Details of Paul O'Grady's funeral confirmed, as public welcomed to join street procession through Kent
17 April 2023, 19:18 | Updated: 17 April 2023, 19:28
His husband Andre Portasio shared the details of his funeral which is planned to take place this Thursday.
Members of the public have been invited to line the streets of Kent this Thursday to join the funeral procession for Paul O'Grady, which will pass through the village of Aldington near where he lived.
His partner Andre posted the details of the funeral on facebook, writing: "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.
"As a mark of respect and as Paul would have wanted, we will be holding a private funeral on Thursday, 20th April 2023.
"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 in Aldington Village between 14:10 - 14:45 on Thursday.
Part of the commemorations will also take place at Port Lympne Safari Park, just a few miles from his home in Aldington, a safari he reportedly visited often and loved.
Paul O'Grady unexpectedly passed away age 67 last month from cardiac arrhythmia, linked to ischemic heart disease.
