After the tragic news of the star’s death this morning (March 29), messages of love and condolences have been pouring in for his family. A presence of stage, screen and radio, we look into his family life and whether Paul O’Grady was married or had any children.
Paul O’Grady had died unexpectedly aged 67, peacefully at home. Only hours before friends said that he had been full of life and surrounded by his dogs, a passion he had shared with the world. The TV icon has recently been touring with the stage production of Annie, something he was immensely proud of. In a matter of weeks, he was due to return to Boom Radio, having had a radio show for a number of years.
Since the sad news broke, fans, friends and colleagues have offered their shock and sadness at the sudden tragedy. However, one thing uniting all messages was the huge love and respect they had for the star. Not only was he a beacon of entertainment, but a huge advocate and activist for LGBT rights, having fought for HIV/AIDs awareness early on in his career. Paul rose to fame as Lily Savage, a drag persona, but in later years he presented shows such as Paul O’Grady’s For The Love Of Dogs and The Paul O’Grady show.
Unsurprisingly, people now want to know more about Paul and his private life.
Was Paul O’Grady Married?
Yes, Paul O’Grady was married twice in his life.
The star’s first marriage was to Teresa Fernades a Portuguese model. However, this was a marriage of convenience as they were both homosexual. The two married in 1977 to avoid Teresa’s deportation and pressure from her strict Catholic family. Although the two were never in a relationship, they didn’t legally divorce for 28 years, officially separating in 2005.
Speaking about his first marriage, Paul said that he only remembered it had happened when confronted with his future:
“I had no idea we were still married until my manager Brendan said: ‘If anything happened to you, everything would go to your wife. It’s like a real-life Corrie storyline.”
The two had lost contact over the years, but the TV star still described his former wife as “lovely.”
Paul O’Grady Married Andre Portasio
Paul married for a second time in 2017 when he tied the knot with a ballet dancer, Andre Portasio. The two had reportedly dated since 2006 and hadn’t considered getting married until a friend suggested it to the presenter.
“Julian [Clary] put the seed in my head. He said, ‘I’ve got married. You should.”
The idea then made sense to Paul. He wanted to ensure that Andre was protected if anything were to happen to him.
Though they two were officially more committed, Paul admitted that he and his 41-year-old husband “still fight like cat and dog.”
Paul O’Grady Has A Daughter And Grandchildren
Though Paul had been married twice, he had no children from either of his marriages.
Instead, Paul’s daughter, Sharon was born in 1974. The TV star shares his daughter with friend Diane Janson and the two had a close relationship. The proud father attended his daughter’s wedding, where he had some lovely words about the couple and the day — in typical Paul O’Grady style.
It was a really great day. Sharon looked fabulous and Philip is a smashing fella. They fit together like a pan and a lid,’ O’Grady said.
“Sharon wore a lovely floaty pale pink dress – because she looks shocking in white. She looked like a Disney princess.”
His daughter attended his own wedding and even accompanied him to receive his MBE too.
Not only is Paul a father, but also a grandfather. Sharon has two children, a son called Abel and a daughter called Halo who Paul also has a close relationship.
