Renowned for his passion for animals, Paul O’Grady devoted much of his life to rescuing and finding new homes for dogs in need, before extending his care to other animals such as pigs and alpacas. At the time of his passing in March 2023, the beloved presenter had five rescue dogs—Nancy, Arfur, Conchita, Eddie, and Sausage.

O’Grady not only featured his pets on The Paul O’Grady Show and hosted ITV’s For the Love of Dogs, but he also served as an ambassador for Battersea Dogs and Cats Home and was a patron for Orangutan Appeal UK and Wildlife SOS. Together with his husband, Andre Portasio, he shared their home with a variety of animals, including dogs, chickens, pigs, sheep, goats, and alpacas. Unfortunately, Paul experienced the loss of his cherished pig, Tom Tom, shortly before his own death. Reflecting on the abundance of animals in Paul’s life, his friend Malcolm Prince shared with Express.co.uk: “It feels strange to imagine that house without him surrounded by all those animals. When I visited, we’d often stroll around the duck pond, visit the chickens, and he even had a couple of owls. Further along, there were the pigs and a small house he built for the alpacas, which originally were three but eventually grew with babies.”

Prince added, “I loved that he named each animal. He especially conversed with the dogs, and sometimes it seemed like they talked back! He was truly like Doctor Dolittle in real life.”

Recalling their last conversation, Prince said, “On my final day with Paul, we discussed death, as some of his pigs had begun to pass away. It sounds grim, but they needed to be euthanized due to illness.”

“But make no mistake, his dedication to those animals was profound. Despite his aversion to early mornings, he would rise at five to feed and care for them,” Prince noted.

“The pigs were relocated to a sanctuary and they are very happy. Joan [Paul’s friend] is still in contact with the lady who looks after them.

“The dogs are all looked after by Paul’s friend Moira. Paul was adamant that she should care for them, as she often did when he was away on business. So she has the dogs now.

“And as for the rest of the animals, most of them have been relocated. It’s because the house is up for sale and no one wants to buy a house with a load of animals living there.”

Malcolm has shared other memorable moments with his close friend, Paul, in a new memoir – Paul O’Grady: Not The Same Without You.

The book is a treasure trove of anecdotes and memories, all drawn from Malcolm’s extensive collection of private recordings and interviews with the people who knew Paul best.

It tells never-before-heard stories of the much-missed national treasure, featuring the great and the good of the entertainment world, his unlikely friendship with the Queen, his departure from the BBC, and a ghost story of two thrown in for good measure.

Paul O’Grady – Not The Same Without You is available from bookstores from November 6.