Paul O'Grady

Acting

Paul O'Grady

Born — Died

1955-06-14 — 2023-03-28

Place of birth

Tranmere, Birkenhead, Cheshire, England, UK

Known for

Acting

Credits

66 titles

Paul James O'Grady, MBE DL (14 June 1955 - 28 March 2023) was an English comedian, television presenter, actor, writer and radio disc jockey. He achieved fame using his comedic drag queen character, "Lily Savage", and later became well known for presenting TV programmes as himself, such as The Paul O'Grady Show. Born to a working-class Irish family in Birkenhead, he attended Blessed Edward Campion Secondary Modern School, in Claughton Village, Birkenhead, Cheshire (now Merseyside). O'Grady moved to London in the late-1970s, there working as a peripatetic care officer for Camden Council. It was here in 1978 that he developed his drag act, basing the character of Lily Savage upon traits found …

Known for

Film credits

2020s · 7 titles

Maisie poster
1.0

After 50 years in the business, Mr. David Raven still performs as 'Maisie Trollette', Britain's Oldest Drag Artiste. But as his 85th birthday approaches, we see the challenges this brings, and when he meets fellow Drag Queen, Darcelle XV from America, Guinness World Record Holder at 87, professional rivalries flare between our feisty Pantomime Dame and the regal Pageant Queen.

Maisie

2022

Our Cilla: The One and Only poster
NR

Doumentary telling the story of Cilla Black, who rose from working-class roots in Liverpool to become one of the nation's most successful and best-loved singers, presenters and all-round entertainers.

Our Cilla: The One and Only

2021

For the Love of Paul O'Grady poster
8.0

ITV pays tribute to the iconic and much-loved entertainer Paul O'Grady in this special celebratory film, featuring highlights from his incredible career and interviews with those who knew him best. Celebratory documentary broadcast following the death of the comedian and presenter. Features Paul O'Grady

For the Love of Paul O'Grady

2023

The Real Ken Dodd: The Man I Loved poster
NR

Produced over four years with full access from Ken’s widow Lady Dodd, the film takes an in-depth look into Doddy’s private world, exploring the many secrets of his comic talent, revealing never-before-seen home-videos, stage performances and extracts from some of the thousands of Ken’s diary notebooks which he’d asked his wife to burn after his death. Wrestling with her conscience for quite some time, Lady Dodd, finally agrees with entertainment historians, museum curators and many of Ken’s admirers like Stephen K Amos, Harry Hill, Shaparak Khorsandi, Lee Mack, Paul O’Grady, Johnny Vegas, and Sir Ian McKellen to preserve Doddy’s notebooks for posterity. These stars explore their passion and memories of Ken in this candid, insightful film which takes you backstage behind the red curtain to reveal a far more intriguing man than the public or even his wife ever realised.

The Real Ken Dodd: The Man I Loved

2024

The National Television Awards Celebrate 25 Years poster
NR

This one-hour special documentary celebrates 25 star-studded years of the National Television Awards, with contributions from stars including Graham Norton and Simon Cowell.

The National Television Awards Celebrate 25 Years

2020

Ken Dodd: A Legacy of Happiness poster
NR

A star-studded documentary revealing the private man behind one of Britain’s greatest comic geniuses, using home movies and extracts from notebooks that he wanted to be burnt after his death.

Ken Dodd: A Legacy of Happiness

2025

The Life and Death of Lily Savage poster
7.0

Intimate documentary exploring how Paul O'Grady's creation, Lily Savage, took mainstream TV by storm. Unravel the real story of Lily with insights from Paul's daughter and famous pals.

The Life and Death of Lily Savage

2024

2010s · 4 titles

2000s · 3 titles

Stanley Baxter: Now and Then poster
NR

Comedy legend Stanley Baxter returns from retirement and returns to the Christmas schedules with a trawl through the very best of his classic sketches and routines, his memories of making the shows, plus some brand new material, including his contemporary take on the Queen's Christmas Message to the Commonwealth.

Stanley Baxter: Now and Then

2008

No artwork available
6.5

Shot live at the one off Comic Aid benefit gig at London’s Carling Apollo – which sold out in just three and a half minutes of tickets being put on sale – the DVD features the entire uncut show for all those unfortunate enough to have missed out on tickets. The 3 hour show sees Jonathan Ross, Jack Dee, Graham Norton, Julian Clary, and Lily Savage host a stellar comic line-up that includes; Lee Evans, Dawn French, Jimmy Carr, Ardal O’Hanlon, Johnny Vegas, Bill Bailey, Bo’ Selecta! star The Bear, Jo Brand, Jon Culshaw, Omid Djalili, Otis Lee Crenshaw, Eddie Izzard, The League Of Gentlemen with Miranda Richardson, Alistair McGowan, Dylan Moran, Dave Spikey, Simon Pegg & Jessica Stevenson. Psychological illusionist Derren Brown and international percussion sensation Stomp also present their own unique blend of stage entertainment.

Comic Aid

2005

No artwork available
10.0

Along the kilometre stretch of Kilburn High road in London, there are twenty-eight pubs: that's one every thirty-six metres. Populated predominantly by the Irish, this area has come to be known as County Kilburn. Here we witness the loves, lives and laughs of a disparate group of dreamers, losers and ever-hopefuls.

County Kilburn

2000

1990s · 9 titles

In the Name of the Father poster
7.9

A small-time Belfast thief, Gerry Conlon, is wrongly convicted of an IRA bombing in London, along with his father and friends, and spends 15 years in prison fighting to prove his innocence.

In the Name of the Father

1993

Filth! poster
NR

In the late Eighties, there had been a series of comedy concerts (modelled on the Amnesty International “Secret Policeman’s Ball series”) to raise both awareness and raw cash for HIV/AIDS charities. The series was called Hysteria to reflect the hysteria (and downright untruths) surrounding the issue of HIV/AIDS. The last one of these had been in 1989, so in 1994, Pozzitive set out to revive the idea of a fundraiser with “Filth!” a night of comedy and music at the Sadlers Wells theatre, on Sunday 24 April. In fact, so many comedians and writers said “yes” to the idea, that we hit on the notion of doing two shows in one evening back to back. The first show was hosted by Lynn Ferguson and Arthur Smith, the second show by Mark Lamarr. Artists involved in the show included Tom Robinson, Steve Coogan, Spitting Image, Eddie Izzard, Jo Brand, Jeremy Hardy and Ben Elton.

Filth!

1994

Lily Savage: Live And Outrageous poster
8.0

From her Lambeth council flat to top billing on television and the West End stage comes the Scouse bombshell who's shaken British comedy to it's foundations; Lily Savage is live, loud and very, very funny.

Lily Savage: Live And Outrageous

1995

An Evening with Lily Savage poster
10.0

Enjoy the outrageous and flamboyant First Lady of British Comedy, Lily Savage, as she performs her incredibly hysterical live show before a star-studded audience.

An Evening with Lily Savage

1996

Lily Savage Live from the Hackney Empire poster
8.0

This made-for-TV film, was Lily Savage's first foray into the world of video. Although the working-class, Birkenhead born tart-with-a-heart had already appeared on television briefly (on Jonathan Ross' chat show, and the news footage of the 'Poll Tax Riots', if we can believe her!), Lily, alas Paul O'Grady in drag, hadn't yet hit the mainstream of things, and was still largely confined to the clubs, so this venue was one of their first big engagements.

Lily Savage Live from the Hackney Empire

1991

The Untransmittable Lily Savage Show poster
NR

A specially created compilation of unused material from her incredibly successful 1998 BBC series

The Untransmittable Lily Savage Show

1997

Lily Savage Live: Paying the Rent poster
9.0

Multi award-winning TV personality Paul O'Grady stars as Lily Savage, the Scouse bombshell who catapulted him to superstardom. From her Lambeth Council flat to top billing on television and on the West End stage, this stand-up special spans Lily's career from her 1959 Miss Pears triumph to numerous shop-lifting convictions and finally her international sex-kitten status.

Lily Savage Live: Paying the Rent

1993

Fairest of Them All poster
3.3

Animated short set in the dressing room of several drag artists.

Fairest of Them All

1994

Lily Savage: The Live Show poster
NR

Lily Savage performs her first live tour in four years, captured here at the 1998 Edinburgh Festival. Lily pulls no punches in an act designed to demonstrate that, despite her mainstream television breakthrough with 'Blankety Blank', she is still as outrageous as ever.

Lily Savage: The Live Show

1998

Series credits

Doctor Who poster
7.6

The Doctor is a Time Lord: a 900 year old alien with 2 hearts, part of a gifted civilization who mastered time travel. The Doctor saves planets for a living—more of a hobby actually, and the Doctor's very, very good at it.

Doctor Who

2005

The Graham Norton Show poster
7.2

Each week celebrity guests join Irish comedian Graham Norton to discuss what's being going on around the world that week. The guests poke fun and share their opinions on the main news stories. Graham is often joined by a band or artist to play the show out.

The Graham Norton Show

2007

Top of the Pops poster
6.6

The biggest stars, the most iconic performances, the most outrageous outfits – it’s Britain’s number one pop show.

Top of the Pops

1964

The Bill poster
6.8

The daily lives of the men and women at Sun Hill Police Station as they fight crime on the streets of London. From bomb threats to armed robbery and drug raids to the routine demands of policing this ground-breaking series focuses as much on crime as it does on the personal lives of its characters.

The Bill

1984

Eurotrash poster
6.5

The likes of Antoine de Caunes, Jean Paul Gaultier, Davina McCall, and Lolo Ferrari are your guides to the weird and wonderful in Europe and beyond. How else would you learn about pubic hairdressers, the Penis Olympics, or the latest Japanese sex toys?

Eurotrash

1993

Parkinson poster
NR

Michael Parkinson returns for a second run of his iconic talk show.

Parkinson

1998

Parkinson poster
NR

Michael Parkinson returns for a second run of his iconic talk show.

Parkinson

1998

TFI Friday poster
7.1

TFI Friday was an entertainment show broadcast on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom from 1996 to 2000. The show was produced by Ginger Productions, written by Danny Baker and hosted by Chris Evans, for the first 5 series. The final series was hosted by a number of guest presenters. It was broadcast on Fridays at 6pm from 9 February 1996 to 22 December 2000, with a repeat later that night. The title officially stood for "Thank Four It's Friday", but was widely understood to mean "Thank Fuck It's Friday" and was a reference to the popular phrase "Thank God it's Friday". The show's theme tune was Ron Grainer's theme from Man in a Suitcase, in keeping with Evans's frequent use of 1960s television themes in his work.

TFI Friday

1996

An Audience with... poster
5.3

An Audience with... is a British entertainment television show produced by London Weekend Television, in which a host, usually a singer or comedian, performs for an invited audience of celebrity guests, interspersed with questions from the audience, in a light hearted revue/tribute style.

An Audience with...

1978

Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway poster
6.1

A gameshow hosted by Ant and Dec filled with stunts, sketches, and special guest appearances.

Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway

2002

The Paul O'Grady Show poster
5.1

The Paul O'Grady Show is a British comedy chat show hosted by Birkenhead-born comedian Paul O'Grady. The format was originally devised by Granada Television and was broadcast on ITV before moving to Channel 4, where the show was produced by Olga TV. The programme is a teatime chat show consisting of a mixture of celebrity guests, comic stunts, musical performances, and occasionally viewer competitions.

The Paul O'Grady Show

2004

Friday Night with Jonathan Ross poster
6.1

Jonathan Ross's take on current topics of conversation, guest interviews and live music from both a guest music group and the house band.

Friday Night with Jonathan Ross

2001

Playhouse Presents poster
6.0

Playhouse Presents is a series of self-contained TV plays, made by British broadcaster Sky Arts. The series started airing on 12 April 2012, on Sky Arts 1. Each episode is written by a different writer with a different cast.

Playhouse Presents

2012

Celebrity Mastermind poster
6.0

Celebrity Mastermind is a British television quiz show broadcast by BBC television. The show is a spin-off of the long-running quiz show Mastermind, with the exception that all the contestants are celebrities. As with the main show, John Humphrys is the host and question-master. Magnus Magnusson was quizmaster on the 2003/04 episodes featuring Jonathan Meades as winner.

Celebrity Mastermind

2003

Blankety Blank poster
5.2

Blankety Blank is a British comedy game show based on the 1977–1979 Australian game show Blankety Blanks. The British version ran from 18 January 1979 to 12 March 1990 on BBC One, hosted first by Terry Wogan and later by Les Dawson. Regular members of the celebrity panel on this version included Kenny Everett, Lorraine Chase, Gareth Hunt, Gary Davies, and Cheryl Baker. A revival fronted by Lily Savage was produced by the BBC from 26 December 1997 to 28 December 1999, followed by ITV from 7 January 2001 to 10 August 2002. This version was produced by Grundy, then Thames.

Blankety Blank

1979

Harry Hill's TV Burp poster
6.3

The big-collared comic gives his own spin on TV clips from recent programmes, plus contributions from a set of regular characters

Harry Hill's TV Burp

2002

Parkinson poster
7.0

The final incarnation of Michael Parkinson's iconic talk show featuring an array of celebrities from every sphere.

Parkinson

2004

Parkinson poster
7.0

The final incarnation of Michael Parkinson's iconic talk show featuring an array of celebrities from every sphere.

Parkinson

2004

Parkinson poster
7.0

The final incarnation of Michael Parkinson's iconic talk show featuring an array of celebrities from every sphere.

Parkinson

2004

Kate Garraway's Life Stories poster
5.9

Celebrities open up to Kate Garraway in intimate and moving interviews.

Kate Garraway's Life Stories

2009

The New Statesman poster
7.5

The New Statesman is a British sitcom of the late 1980s and early 1990s satirising the Conservative government of the time.

The New Statesman

1987

Little Crackers poster
6.8

Little Crackers is a series of Christmas short films featuring stars of British and Irish comedy.

Little Crackers

2010

The Big Breakfast poster
7.1

The Big Breakfast was a British light entertainment television show shown on Channel 4 and S4C each weekday morning from 28 September 1992 until 29 March 2002 during which period 2,482 shows were produced. The Big Breakfast was produced by Planet 24, the production company co-owned by former Boomtown Rats singer and Live Aid organiser Bob Geldof. The programme was distinctive for broadcasting live from former lockkeepers' cottages commonly referred to as "The Big Breakfast House", or more simply, "The House", located on Fish Island, in Bow in east London. The show was a mix of news, weather, interviews, audience phone-ins and general features, with a light tone which was in competition with the more serious GMTV and even more serious BBC breakfast programmes.

The Big Breakfast

1992

No artwork available
NR

No synopsis available yet.

Smash Hits Poll Winners Party

1988

The Madame Blanc Mysteries poster
7.0

Jean White is an antiques dealer who runs a successful business with her husband, Rory. But when he suddenly dies and leaves her nearly penniless, Jean relocates to their one remaining asset - a cottage in French antiques hub Saint Victoire - and begins investigating Rory's mysterious death.

The Madame Blanc Mysteries

2021

Good Morning Britain poster
4.1

The latest news, sport, and weather from the UK in this daily breakfast show.

Good Morning Britain

2014

Let's Dance for Comic Relief poster
6.7

Celebrities perform famous dance routines in front of a panel of judges to raise money for the Comic Relief appeal, with viewers voting for their favourites.

Let's Dance for Comic Relief

2009

Comic Relief poster
6.0

Comic Relief is a British charity, founded in 1985 by the comedy scriptwriter Richard Curtis and comedian Sir Lenny Henry in response to the 1983–1985 famine in Ethiopia. The concept of Comic Relief was to get British comedians to make the public laugh, while raising money to help people around the world and in the United Kingdom. The highlight of Comic Relief's appeal is Red Nose Day, an annual (previously biennial) telethon held in March. The first live fundraising evening, held on 4 April 1986, featured comedians and pop stars, including Rowan Atkinson, Billy Connolly, Stephen Fry, Kate Bush and co-founder Lenny Henry.

Comic Relief

1988

This Morning poster
5.2

This Morning features a variety of news, as well as show business, fashion, beauty, lifestyle, home and garden, food, tech, live phone-ins, and competitions.

This Morning

1988

Perspectives poster
NR

A British TV documentary series for ITV. Each hour long program sees well-known celebrities travel to various parts of the world to explore more about a person who has inspired them.

Perspectives

2011

For the Love of Dogs poster
9.2

Alison Hammond carries on Paul O'Grady's incredible legacy, following the ups & downs of life at Battersea Dogs & Cats Home.

For the Love of Dogs

2012

No artwork available
8.0

Outtake TV is a blooper show originally hosted by Paul O'Grady from 2002 to 2003, then, by Anne Robinson from 2004 to 2009 and from 2010 to 2011, Rufus Hound. Robinson had been presenting the show 2004 to 2009 and airing on BBC One. It replaced the channel's original blooper show Auntie's Bloomers. The show consists of various clips past and present of bloopers of which Anne Robinson comments on with a manner comparable to her witty remarks on The Weakest Link which she also hosts. Various special episodes have been aired which consist of clips from one programme, most notably EastEnders or The Weakest Link. It is frequently repeated on Watch.

Outtake TV

2002

Alan Carr's Celebrity Ding Dong poster
4.0

Alan Carr's Celebrity Ding Dong was an entertainment show on Channel 4, presented by Alan Carr. During the first series, voice-over commentary in between rounds on the scores is provided by Leslie Phillips. From Series 2, the announcer is Peter Dickson. Season was released onto DVD in 2008. Due to the success of Alan Carr: Chatty Man it has been announced that the show would not return for a third series.

Alan Carr's Celebrity Ding Dong

2008

Eyes Down poster
6.2

Eyes Down is a comedy starring Paul O'Grady as Ray Temple, the manager of a bingo hall in Liverpool, England called The Rio, although the series was filmed in Rayners Lane in London. Although it had moderate ratings, the programme only lasted for two series until it was cancelled by the BBC in 2004. The show was written by Angela Clarke and directed by Christine Gernon.

Eyes Down

2003

The British Soap Awards poster
NR

The British Soap Awards are an annual awards ceremony in the United Kingdom which honours the best moments in British soap operas. The ceremony is televised on ITV.

The British Soap Awards

1999

Chimera poster
6.0

A journalist investigates the death of his girlfriend at a fertility clinic where she worked and uncovers a plot to create a new breed of human based on crossing the genetics of man and ape.

Chimera

1991

The Life and Times of Vivienne Vyle poster
6.2

Revolving around the life of Vivienne Vyle, a daytime TV presenter/agony aunt in the mold of Trisha, the show focuses on not only the problems of her guests but the problems Vivienne faces herself in regards to her love and home life.

The Life and Times of Vivienne Vyle

2007

Paul O'Grady's Saturday Night Line Up poster
7.0

Paul and members of the studio audience ask celebrity guests intriguing questions, scenarios and dilemmas. The guests then line-up in order of how they would answer the question from best to worst, most likely to least likely etc.

Paul O'Grady's Saturday Night Line Up

2021

The Ant & Dec Show poster
5.0

Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly present an entertainment variety show with music, comedy and audience participation.

The Ant & Dec Show

1995

No artwork available
1.0

Viva Cabaret is a late night comedy variety television show that aired on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom from 14 April 1993 to 24 June 1994. The series was filmed in a sound stage in West London, with the set designed to resemble a cabaret club. The programme's house band included drummer Ray Weston (of Wishbone Ash) and members of Pink Floyd's touring band. The first episode, which debuted on 14 April 1993, was hosted by Tom Jones. Subsequent hosts included Julian Clary, Mark Lamarr, Mike McShane, Jools Holland, Mark Thomas, Eartha Kitt, Paul O'Grady as Lily Savage, and Lee Evans. Competition for slots on the show was intense, with many stars of the British alternative comedy circuit hoping to make an appearance. In addition to the show's British stars, regular international guests included Americans Greg Proops and Sandra Bernhard, and Australia's Doug Anthony All Stars.

Viva Cabaret

1993

Behind the camera