Paul O'Grady's husband says he smoked a joint in his final moments before dying peacefully

Paul O’Grady’s husband says he smoked a joint in his final moments before dying peacefully at home.

Paul died ‘unexpectedly’ earlier this year at the age of 67, with partner Andre Portasio confirming the news in an emotional statement.

"It is with great sadness that I inform you that Paul has passed away unexpectedly but peacefully yesterday evening,” he said.

"He will be greatly missed by his loved ones, friends, family, animals and all those who enjoyed his humour, wit and compassion.

"I know that he would want me to thank you for all the love you have shown him over the years."

Paul's family did not disclose a cause of death at the time, but his death certificate later confirmed that the presenter died from sudden cardiac arrhythmia.

He was most famous for his drag queen alter-ego Lily Savage, who became a household name in the UK in the 1990s, going on to host the likes of Blankety Blank, Blind Date, The Paul O'Grady Show, The Lily Savage Show and many others during his heyday.

Fans will also remember his love of animals, thanks to his multi-award-winning ITV show For The Love Of Dogs.

Instagram/@paulogrady

Andre, who had been married to the star since 2017, spoke about their final moments together during a memorial event on Wednesday evening, sharing anecdotes about Paul.

At one point, he revealed that he’d been smoking a spliff before he passed away in his chair.

“We’d had a very ordinary day, just watching TV together at home, when Paul said he wanted to make a ‘cup of tea,’ and that was our ­little code for rolling a spliff,” Andre recalled.

“So Paul went to the kitchen to make a cup of tea, brought it back, lit it and started smoking it – and that was our last time together, the last thing we did. He passed away there in his chair.”

Instagram/andre_portasio

At the event, which was attended by the likes of Amanda Holden, Alan Carr and Dawn French, comedian Julian Clary also shared a tale about a particularly memorable meal at Paul’s house.

He said: “I went over to Paul’s for dinner, and he served me pumpkin soup. After that, the ­evening got a bit a wild - and I can’t remember very much.

“The next day, Paul called me and said, ‘How did you find the soup?’ and laughed hysterically.

“God knows what he’d put in it!”