Paul O’Grady fans have been left a “sobbing mess” as they watched his final ever TV appearance. The much-loved star, who shot to fame as drag
Queen Lily Savage before launching a hugely successful TV career as himself, passed away “unexpectedly but peacefully” at the age of 67 in March last year. But a few months before he died, Paul recorded his Great Elephant Adventure. Fans tuned in to watch the two-part series on ITV , which started last week, with the final episode airing on Sunday night. It follows animal lover Paul travelling to Thailand’s largest wildlife hospital which looks after elephants rescued from circuses. He also visited elephants in Laos as part of the series. In one scene Paul said he hoped to visit again in the future, with no one knowing then that he would sadly pass away before the show aired. He even joked about becoming an elephant doctor as a new career "once he retired". But it was all too much for some fans who took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to pay tribute to Paul as they mourned him again. One wrote: “A sobbing mess right now.” Another commented: “really in bits watching the end and knowing we won’t get another series.” A third posted: “Still feels so strange to think this is the last programme we’ll ever see with Paul O’Grady #pogdogs was always a comfort programme for me, and #pogelephants equally so. I wish it could have been more than 2 episodes.” Paul O'Grady's husband Andre Portasio will donate Lily Savage's dresses 'to the nation' The tribute to Paul that was shown at the end of the show ( Image: ITV) “So sad seeing Paul O’Grady on this elephant adventure... there will never be another one like him. What a man he is,” a fourth wrote. A fifth said: “Even the elephants knew just how special Paul was and the empathy he had for animals. It’s a special memory that, thankfully, they’ll never forget.” While a sixth added: “Just 28 minutes (ads excluded) left of the last piece to camera Paul made and I’m here for every minute.” Paul’s For the Love of Dogs will still continue in his honour and will be hosted by This Morning star Alison Hammond . The show is set to return to TV screens on April 16 with Alison at the helm. The 49-year-old was announced as the new host back in January. At the time, she said it was an honour to take over from Paul and that although nobody would be able to fill Paul's shoes, she was going to try her best to honour the late star who previously credited his beloved dogs for saving his life. She said: "I am very aware that I can never replace the iconic Paul in this wonderful series. But if I can continue to shine a light on the brilliant work done at Battersea and help to tell the stories of these beautiful dogs, then it will be an absolute privilege to give it my all. I can't wait to share the joy of their searches for new loving forever homes and hopefully make lots of furry
Friends of my own along the way." 'I'm a TV writer and these are the 10 best new films and shows to watch in April' Follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok , Snapchat ,
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