Comedian pauses live show to read final texts from late Paul O'Grady in touching tribute
Comedian Julian Clary paused his live show in Liverpool to pay tribute to the late Merseyside icon Paul O'Grady. Julian, who was a close friend of the TV star, shared some of the final messages he exchanged with Paul before his death last year and touching anecdotes about their friendship.
Paul, who was born in Birkenhead, died aged 67 in March 2023. Julian delivered a heartwarming eulogy at his funeral the following month.
A year on from his death, Julian has continued to pay tribute to Paul. During his Sunday night (28 April) show at Philharmonic Hall in Liverpool, Julian paused his performance to honour his friend.
Writing about the stand-up tour critic Cheryl Mullin writes in the Liverpool Echo: "Not all the jokes land - the tennis-like 'resting' segments are a bit odd - but the comedian's delivery is so delicious, it doesn't matter.
"But the tone shifts when he mentions his good friend Paul O'Grady. He tells the audience, "I'm just going to pause a moment", and goes on to share some memories of his dear friend," reports the Mirror.
Cheryl wrote: "He tells us that 'Savage' would often ring him up, and they'd spend an hour and a half on the phone, starting with a rant about someone - or something - that had got under his skin, but the calls would always end in laughter. He then shares some of the text messages Paul sent him - including some sage advice for his 60th birthday - and concludes the segment with a touching song dedicated to the much-loved entertainer."
Just last month, Julian paid a heartfelt tribute to his late friend on national TV, reminiscing about the "natural kindness" and "random generosity" that characterised their friendship. Ahead of an ITV documentary celebrating the life of the beloved comedian, he spoke warmly of Paul's kind-hearted nature.
In anticipation of the documentary The Life and Death of Lily Savage, which aired over the Easter weekend, Julian appeared on The One Show to discuss the feature.
During his stint on the BBC show, he opened up to hosts Alex Jones and Jermaine Jenas about the profound impact Paul had on those around him, emphasising his spontaneous acts of kindness and support for both major charities and individuals.
Reflecting on his own experiences with Paul, Julian fondly remembered: "He was just full of natural kindness and random generosity, y'know, as well as the big charities, he was always helping people.
"He was very kind to me as well, not that I was an underdog, but when I moved in nearby him, he came round with a basket full of eco-friendly cleaning products and a shepherd's pie.
"And the house was very cold [but] the next day a lorry arrived with a vintage 1920's Rayburn oven on it - warmed the whole house up."
