Paul O’Grady Leaves A Staggering Amount Of Money To Charity In His Will
Paul O’Grady has left an amazing amount of money in his will to ITV’s For the Love of Dogs charity Battersea, plus £125K to his own pets.
The much-loved TV presenter passed away last March aged 67, leaving behind £15.5 million. The bulk of this will go to his widower, Andre Portasio, his daughter Sharon Mousley and his sister Sheila Rudd.
Unsurprising to fans and friends of the star, a total of £775,000 has also been donated to organisations close to the animal lover’s heart. Alongside the £500k Battersea donation, £50,000 will also go to elephant and orangutan charities.
Paul O’Grady with Elephant rescue at Wildlife Friends Foundation. Credit: Paul O’Grady Instagram.
Battersea Dogs and Cats Home named its building after Paul O’Grady in October last year as a thank you for his decade-long work with the rescue shelter and veterinary hospital. After O’Grady’s death, Battersea Dogs & Cats Home also set up a tribute fund in his name and donations soared past £150,000 within a few weeks.
In response to the generous donation, chief executive Peter Laurie said: “Paul loved Battersea so much and we cannot thank him enough for everything he did for our charity and for rescue animals worldwide. Battersea will forever be indebted to Paul for his endless generosity and support.”
Paul O’Grady also made sure to set aside £125,000 for his five pet dogs. Nancy, Arfur, Conchita, Eddie, and Sausage will receive £25,000 each to cover the cost of their care for the rest of their lives.
Arfur on the left and Conchita on the right. Credit: Paul O’Grady Instagram.
A close friend of Paul said: “This is typical of Paul. He put his money where his mouth was by leaving cash to charities that had special meaning to him.
“And though £125,000 seems like a lot of money to spend on his dogs, they also meant the world to him and he wanted to ensure they always receive the best love and care.”
O’Grady left an additional £50,000 to the Salvation Army after featuring them in his 2016 TV programme The Sally Army and Me with Paul O’Grady.
In an old interview, he shared his admiration for the charity and explained how they helped people in his area when growing up in Liverpool. He said: “They saved kids near my street when I was a boy with food kitchens, helped me when I was a care worker and supported people I know over the years.”
Paul O’Grady in full drag as his alter ego Lily Savage.
The national treasure was a much-loved familiar face on British television and a greatly missed individual.
Also famous for his drag alter ego, ITV1 is set to air a new documentary of Paul O’Grady’s life story called The Life and Death of Lily Savage.
Read more from our celebrity section
Hannah McLaren
I've worked at DC Thomson for six years! I began as an intern at My Weekly and The Scots Magazine, which was extended by a few months to help out at The People's Friend. I then covered maternity as Celebrity Editor for My Weekly, before I became Multimedia Journalist at The Scots Magazine. Currently I'm writing digital content across each title.
