Andre Portasio, the widow of Paul O’Grady, talks to the Mirror about showing fans the final of his video and saying it helps them remember how funny, genuine, and upbeat he was.
TV star Paul O’Grady’s widower has told how he draws great comfort from re-watching videos of the late star as he shared with fans the last film of his husband. Andre Portasio told the Mirror how he chanced upon the clip – which shows Paul 20minutes before he passed away – after it flashed up on his phone at 1am on the morning of the second anniversary.
He said, “My phone showed a featured picture when I went to bed.” I didn’t recognize what it was, and I thought, “Oh my god. ” I had forgotten about it for the most part. I thought sharing it with his fans was nice.
In quiet moments, Andre said how he often looked at videos of Paul, who died on March 28, at the home they shared in Kent. “I normally enjoy watching videos of him,” says Andre. “Sometimes I get upset but mostly I laugh about them. He was so funny. It also helps me to remember how funny and genuine and upbeat he was.”
The video of Paul sees the star surrounded by his dogs and doing a video message after winning an award for his book, Eddie Albert and the Amazing Animal Gang.
Paul remarked, “Hello everyone, I’m Paul O’Grady and I just want to say a huge thank you for reading my book and also voting for it. Thank you so much for your kind gift. By the way, this is Eddie, this is my dog, Paul continues, “And by the way, this is Eddie. Don’t you, guys? You are well-known. And this little one serves as the basis for Butch in the book. You’re not being very quiet today, are you? Anyway, thanks a lot once more. It’s really appreciated. Take good care of yourself.
Tragically, Paul passed away in the kitchen just 20 minutes later. André was addressing his family and friends in Uruguay.
He states, “I wanted to be as far away as possible for the anniversary.” “Life just keeps going. I’ve been okay.” Paul is always thinking of me. I’ve now had to make a lot of difficult choices. You can only hope that he will help me as I sell the house. Do I have the right intentions, or don’t I?
Andre remembers how much simpler meal times were back then at their home. He had such a big personality in the house… He claims that it’s difficult to choose what to cook right now. No chicken, pork, or lamb were the only things Paul kept as a pet. It was always simple to decide what to eat for dinner.
Andre posted about what he called the “lost video” of Paul on his Instagram page. He said in the caption: “It’s incredible how our minds can shield us from the pain of loss in moments of shock. Today, my iPhotos reminded me of a lost video I recorded of Paul just 20 minutes before he sadly passed—what became the last recording he ever made to camera.
You see him as the sincere person he was in this bittersweet moment, showing his gratitude to everyone for funding his book, which he recorded for an event he couldn’t attend. It’s hard to believe his passing has occurred two years ago. He spends the entire day surrounded by his devoted dogs. @paulogrady, we terribly miss you. Happy birthday, everyone!
In the replies, fellow TV presenter Gaby Roslin wrote: “Miss him so much. This is special and precious. Big love Andre.” Actress Michelle Collins added: “This is unbelievable, so sad. Makes you realise what a wonderful person he was. Life can be so fragile. We have to really embrace it like Paul did, such a loss. Wish there were more like him x”
Their 18-year love affair came to an end when Paul’s, 67, died from sudden cardiac arrhythmia. He told the Mirror last year, “I really believed that when we got married, it would be forever.” I simply didn’t realize how short lived forever would be.
TOM BRYANT OPINION
You can see why Paul O’Grady loved Andre so much from Paul O’Grady’s soft-spoken, compassionate heart. In preparation for the first anniversary of Paul’s death, I spoke with him last year from the airport. He heartbrokenly stated that he wanted to live as far away as possible from the four walls where his departed husband. So it came as no surprise when he revealed that he was visiting Uruguay this time around to commemorate two years. There is a large Paul-sized hole in his life, just like there is for the nation, and it affects us all in different ways.
Source: Mirror
Leave a Reply