Paul O’Grady’s widow Andre Portasio invites locals to ‘pay respects’ at funeral and thanks them for support

Paul O’Grady ‘s widow has thanked people for their support and invited the local community where the couple lived to pay their respects to the star. Andre Portasio has posted on social media following O’Grady’s death in March.

In sharing details of the funeral on local Facebook pages to invite the local community to pay their farewells to the TV presenter, Andre Portasio also released a new picture of the comedian smiling while wearing white angel’s wings.

The post read: "I want to take a moment to express my deepest gratitude for the overwhelming outpouring of support and love I have received since the passing of our beloved Paul O’Grady.

"Your kind messages, beautiful flowers, and thoughtful texts of condolences have brought me comfort and solace during this difficult time.

"I’m incredibly grateful for the support and love I have received from our community, and we want to thank each and every one of you for your kindness and generosity.”

He added:

"While the funeral will be a private ceremony, as many of you know, Paul cared a lot about his local community.

"We have therefore requested that the funeral procession passes through Aldington before heading to the church, as a way of marking Paul’s affection for the area.

"We would therefore like to invite all locals to join us in paying our respects to Paul.

"Thank you for your understanding and support during this difficult time."

According to reports, a private memorial is also planned to celebrate Paul O’Grady’s life at Port Lympne Safari Park, which is just a few miles from his home in Aldington, Kent. The 67-year-old visited the wildlife attraction regularly and locals will remember him judging competitions there.

The news comes after Paul O’Grady’s official cause of death was confirmed. He died of sudden cardiac arrhythmia.