Paul O'Grady impersonated the Grim Reaper to comfort a dying child.
Paul O'Grady comforted a dying child by impersonating the Grim Reaper
The late TV legend died in March at the age of 67 and now his widower Andre Portasio, 42, has revealed that he once took on the role of the berobed skeleton who serves as the personification of death for a phone call to amuse a young boy before he passed away.
Andre is quoted by The Daily Star as saying: "This young boy was very ill and he had only a few hours to live. Paul called him and said, ‘Hello this is Paul O’Grady, it’s very nice to speak to you. You know me for my day job but what you don’t know of me is I also work as the Grim Reaper. I’ve spoken to my boss and tonight is not your night. You have so much more to live and to enjoy and to experience.'"
Andre went on to add that the young boy in question was able to stand up after his chat with Paul and spent the "whole evening" with his family before ultimately passing away just a few days later.
He added: "Later we found out that the boy stood up, took a shower, had a meal and sat with his family for the whole evening. Unfortunately he died a few days later."
Andre recently revealed that following the death of the 'For the Love of Dogs' star - who shot to fame in the 1980s as pioneering drag queen Lily Savage - he was unable to leave the house for three months as he tried to cope with his loss.
Speaking at the British LGBT Awards on Friday (23.06.23) - where he collected an award on behalf of Paul - he added: “I have kept myself to myself since Paul died. This is the first day that I actually left home. But I came here for a good cause. Paul is a trailblazer and always defended LGBT rights. I just had to be here.”
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