national treasure.
Read more: Paul O’Grady’s close friend makes heartbreaking confession ahead of star’s funeral today
Meanwhile, people are also reportedly set to gather in Birkenhead, where Paul was born. Speaking to The Wirral Globe, a fan of the star, Janine Ferguson, said: “The plan is for people to line the streets with their families and bring their dogs as a sign of respect. I’ve asked for all local rescue dogs and cats’ homes to attend as well so we can collect donations from everyone there.”
We’ll miss you, Paul.
Leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know what you think of our story.