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Paul O'Grady

Paul James O'Grady, MBE (born 14 June 1955) is an English comedian, television presenter, actor, writer and radio disc jockey. He's 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 (2012–present) 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 has received a variety of awards, among them honorary degrees and an MBE in the 2008 Birthday Honours for services to entertainment.


Read bio at tmdb | Read bio at Wikipedia
Born:
Jun 14, 1955 In Birkenhead, England, UK
Movie/TV Credits:
37
First Appeared:
In the series An Audience with... 1978-01-08
Latest Project:
Movie The London Studios: Home of the Stars 2018-12-28
Known For
Poster of Coronation Street - 50 Years, 50 Moments
Poster of Death In Venice
Poster of Doctor Who
Poster of Celebrity Driving School
Filmography
Movie The London Studios: Home of the Stars Himself 2018-12-28
Movie The Paul O'Grady Story Self - Lily Savage (archive footage) 2017-06-23
Movie Our Cilla Self 2015-12-25
Series Playhouse Presents Unknown 2012-04-12
Series Coronation Street - 50 Years, 50 Moments Unknown 2010-12-07
Series Let's Dance for Comic Relief Unknown 2009-02-21
Series Death In Venice 2009-11-07
Series Kate Garraway's Life Stories Unknown 2009-02-22
Series Alan Carr's Celebrity Ding Dong Unknown 2008-02-01
Series The Life and Times of Vivienne Vyle 2007-10-04
Series The Graham Norton Show Himself 2007-02-22
Movie Comic Aid 2005-03-02
Series Doctor Who Unknown 2005-03-26
Series The Paul O'Grady Show Self - Host 2004-10-11
Series Celebrity Driving School 2003-02-01
Series Eyes Down Ray Temple 2003-08-15
Series Celebrity Mastermind Unknown 2003-12-26
Series Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway Unknown 2002-06-08
Series Harry Hill's TV Burp Unknown 2002-11-14
Series Outtake TV 2002-12-24
Series Friday Night with Jonathan Ross Unknown 2001-11-02
Movie County Kilburn Paul O'Grady 2000-08-17
Series Lily Live! Lily Savage 2000-09-02
Movie Lily Savage: The Live Show Lily Savage 1998-01-01
Series The Lily Savage Show Lily Savage 1997-11-16
Movie An Evening with Lily Savage Self 1996-11-11
Series The Ant & Dec Show Unknown 1995-04-06
Movie Lily Savage: Live And Outrageous Lily Savage 1995-07-20
Movie Filth! Lily Savage 1994-04-24
Movie Lily Savage Live: Paying the Rent Lily Savage/Kitty Kelly 1993-03-10
Movie In the Name of the Father Prisoner 1993-12-12
Series Chimera Donaldson 1991-07-07
Series This Morning Unknown 1988-10-03
Series The New Statesman Marlene Dietrich 1987-09-13
Series The Bill Unknown 1984-10-16
Series Blankety Blank Lily Savage - Presenter 1979-01-18
Series An Audience with... Himself 1978-01-08