Product Description

Comedian, tea-time talk show host and all-round entertainer,
multi-award-winning Paul O'Grady is one of the most popular figures on
British television. But his real life journey has been more dramatic than
any of his on-stage stories.
Born into a noisy Irish Catholic household in Birkenhead, Paul was always
determined to live a colourful life - and has never stopped surprising his
fans. He was a boxing champion as a boy. He became a dad as a teenager. He
has been a barman in a brothel and spent his first years in London working
as a carer to some of the capital's most at-risk kids.

In this, the first major biography of the star, Neil Simpson reveals the
extraordinary highs and the terrible lows of Paul's life. He explains:
How Lily Savage was born as a way to make some money - and help Paul take
his mind off the horrors he saw every day as a social worker.
How tough it was for the 'blond bombsite from Birkenhead' to escape from
the rough south London club scene and break into the entertainment
mainstream.
How hard Paul worked when Lily finally became one of the most bankable
stars in Britain.
How Paul decided to risk everything by throwing off Lily's wig and carving
out a new career as himself.
And how depression, private grief and near fatal heart attacks struck as
Paul re-invented himself as the funniest and most successful chat show host
in the country.
Always hilarious and sometimes heart-wrenchingly sad, Paul O'Grady has
lived his whole life on a rollercoaster of emotions. Today he is a proud
grand-father, a multi-millionaire and a man loved by millions of fans. This
is his incredible story.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #7712 in Books
• Published on: 2007-07-31
• Binding: Hardcover
• 288 pages

Synopsis
Comedian, tea-time talk show host and all-round entertainer, multi-award winning Paul O'Grady is one of the most popular figures on British television. Brought up in an Irish Catholic house in Tranmere, Birkenhead, O'Grady has come a long way from his roots. And what a lively and incredible journey it has been. He has worked as a civil servant, a waiter, a barman, a woodsman, a carer in a children's home and an office worker in an abattoir. And his private life has been equally colourful. He was married twice in his youth - once to a lesbian Portuguese waitress. Initially famous for his outrageous wigs and raucous behaviour, he found fame as Lily Savage or the 'Blonde Bombshell', a vampish drag act that was inspired by his experiences when working as a waiter in a brothel. He began by touring gay clubs and pubs. Then, in the early 1990s, he achieved more mainstream fame with his big break - a slot on ITV's "This Morning". In recent years, after hosting many highly acclaimed TV shows as Lily Savage, O'Grady has chosen to appear as himself.

He has been seen jet-setting around the world in his travelogue shows entitled Paul O'Grady's Orient and Paul O'Grady's America, causing havoc in the BBC's "Celebrity Driving School", and, most recently, hosting his hugely popular self-titled talk show. The abundance of awards that Paul O'Grady has been given in the past five years are a testament to just how much affection the British public have for him. In this hilarious new biography, Neil Simpson paints a fascinating and novel portrait of the wild and incredible man that we all love so much.

Customer Reviews

an interesting insight into the creation of Lily Savage
The book provides a lot of unknown information showing Pauls' childhood,teenage years and adulthood.Producing a daughter at sixteen,living aroung the world and losing his Parents tragically are all explained in the book.It's interesting to read how Lily was created and the wealth that this caricature made for Paul.However,though Paul has many facets to his stage presence,he will always be known for Lily.I would recommend this book to fans but it lacks appeal for a wider audience.

Paul o grady autobiography


I was very impressed with his life story it was a good read

A special Man
This is the story of someone very special indeed. His childhood and his later years are vividly described and many times made me laugh out loud. There is heartbreak here too and ill health which has dogged Paul. He has not allowed this to stop him and the book flows like a river carrying the reader through the many ups and downs of his life so far. A book that is well worth reading with it's depth of feeling.