Paul O'Grady

Paul James O'Grady, MBE DL (14 June 1955 - 28 March 2023) was an English comedian, television presenter, actor, writer and radio disc jockey. He achieved fame using his comedic drag queen character, "Lily Savage", and later became well known for presenting TV programmes as himself, such as The Paul O'Grady Show. Born to a working-class Irish family in Birkenhead, he attended Blessed Edward Campion Secondary Modern School, in Claughton Village, Birkenhead, Cheshire (now Merseyside). O'Grady moved to London in the late-1970s, there working as a peripatetic care officer for Camden Council. It was here in 1978 that he developed his drag act, basing the character of Lily Savage upon traits found amongst female relatives. Touring northern England as part of drag mime duo, the Playgirls, he eventually went solo as a stand-up comedian. Performing as Savage for eight years at a South London gay pub, the Royal Vauxhall Tavern (RVT), he gained a popular following among the city's gay community and used his character to speak out for LGBT rights. After being nominated for a 1992 Perrier Award, he attracted mainstream attention and made various television, radio, and theatrical appearances. As Savage, he presented morning chat show The Big Breakfast (1995–96), game show Blankety Blank (1997–2002) and comedy series Lily Live! (2000–01), earning various awards and becoming a well known public figure. Seeking to diversify his career away from Savage, O'Grady starred in BBC sitcom Eyes Down (2003–04) and presented two travel documentaries for ITV. In 2004, he began presenting ITV's daytime chat show The Paul O'Grady Show, which proved a hit with audiences. After the network refused to transfer creative control of the series to O'Grady's production company, Olga TV, in 2006 he defected to rival Channel 4, where the show was rebranded as The New Paul O'Grady Show and ran until 2009. O'Grady subsequently presented a late night ITV show, Paul O'Grady Live (2010–11) as well as Paul O'Grady: For the Love of Dogs (which ran from 2012 until his death in 2023) and Paul O'Grady's Animal Orphans (2014–2016), while presenting BBC Radio 2's Paul O'Grady on the Wireless and publishing a four-volume autobiography. O'Grady received a variety of awards, among them honorary degrees and an MBE in the 2008 Birthday Honours for services to entertainment. He died on 28th March 2023 aged 67.

Works

Doctor Who

The Doctor is a Time Lord: a 900 year old alien with 2 hearts, part of a gifted civilization who mastered time travel. The Doctor saves planets for a living—more of a hobby actually, and the Doctor's very, very good at it.

Release Date2005-03-26

Charactersd Paul O'Grady

Episode Count1

Vote Count3390

Top of the Pops

The biggest stars, the most iconic performances, the most outrageous outfits – it’s Britain’s number one pop show.

Release Date1964-01-01

Charactersd Lilly Savage (Host)

Episode Count1

Vote Count43

Parkinson

Michael Parkinson returns for a second run of his iconic talk show.

Release Date1998-01-09

Charactersd Lily Savage

Episode Count1

Playhouse Presents

Playhouse Presents is a series of self-contained TV plays, made by British broadcaster Sky Arts. The series started airing on 12 April 2012, on Sky Arts 1. Each episode is written by a different writer with a different cast.

Release Date2012-04-12

DepartmentWriting

JobWriter

Charactersd Neville

Episode Count1

Vote Count1

Blankety Blank

Blankety Blank is a British comedy game show based on the 1977–1979 Australian game show Blankety Blanks. The British version ran from 18 January 1979 to 12 March 1990 on BBC One, hosted first by Terry Wogan and later by Les Dawson. Regular members of the celebrity panel on this version included Kenny Everett, Lorraine Chase, Gareth Hunt, Gary Davies, and Cheryl Baker. A revival fronted by Lily Savage was produced by the BBC from 26 December 1997 to 28 December 1999, followed by ITV from 7 January 2001 to 10 August 2002. This version was produced by Grundy, then Thames.

Release Date1979-01-18

Charactersd Lily Savage - Presenter

Episode Count78

Vote Count8

The New Statesman

The New Statesman is a British sitcom of the late 1980s and early 1990s satirising the Conservative government of the time.

Release Date1987-09-13

Charactersd Marlene Dietrich

Episode Count1

Vote Count51

The Madame Blanc Mysteries

Jean White is an antiques dealer who runs a successful business with her husband, Rory. But when he suddenly dies and leaves her nearly penniless, Jean relocates to their one remaining asset - a cottage in French antiques hub Saint Victoire - and begins investigating Rory's mysterious death.

Release Date2021-10-16

Charactersd David

Episode Count1

Vote Count28

Eyes Down

Eyes Down is a comedy starring Paul O'Grady as Ray Temple, the manager of a bingo hall in Liverpool, England called The Rio, although the series was filmed in Rayners Lane in London. Although it had moderate ratings, the programme only lasted for two series until it was cancelled by the BBC in 2004. The show was written by Angela Clarke and directed by Christine Gernon.

Release Date2003-08-15

Charactersd Ray Temple

Episode Count15

Vote Count5

The Big Breakfast

The Big Breakfast was a British light entertainment television show shown on Channel 4 and S4C each weekday morning from 28 September 1992 until 29 March 2002 during which period 2,482 shows were produced. The Big Breakfast was produced by Planet 24, the production company co-owned by former Boomtown Rats singer and Live Aid organiser Bob Geldof. The programme was distinctive for broadcasting live from former lockkeepers' cottages commonly referred to as "The Big Breakfast House", or more simply, "The House", located on Fish Island, in Bow in east London. The show was a mix of news, weather, interviews, audience phone-ins and general features, with a light tone which was in competition with the more serious GMTV and even more serious BBC breakfast programmes.

Release Date1992-09-28

Charactersd Lilly Savage (On the Bed Interviewer)

Vote Count6

In the Name of the Father

A small-time Belfast thief, Gerry Conlon, is wrongly convicted of an IRA bombing in London, along with his father and friends, and spends 15 years in prison fighting to prove his innocence.

Release Date1993-12-27

Charactersd Prisoner

Vote Count1990

Chimera

A journalist investigates the death of his girlfriend at a fertility clinic where she worked and uncovers a plot to create a new breed of human based on crossing the genetics of man and ape.

Release Date1991-07-07

Charactersd Donaldson

Episode Count4

Vote Count4

Paul O'Grady's Saturday Night Line Up

Paul and members of the studio audience ask celebrity guests intriguing questions, scenarios and dilemmas. The guests then line-up in order of how they would answer the question from best to worst, most likely to least likely etc.

Release Date2021-09-11

DepartmentCreator

JobCreator

Charactersd Self - Presenter

Episode Count[ 7 ]

Vote Count1

Lily Live!

Lily Live! is a flamboyant live/scripted comedy show which was made by Carlton Television, which was broadcast for two series on ITV in 2000 and 2001 starring Paul O'Grady as Lily Savage. The show guest-starred the club act Gayle Tuesday and the actress Jayne Tunnicliffe.

Release Date2000-09-02

Charactersd Lily Savage

Episode Count13

Filth!

In the late Eighties, there had been a series of comedy concerts (modelled on the Amnesty International “Secret Policeman’s Ball series”) to raise both awareness and raw cash for HIV/AIDS charities. The series was called Hysteria to reflect the hysteria (and downright untruths) surrounding the issue of HIV/AIDS. The last one of these had been in 1989, so in 1994, Pozzitive set out to revive the idea of a fundraiser with “Filth!” a night of comedy and music at the Sadlers Wells theatre, on Sunday 24 April. In fact, so many comedians and writers said “yes” to the idea, that we hit on the notion of doing two shows in one evening back to back. The first show was hosted by Lynn Ferguson and Arthur Smith, the second show by Mark Lamarr. Artists involved in the show included Tom Robinson, Steve Coogan, Spitting Image, Eddie Izzard, Jo Brand, Jeremy Hardy and Ben Elton.

Release Date1994-04-24

DepartmentWriting

JobWriter

Charactersd Lily Savage

The Lily Savage Show

Release Date1997-11-16

Charactersd Lily Savage

Episode Count6

Vote Count1

County Kilburn

Along the kilometre stretch of Kilburn High road in London, there are twenty-eight pubs: that's one every thirty-six metres. Populated predominantly by the Irish, this area has come to be known as County Kilburn. Here we witness the loves, lives and laughs of a disparate group of dreamers, losers and ever-hopefuls.

Release Date2000-08-17

Charactersd Paul O'Grady

Vote Count1

Fairest of Them All

Animated short set in the dressing room of several drag artists.

Release Date1994-12-31

Charactersd Lily Savage (voice)

Vote Count3

Lily Savage: Live And Outrageous

From her Lambeth council flat to top billing on television and the West End stage comes the Scouse bombshell who's shaken British comedy to it's foundations; Lily Savage is live, loud and very, very funny.

Release Date1995-07-20

Charactersd Lily Savage

Vote Count1

Lily Savage Live: Paying the Rent

Multi award-winning TV personality Paul O'Grady stars as Lily Savage, the Scouse bombshell who catapulted him to superstardom. From her Lambeth Council flat to top billing on television and on the West End stage, this stand-up special spans Lily's career from her 1959 Miss Pears triumph to numerous shop-lifting convictions and finally her international sex-kitten status.

Release Date1993-03-10

Charactersd Lily Savage/Kitty Kelly

Vote Count1

The Untransmittable Lily Savage Show

A specially created compilation of unused material from her incredibly successful 1998 BBC series

Release Date1997-11-24

DepartmentWriting

JobWriter

Charactersd Lily Savage

Lily Savage Live from the Hackney Empire

This made-for-TV film, was Lily Savage's first foray into the world of video. Although the working-class, Birkenhead born tart-with-a-heart had already appeared on television briefly (on Jonathan Ross' chat show, and the news footage of the 'Poll Tax Riots', if we can believe her!), Lily, alas Paul O'Grady in drag, hadn't yet hit the mainstream of things, and was still largely confined to the clubs, so this venue was one of their first big engagements.

Release Date1991-10-01

Charactersd Lily Savage

Vote Count1

Lily Savage: The Live Show

Lily Savage performs her first live tour in four years, captured here at the 1998 Edinburgh Festival. Lily pulls no punches in an act designed to demonstrate that, despite her mainstream television breakthrough with 'Blankety Blank', she is still as outrageous as ever.

Release Date1998-01-01

Charactersd Lily Savage

The Graham Norton Show

Each week celebrity guests join Irish comedian Graham Norton to discuss what's being going on around the world that week. The guests poke fun and share their opinions on the main news stories. Graham is often joined by a band or artist to play the show out.

Release Date2007-02-22

Charactersd Self

Episode Count2

Vote Count280

The Paul O'Grady Show

The Paul O'Grady Show is a British comedy chat show hosted by Birkenhead-born comedian Paul O'Grady. The format was originally devised by Granada Television and was broadcast on ITV before moving to Channel 4, where the show was produced by Olga TV. The programme is a teatime chat show consisting of a mixture of celebrity guests, comic stunts, musical performances, and occasionally viewer competitions.

Release Date2004-10-11

Charactersd Self - Host

Episode Count764

Vote Count12

An Audience with...

An Audience with... is a British entertainment television show produced by London Weekend Television, in which a host, usually a singer or comedian, performs for an invited audience of celebrity guests, interspersed with questions from the audience, in a light hearted revue/tribute style.

Release Date1978-01-08

Charactersd Self

Episode Count2

Vote Count3

Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway

A gameshow hosted by Ant and Dec filled with stunts, sketches, and special guest appearances.

Release Date2002-06-08

Charactersd Self

Episode Count1

Vote Count42

Friday Night with Jonathan Ross

Jonathan Ross's take on current topics of conversation, guest interviews and live music from both a guest music group and the house band.

Release Date2001-11-02

Charactersd Self

Episode Count2

Vote Count27

Harry Hill's TV Burp

The big-collared comic gives his own spin on TV clips from recent programmes, plus contributions from a set of regular characters

Release Date2002-11-14

Charactersd Self - Special Guest

Episode Count1

Vote Count26

Kate Garraway's Life Stories

Celebrities open up to Kate Garraway in intimate and moving interviews.

Release Date2009-02-22

Charactersd Self

Episode Count1

Vote Count9

Smash Hits Poll Winners Party

Release Date1988-01-01

Charactersd Self

Episode Count1

Good Morning Britain

The latest news, sport, and weather from the UK in this daily breakfast show.

Release Date2014-04-28

Charactersd Self

Episode Count1

Vote Count9

For the Love of Dogs

Alison Hammond carries on Paul O'Grady's incredible legacy, following the ups & downs of life at Battersea Dogs & Cats Home.

Release Date2012-09-03

Charactersd Self - Host

Episode Count94

Vote Count4

Let's Dance for Comic Relief

Celebrities perform famous dance routines in front of a panel of judges to raise money for the Comic Relief appeal, with viewers voting for their favourites.

Release Date2009-02-21

Charactersd Self

Episode Count1

Vote Count3

Alan Carr's Celebrity Ding Dong

Alan Carr's Celebrity Ding Dong was an entertainment show on Channel 4, presented by Alan Carr. During the first series, voice-over commentary in between rounds on the scores is provided by Leslie Phillips. From Series 2, the announcer is Peter Dickson. Season was released onto DVD in 2008. Due to the success of Alan Carr: Chatty Man it has been announced that the show would not return for a third series.

Release Date2008-02-01

Charactersd Self

Episode Count1

Vote Count1

This Morning

This Morning features a variety of news, as well as show business, fashion, beauty, lifestyle, home and garden, food, tech, live phone-ins, and competitions.

Release Date1988-10-03

Charactersd Self

Episode Count2

Vote Count23

The British Soap Awards

The British Soap Awards are an annual awards ceremony in the United Kingdom which honours the best moments in British soap operas. The ceremony is televised on ITV.

Release Date1999-05-15

Charactersd Self - Presenter

Episode Count2

Viva Cabaret

Viva Cabaret is a late night comedy variety television show that aired on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom from 14 April 1993 to 24 June 1994. The series was filmed in a sound stage in West London, with the set designed to resemble a cabaret club. The programme's house band included drummer Ray Weston (of Wishbone Ash) and members of Pink Floyd's touring band. The first episode, which debuted on 14 April 1993, was hosted by Tom Jones. Subsequent hosts included Julian Clary, Mark Lamarr, Mike McShane, Jools Holland, Mark Thomas, Eartha Kitt, Paul O'Grady as Lily Savage, and Lee Evans. Competition for slots on the show was intense, with many stars of the British alternative comedy circuit hoping to make an appearance. In addition to the show's British stars, regular international guests included Americans Greg Proops and Sandra Bernhard, and Australia's Doug Anthony All Stars.

Release Date1993-04-14

Charactersd Self

Episode Count5

Vote Count1

Our Cilla

Tribute to entertainer Cilla Black.

Release Date2015-12-25

Charactersd Self

Vote Count2

Stanley Baxter: Now and Then

Comedy legend Stanley Baxter returns from retirement and returns to the Christmas schedules with a trawl through the very best of his classic sketches and routines, his memories of making the shows, plus some brand new material, including his contemporary take on the Queen's Christmas Message to the Commonwealth.

Release Date2008-12-25

Charactersd Self

Maisie

After 50 years in the business, Mr. David Raven still performs as 'Maisie Trollette', Britain's Oldest Drag Artiste. But as his 85th birthday approaches, we see the challenges this brings, and when he meets fellow Drag Queen, Darcelle XV from America, Guinness World Record Holder at 87, professional rivalries flare between our feisty Pantomime Dame and the regal Pageant Queen.

Release Date2022-08-05

Charactersd Self

Vote Count2

Paul O'Grady's Animal Orphans

Paul O'Grady visits Zambia and South Africa on the trail of young animals which have been orphaned in the wild, either through the actions of poachers or through farming forcing them out of their natural habitats.

Release Date2014-01-14

Charactersd Self

Episode Count8

Vote Count1

Paul O'Grady's Great British Escape

In this brand new six-part ITV series, presenter Paul O’Grady shares the beautiful sights, stories and secrets of his beloved adopted home county, Kent. With foreign holidays off the cards, Paul’s heading off in search of thrills, spills and misadventure on his very own doorstep, from his Kent farm. He will escape across all corners of the county to discover the weird, wonderful, extraordinary and unusual gems that Kent has to offer. From exploring some of the county’s extraordinary scenery and wildlife to unearthing quirky tales of local history and tradition – Paul is on a mission to share the ultimate Kent staycation and lots of laughter along the way.

Release Date2020-11-11

Charactersd Self - Presenter

Episode Count6

An Evening with Lily Savage

Enjoy the outrageous and flamboyant First Lady of British Comedy, Lily Savage, as she performs her incredibly hysterical live show before a star-studded audience.

Release Date1996-11-11

DepartmentWriting

JobWriter

Charactersd Self

Vote Count1

Paul O'Grady: For the Love of Dogs - India

Paul O'Grady travels to India to follow the work of a rescue charity caring for dogs in need.

Release Date2018-04-26

Charactersd Self - Host

Episode Count4

Vote Count1

Paul O'Grady's Great Elephant Adventure

Paul O’Grady’s Great Elephant Adventure is a two-part series following Paul as he travels through Thailand and Laos to celebrate the wonderful work done by elephant conservation centres to rescue, rehabilitate and protect these most majestic, but vulnerable, of animals. Filmed in the months before his sudden and unexpected death, this was Paul’s final TV project and one that he was incredibly passionate about.

Release Date2024-03-31

Charactersd Self

Episode Count2

Vote Count1

The National Television Awards Celebrate 25 Years

This one-hour special documentary celebrates 25 star-studded years of the National Television Awards, with contributions from stars including Graham Norton and Simon Cowell.

Release Date2020-01-07

Charactersd Self

Our Cilla: The One and Only

Doumentary telling the story of Cilla Black, who rose from working-class roots in Liverpool to become one of the nation's most successful and best-loved singers, presenters and all-round entertainers.

Release Date2021-06-06

Charactersd Self

The Life and Death of Lily Savage

Intimate documentary exploring how Paul O'Grady's creation, Lily Savage, took mainstream TV by storm. Unravel the real story of Lily with insights from Paul's daughter and famous pals.

Release Date2024-03-29

Charactersd Self (archive footage)

Vote Count1

The London Studios: Home of the Stars

The end of an era as the studios where ITV filmed its many shows for 45 years closes its doors for the last time.

Release Date2018-12-28

Charactersd Self

For the Love of Paul O'Grady

ITV pays tribute to the iconic and much-loved entertainer Paul O'Grady in this special celebratory film, featuring highlights from his incredible career and interviews with those who knew him best. Celebratory documentary broadcast following the death of the comedian and presenter. Features Paul O'Grady

Release Date2023-04-09

Charactersd Self (archive footage)

Vote Count1

The Paul O'Grady Story

A razor-witted entertainer who found fame as two people - first his drag queen alter ego, Lily Savage, and then as himself. This documentary film charts the unique career of a working class Merseysider whose life away from the spotlight has often been far more dramatic than the consistently successful career he has enjoyed on stage and screen.

Release Date2017-06-23

Charactersd Self - Lily Savage (archive footage)

Vote Count3

Paul O'Grady's Favourite Fairy Tales

Paul O'Grady travels to Germany into the world of his fairy tale heroes, the Brothers Grimm, exploring its landscapes, picture book castles and chocolate-box villages.

Release Date2016-12-20

Charactersd Self - Presenter

Eurotrash

The likes of Antoine de Caunes, Jean Paul Gaultier, Davina McCall, and Lolo Ferrari are your guides to the weird and wonderful in Europe and beyond. How else would you learn about pubic hairdressers, the Penis Olympics, or the latest Japanese sex toys?

Release Date1993-09-24

Episode Count1

Vote Count11

Celebrity Mastermind

Celebrity Mastermind is a British television quiz show broadcast by BBC television. The show is a spin-off of the long-running quiz show Mastermind, with the exception that all the contestants are celebrities. As with the main show, John Humphrys is the host and question-master. Magnus Magnusson was quizmaster on the 2003/04 episodes featuring Jonathan Meades as winner.

Release Date2003-12-26

Episode Count1

Vote Count2

The Bill

The daily lives of the men and women at Sun Hill Police Station as they fight crime on the streets of London. From bomb threats to armed robbery and drug raids to the routine demands of policing this ground-breaking series focuses as much on crime as it does on the personal lives of its characters.

Release Date1984-10-16

Episode Count2

Vote Count46

Parkinson

The final incarnation of Michael Parkinson's iconic talk show featuring an array of celebrities from every sphere.

Release Date2004-09-04

Episode Count1

Perspectives

A British TV documentary series for ITV. Each hour long program sees well-known celebrities travel to various parts of the world to explore more about a person who has inspired them.

Release Date2011-04-24

Episode Count1

Outtake TV

Outtake TV is a blooper show originally hosted by Paul O'Grady from 2002 to 2003, then, by Anne Robinson from 2004 to 2009 and from 2010 to 2011, Rufus Hound. Robinson had been presenting the show 2004 to 2009 and airing on BBC One. It replaced the channel's original blooper show Auntie's Bloomers. The show consists of various clips past and present of bloopers of which Anne Robinson comments on with a manner comparable to her witty remarks on The Weakest Link which she also hosts. Various special episodes have been aired which consist of clips from one programme, most notably EastEnders or The Weakest Link. It is frequently repeated on Watch.

Release Date2002-12-24

Episode Count19

Vote Count1

The Life and Times of Vivienne Vyle

Revolving around the life of Vivienne Vyle, a daytime TV presenter/agony aunt in the mold of Trisha, the show focuses on not only the problems of her guests but the problems Vivienne faces herself in regards to her love and home life.

Release Date2007-10-04

Episode Count6

Vote Count5

The Ant & Dec Show

Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly present an entertainment variety show with music, comedy and audience participation.

Release Date1995-04-06

Episode Count1

Vote Count2

Celebrity Driving School

Release Date2003-02-01

Episode Count5

Paul O Grady's Working Britain

Exploring working class topics such as work, housing, leisure, representation and struggle.

Release Date2013-08-12

Episode Count2

Comic Aid

Shot live at the one off Comic Aid benefit gig at London’s Carling Apollo – which sold out in just three and a half minutes of tickets being put on sale – the DVD features the entire uncut show for all those unfortunate enough to have missed out on tickets. The 3 hour show sees Jonathan Ross, Jack Dee, Graham Norton, Julian Clary, and Lily Savage host a stellar comic line-up that includes; Lee Evans, Dawn French, Jimmy Carr, Ardal O’Hanlon, Johnny Vegas, Bill Bailey, Bo’ Selecta! star The Bear, Jo Brand, Jon Culshaw, Omid Djalili, Otis Lee Crenshaw, Eddie Izzard, The League Of Gentlemen with Miranda Richardson, Alistair McGowan, Dylan Moran, Dave Spikey, Simon Pegg & Jessica Stevenson. Psychological illusionist Derren Brown and international percussion sensation Stomp also present their own unique blend of stage entertainment.

Release Date2005-03-02

Vote Count2

Bob Monkhouse: Million Joke Man

Paul O'Grady presents a three part retrospective celebrating the extraordinary career of joke machine Bob Monkhouse. Features Paul O'Grady, Colin Edmonds and Bob Monkhouse.

Release Date2015-06-03

Episode Count3

Coronation Street - 50 Years, 50 Moments

Coronation Street: 50 Years, 50 Moments was a two-part tribute programme shown at 9.00pm on both Tuesday 7th and Thursday 9th December, 2010.

Release Date2010-12-07

Episode Count1

Death In Venice

Release Date2009-11-07

Episode Count2

The Real Ken Dodd: The Man I Loved

Produced over four years with full access from Ken’s widow Lady Dodd, the film takes an in-depth look into Doddy’s private world, exploring the many secrets of his comic talent, revealing never-before-seen home-videos, stage performances and extracts from some of the thousands of Ken’s diary notebooks which he’d asked his wife to burn after his death. Wrestling with her conscience for quite some time, Lady Dodd, finally agrees with entertainment historians, museum curators and many of Ken’s admirers like Stephen K Amos, Harry Hill, Shaparak Khorsandi, Lee Mack, Paul O’Grady, Johnny Vegas, and Sir Ian McKellen to preserve Doddy’s notebooks for posterity. These stars explore their passion and memories of Ken in this candid, insightful film which takes you backstage behind the red curtain to reveal a far more intriguing man than the public or even his wife ever realised.

Release Date2024-06-09

Ken Dodd: A Legacy of Happiness

A star-studded documentary revealing the private man behind one of Britain’s greatest comic geniuses, using home movies and extracts from notebooks that he wanted to be burnt after his death.

Release Date2025-03-23