Weeks before his sudden death, Paul O’Grady told friends that he didn’t expect to be around much longer, sharing one of his final vulnerable moments.
The beloved TV presenter, also known as Lily Savage, died at 67 in March 2023 at his Kent home due to cardiac arrhythmia.
His close friend and producer, Malcolm Prince, recounts the heartbreaking memory in his book Not The Same Without You, serialised by the Daily and Sunday Mirror.
Malcolm shared that after picking Paul up from a hospital visit, as they drove home, Paul confided: “I’m not going to be here for much longer.” When Malcolm asked for more details, Paul quietly repeated, “That’s it. I think I won’t be here for much longer,” showing his contemplative state in those final weeks.
Weeks before his sudden death, Paul O’Grady told friends that he didn’t expect to be around much longer, with a close friend sharing some of his final vulnerable moments.
Paul O’Grady, known for his alter ego Lily Savage, died at 67 at his home in Kent in March 2023 from a cardiac arrhythmia. In the months leading up to his death, he shared some of his most vulnerable moments with his friend and producer Malcolm Prince.
During a phone call weeks before he passed, Paul told Malcolm he was coming to terms with his limited time, calmly saying, “I won’t make old bones, Malcolm.” He also reflected on life’s uncertainty when discussing the death of someone close to Malcolm, acknowledging that he didn’t know what the future held.
In his final months, Paul chose to refuse an implantable defibrillator, prioritizing work commitments over hospital visits. He had signed up for projects including the musical Annie and a dog show, and didn’t want to take time off for recovery. Malcolm explained that Paul “didn’t want to go back into the hospital to have another procedure and then spend time recuperating. He wanted to get on and live his life, but also work. He didn’t want to let people down.”
A few months before his death, Paul spent a week in William Harvey Hospital in Ashford, Kent, and later texted his daughter Sharyn to say he wouldn’t be getting the defibrillator.
Paul’s close friend and producer, Malcolm Prince, has written a book about him titled Not The Same Without You, which was serialised in the Daily and Sunday Mirror (pictured together).
In the book, Malcolm shared emotional accounts from Paul’s friends and family, including Moira Stewart, who helped him after a hospital visit.
His manager, Joan Marshrons, explained that Paul avoided getting a pacemaker because he feared losing control and didn’t want to be on camera or in front of an audience if it activated, as it would embarrass him.
The book includes honest reflections from his daughter Sharyn, friends, colleagues, and celebrity pals. It also touches on a possible eating disorder, which may have come from the pressure to stay slim as his alter ego, Lily Savage. His make-up artist, Vanessa White, recalled that he often couldn’t eat while filming as Lily.