It was an emotional Saturday night as many tuned in to watch a Paul O’Grady tribute on BBC One.
The channel opted to swap its usual edition of Blankety Blank with a classic from the 90s, hosted by Paul’s drag persona Lily Savage.
BBC swapped the episodes following Paul’s death earlier this week.
Lily Savage: Blankety Blank tribute
The episode saw the acid-tongued drag queen take aim at celebrities like Davina McCall and Sir Ian McKellen.
Many viewers took to Twitter to pay their respects to Paul as Blankety Blank aired.
“The realisation the ACTUAL Paul O’Grady is gone has only just set in,” wrote one viewer. “It’s still unbelievable to me?”
“I literally cried at the end,” added a second. “Gone but never forgotten.”
“Really enjoyed watching this tonight,” said a third. “Tears of laughter and tears of loss. Rest in peace, Paul.”
“That old ep of Blankety Blank was sooo funny!” a fourth chuckled. “It was good to have a few laughs this evening. Lily was a firecracker!”
I literally cried at the end. Gone but never forgotten.
And a fifth agreed: “Well that was a lovely bit of nostalgia, with quite a few tears thrown in.”
Many are now calling the BBC to put classic episodes of Blankety Blank on BBC iPlayer.
Paul O’Grady death
The devastating news about Paul’s death was announced this week.
In a statement, his husband Andre Portasio said: “It is with great sadness that I inform you that Paul has passed away unexpectedly but peacefully yesterday evening.
“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.
“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.”
Read more: Paul O’Grady’s marriage ‘saved him’ reveals Christopher Biggins
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