Biography

Paul O'Grady

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On 29th September he adopted a new puppy live on air after much nagging from the studio audience. O'Grady was hosting a segment on homeless animals when he began to fall in love with the dog, named Scottie. He announced that the new puppy would be renamed Bullseye on the following show.
His long term lover and business partner of 20 years was TV producer Brendan Murphy, who died of cancer on June 12, 2005. After the first show of series three of the "Paul O'Grady Show", there was a tribute to him.
On 19th November 2009 he had to put his beloved dog, Buster, to sleep after it was found he was suffering from cancer. He announced Buster's death live on air on 23rd November and had to leave the stage during a tribute to Buster as he was too upset to watch.
He was a major supporter of the Labour Party and an LGBT rights activist. He joined a public protest in the UK against Russia's introduction of a law under Vladimir Putin which prevented the promotion of homosexuality to children.
Before becoming famous, he was a social worker in a children's home, with a unit of 11 differently-abled kids. He was then employed as a peripatetic care worker for Camden council social services. This often involved living-in respite care to support families in sometimes squalid conditions, usually as a means to avoid the children being taken away. He later wryly confessed to operating under his own interpretation of the guidelines, as each situation unfolded.

I was sort of, well, I hate the word bisexual, because I think bisexuality's just greed. There's no such thing, you're either gay or straight. But I've never said, 'Oh, I'm gay.' I always liked girls and fellas as a teenager, way up into my 20s. But my sexuality's never been a problem for me - I've got as many gay friends as I have straight friends.
I still consider myself working class. I know my circumstances have changed dramatically since I was growing up back in Birkenhead. Now I live in rural Kent in what I suppose people would call a posh house. But it's still in me.
The working class has taken a real battering over the past few decades, so much so that you can barely see them. But I have spoken to lots of cab drivers and shop keepers, for instance, who work 14 hours a day and are proud to be called working class.
The Catholic Church has no right to wag the finger at gay people. How can we respect a church that has encouraged paedophiles by moving them from one parish to another, free to carry on again?
It's Sheriff-of-Nottingham times: 'What do the working classes eat? Pasties. Let's tax those. Where do they go on their holidays? In static caravans. We'll tax them.' I didn't notice a tax on polo mallets. I loathe Cameron; I loathe Osborne. We didn't vote them in and yet here they are deciding for us. I'd like to see their heads on spikes on Tower Bridge. Seriously. I'd sleep well.

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