Julian Clary honoured late friend Paul O’Grady with Blankety Blank-style eulogy
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Stars across the world of showbiz mourned the passing of Paul O’Grady this week following his death last month, aged 67. The legendary entertainer passed away on March 28, with his funeral having taken place on Thursday, April 20.
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Hide AdThe service was attended by many of O’Grady’s celebrity pals, including Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood and comedian Alan Carr. TV personality and actor Julian Clary was also a part of the funeral, as he paid tribute to his late friend in a dedicated Blankety Blank style eulogy.
TV audiences will no doubt fondly remember O’Grady as his drag alter ego Lily Savage, hosted the popular show in the late 90s. Referencing O’Grady’s time at the helm of the show, Clary led a game of Blankety Blank in his eulogy for O’Grady.
Before starting his speech, Clary reportedly warned mourners the eulogy would include expletives, but to honour the funeral’s church setting he would replace them with "blanks" as part of a final game of Blankety Blank.
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Hide AdO’Grady, as Lily Savage, hosted the classic game series for five years between 1997 and 2002. As part of the show, he would ask contestants to fill in the blank from familiar phrases.
Following the news of the beloved presenter’s death, BBC aired a throwback episode of the show in his honour. The show was broadcast on BBC One on Saturday, April 1.
Originally aired in 1998, the particular episode featured celebrity guests, including Rebecca Callard, Sophie Lawrence, Davina McCall, Sir Ian McKellen, Gray O’Brien and Dale Winton.
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Hide AdJulian Clary paid tribute to his long-time friend on social media when news broke of O’Grady’s death in March. He posted a picture on Twitter, and said: “Farewell to my fierce and funny friend. I’m going to miss you.”
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