Paul O'Grady's health battles after iconic stars dies aged 67
29.03.2023 - 15:33
/ dailyrecord.co.uk
Paul O'Grady died "unexpectedly but peacefully" on Tuesday evening aged 67, his husband announced.
After the news broke of the beloved entertainer's death, tributes have poured in from friends and fans throughout the day. The animal enthusiast, who was famed for his drag persona Lily Savage, faced many near death illnesses throughout his life as he suffered two cardiac arrests and kidney failure.
Paul spoke openly that heart disease ran in his family, previously revealing that both his mother and father suffered heart attacks within one week of each other. Sadly, his father's heart attack at that time proved to be fatal and his mum later died of the same illness, reports the Mirror.
The Cheshire-born star also struggled with cigarette addiction and once joked that he had two great loves in this world, "Benson and Hedges". Paul was just 47 when he suffered his first heart attack in 2002, and had his second in 2006.
After the first incident the iconic presenter decided to live a healthier lifestyle, starting the day with a swim and taking long country walks near his home in Aldington. Following his second and more serious heart attack, Paul underwent surgery to clear a blocked artery and was placed on blood thinning medication.
He told The Mirror at the time: "I'm like a broken toy - I'm f****d. I think I should really just be taken out and shot. It's fair to say I'm not at my best. I've had so many blood tests I've got the arms of a junkie. You wouldn't even recognise me.
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