‘We need a monument for this trailblazer!’ Thousands demand a Paul O’Grady statue be erected in his hometown after his death
- A petition to have a statue of Paul O’Grady erected has gained momentum
- The presenter, who was from Birkenhead, passed away last week aged 67
- Read More: Tributes flood in as TV world rocked by Paul O’Grady’s death
Thousands of people are demanding a statue be built of Paul O’Grady in his hometown after his tragic death last week.
The TV presenter, who passed away aged 67 on 28 March, was originally from Birkenhead, Merseyside and now locals want to show their admiration for the star.
The petition, which was set up on Change.org passed a staggering 87,000 signatures on Wednesday.
Kieran Gabriel, who kicked off the campaign wrote: Paul O’Grady passed away suddenly on March 28 and it only feels right to honour the life of such a great human being by immortalising him in statue form, in his hometown of Birkenhead.
‘Paul has left a huge legacy with his trailblazing work as a drag artist, social and political causes, LGBT rights and of course, his love of animals.
Thousands of people are demanding a statue be built of Paul O’Grady in his hometown after his tragic death last week
‘This is a petition to the Wirral Council, who must surely take stock of the huge outpouring of love in the wake of Paul’s passing. Liverpool has Cilla, Birkenhead deserves Paul.’
Some who have signed the Change.org petition have suggested there be a few dogs around Paul’s statue to honour his other work with Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, which has received over £100,000 in donations since his death.
Others penned tributes to the presenter, with one writing: ‘A statue is the right thing to do for such a trailblazing human being. He was so down to earth, one of the people.’
Another commented: ‘Paul was the most caring and lovely man ever. And he deserves a tribute for everything he has done to help others and all those animals!’
Paul was an ambassador for the shelter which paid tribute to the ‘devoted animal lover’, saying he was a ‘champion for the underdog’.
Last year, he helped celebrate 160 years of the organisation when he was joined by the Queen Consort in a special one-off episode of For The Love Of Dogs.
After the news of Paul’s death the organisation’s chief executive, Peter Laurie, said: ‘Battersea will forever remember Paul as a devoted animal lover with the biggest heart, who fell head over heels in love with every dog he met at our centres.
‘Paul will always be associated with Battersea and we are truly saddened to have lost such a true friend and huge part of our charity.’
It comes after a mural paying tribute to Paul was defaced with graffiti just days after it was created.
The petition, which was set up on on Change.org passed a staggering 87,000 signatures on Wednesday
The TV presenter, who passed away aged 67 on 28 March, was originally from Birkenhead, Merseyside and now locals want to show their admiration for the star
Located in south Manchester and created by artist Chris Moore, who is also known by the name Manchester Murals, the artwork featured a portrait of O’Grady next to a dog, with a caption reading ‘For Paul’.
Sadly, people visiting the mural on 2 April noted that the portrait had been defaced.
The mural was hailed as an ‘Absolutely fantastic tribute to a great legend.’
‘I did this work out of a passion for my art and out of respect for Paul O’Grady who meant so much to people and animals throughout his life, Mr Moore said, according to Manchester Evening News.
‘I was instantly driven to create a fitting mural in his honour, and I felt it was only natural to include a dog in that.’
Chris, who said it took him multiple days to complete the mural, stated that he was ‘disappointed’ to learn that his artwork had been defaced.
He said he has ‘not ruled out’ the possibility of repairing the artwork, but has stated a preference for the creation to be moved elsewhere.
‘I guess, ideally, it’d be nice for it to be rehoused now,’ he explained. ‘It would be great to do it at Battersea Dogs Home so it could live on permanently as a fitting home.’
Last year, he helped celebrate 160 years of the organisation when he was joined by the Queen Consort in a special one-off episode of For The Love Of Dogs
Paul, who shot to fame as trailblazing comic drag act Lily Savage before becoming one of the country’s best-loved TV presenters and DJs, died ‘unexpectedly but peacefully’ last week, his partner revealed.
Andre Portasio, who married O’Grady in 2017, paid tribute to his ‘humour, wit and compassion’ in a statement announcing his death.
O’Grady became a household name in the early noughties, known for his wit and love of animals, and hosted a string of television programmes including his self-titled daytime chat show, The Paul O’Grady Show, which began airing in 2004.
He also took over the reins from Blind Date’s long-running presenter and his close friend Cilla Black, who died in 2015, to host the Channel 5 reboot of the show in 2017. And he fronted Blankety Blank, as well as ITV’s award-winning For The Love Of Dogs.
The father-of-one’s cause of death wasn’t immediately known, but he had previously spoken of surviving heart attacks in 2002, 2006 and 2014, and also kidney failure.
He also had a debilitating Covid battle that left him unable to work for two months.
O’Grady married Portuguese lesbian barmaid Teresa Fernandes in 1977 to stop her deportation. They divorced in 2005 and he wed ex-ballet dancer Mr Portasio in 2017.
Decades earlier in 1974, he had his only child, a daughter called Sharyn Mousley, with his dear friend Diane Jansen.
Located in south Manchester and created by artist Chris Moore, who is also known by the name Manchester Murals, the artwork featured a portrait of O’Grady next to a dog, with a caption reading ‘For Paul’
O’Grady is also a grandfather to Sharyn’s son Abel, who was born in 2006 and is now aged 16, and Sharyn’s daughter Halo, born in 2009.
Mr Portasio said early this morning: ‘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.’
O’Grady and Portasio were married during a low-key wedding ceremony in 2017.
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