Paul O'Grady's daughter to speak about him for the first time

In a new documentary for ITV1

Paul O'Grady's daughter Sharyn Mousley is to speak about her father for the first time on camera in a new documentary about the late star.

The ITV1 show, The Life and Death of Lily Savage, will focus on how his alter-ego came from the underground cabaret scene to mainstream TV.

The broadcaster says: 'Set against the backdrop of Thatcher’s Britain, Clause 28 [which sought to outlaw the 'promotion' of homosexuality] and the Aids crisis, it’s the unlikely tale of how a working-class, gay man from Birkenhead created the unforgettable character of a Scouse sex worker and honed her persona on the stages of London’s underground gay venues in the 1970s and 80s.

'A leading voice in the battle for LGBTQ+ equality, O’Grady endured police raids, the death of a generation of friends, and heart-breaking visits to Aids wards (in character) before moving into television.'

Then in 2004, O'Grady hung up his wig and retired the character from the small screen - taking a chance the viewing public would accept him out of character.

As well as Mousley, the 80-minute documentary features contributions from O’Grady’s sister. Sheila Rudd and friends Sir Ian McKellen, Julian Clary, Jools Holland, Jo Brand, Alan Carr and Graham Norton.

Mousley, 49, was born after O'Grady's had a brief relationship with a work colleague in the early 1970s, when he was just 18.

The mother of two teenage children, she attended Buckingham Palace with her father when he was awarded an MBE for services to entertainment in 2008.

In his memoirs, the comic recalls his mother's reaction to his fatherhood was less than enthusiastic with her telling him: 'Oh Paul, fancy letting some predatory middle-aged woman get her claws into you. Twenty-bloody-seven, nine years older than you? Nine years! And pray tell me who is this Jezebel preying on daft young lads?'

The programme will air on Good Friday - one day after the first anniversary of O'Grady's death - 'unexpectedly but peacefully' - at his home in Kent at the age of 67.

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Published: 19 Mar 2024