Paul O'Grady: The Biography

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 .