Julian Clary paused his live show in Liverpool last night to pay tribute to Merseyside icon Paul O'Grady.
Clary, who was a close friend of the late TV star, recalled some of the final messages he exchanges with O'Grady prior to the Lily Savage star's tragic death last year and shared touching anecdotes about their friendship with the audience.
Birkenhead born O'Grady sadly died aged 67 in March last year, with Clary delivering a heartwarming eulogy at the comedy icon's funeral the following month.
One year on from his beloved friend's death, Clary has continued to pay tribute to the late star - most recently, on stage in O'Grady's home county. On stage at Philharmonic Hall in Liverpool last night, Clary paused his show, A Fistful of Clary, to honour his pal.
"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," Cheryl Mullin writes in her review of the stand-up's latest tour for the Liverpool Echo. "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."
Mullin continues: "He shares that 'Savage' would often call him up, and spend an hour and a half on the phone, starting off with a rant about someone - or something - that had annoyed him, but that the calls would end with laughter. Then he recalls some of the text messages Paul sent him - including some choice advice for his 60th birthday - and ends the segment with a touching song dedicated to the much-loved entertainer."
Last month, Clary shared a heartwarming tribute to his late friend on national TV recalling the "natural kindness" and "random generosity" that defined their friendship. Clary reminisced about O'Grady's warm-hearted nature ahead of an ITV documentary celebrating the life of the beloved comedian.
Ahead of the documentary The Life and Death of Lily Savage airing over the Easter weekend, Clary appeared on The One Show to discuss the feature. During his appearance on the BBC programme, Clary opened up to hosts Alex Jones and Jermaine Jenas about the profound impact O'Grady had on those around him, highlighting his spontaneous acts of kindness and support for both major charities and individuals.
Reflecting on his own experiences with O'Grady, Clary 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 also mentioned how Paul's upbringing influenced his generous spirit: "The values he grew up with, I guess."
Clary then recounted personal anecdotes of Paul's kindness towards him, saying: "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."
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