'She completely ignored us': Late Paul O'Grady branded Madonna 'rude' and 'grubby' in his memoir
LONDON, UK: Paul O'Grady and his alter ego Lily Savage have crossed paths with Hollywood A-listers and Comedy Icons throughout their decades on stage and television. The beloved comedian died at the age of 67 "unexpectedly and peacefully," as per his husband Andre Portasio.
O'Grady called music icon Madonna "rude" and "grubby" in excerpts from his memoir that were published by The Mirror. The actor, who recently died once recalled some of his most treasured interactions with the wealthy and famous in these excerpts from his memoirs.
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'She was downright rude'
O'Grady wrote: "At a very trendy party just off Times Square I had an encounter with Madonna. I sat next to author Armistead Maupin on a very long, very white leather sofa. Then the lady plonked herself down the far end. Following Armistead’s lead, I looked over and gave her a feeble wave. But Madonna was playing at being world-weary and completely ignored us."
"She wouldn’t know me from a sack of spuds but she could’ve at least acknowledged Armistead, who apart from being a good-natured fella was also an internationally famous writer. I thought she was downright rude," the 'Blankety Blank' star continued to write.
The author further wrote: "Dressed as she was in a grubby vest and combat trousers, she wouldn’t have looked out of place at a bus stop eating chips, but when you’re a star of that magnitude I expect you believe you can wear anything and still look cool."
The late comedian added in his memoir: "Lowering her aviator dark glasses over her eyes, she curled up on the sofa tucking her feet underneath her. The soles of her feet were filthy, dirtier than a potato-picker’s who’d forgotten to bring their wellies to work. She threw her head back dramatically and let out a long sigh."
Paul O'Grady: In a nutshell
O'Grady, a TV personality and comedian, died on March 28 aged 67 years old. The comedian's spouse since 2017—Andre Portasio—confirmed the information. Portasio wrote on his social media platform confirming the news, which included: "It is with great sadness that I inform you that Paul has passed away unexpectedly but peacefully yesterday evening. He will be greatly missed by his loved ones, friends, family, animals and all those who enjoyed his humour, wit and compassion."
Recent sources claim that O'Grady had a lifetime net worth of £8.6 million ($10.6 million). Also, it's expected that Portasio's existing wealth would be left out in a will. The Sun reports that the seasoned comedian is also rumoured to have earned over £1.8 million ($2.2 million) in 12 months till May 2022.
In the 1970s, O'Grady started performing as Lily Savage. In 2017, he took over hosting roles from Cilla Black for the Channel 5 remake of 'Blind Date', and over the years, he also served as presenter of ITV's 'For the Love of Dogs', which was associated with his role as an evangelist for Battersea Dogs & Cats Home.