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Victoria Scheer & Sonia Sharma

Andre Portasio's sweet message to husband Paul O'Grady before his unexpected death

Andre Portasio sent out a sweet message to husband Paul O'Grady just a week before his unexpected death, saying he was proud of him.

In his last post about Paul, Andre praised his partner's commitment, dedication and talent. Paul died “unexpectedly but peacefully” on Tuesday evening, at the age of 67.

Andre, a former professional ballerina, said in a statement: "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.”

Read More: Moving tributes for 'nicest and kindest' TV star Paul O'Grady who was 'always a joy to be around'

Andre and Paul first met in 2006 before getting married in a small and intimate ceremony in 2017, reports YorkshireLive. Paul had recently been touring the country with musical Annie, in which he played Miss Hannigan.

Ahead of his shows in Scotland last week, Andre wrote a sweet message for his husband on social media. Sharing a poster of the musical on Instagram on March 21, he wrote: "Wishing Miss Hannigan and all the cast of Annie a wonderful week in Scotland. Proud of you @paulogrady for your commitment, dedication and of course TALENT."

During his extraordinary career, Paul hosted The Paul O'Grady Show, Blind Date and Blankety Blank, as well as ITV’s multi-award-winning For The Love Of Dogs. From April 2009 to August 2022, he presented his own two-hour long programme on BBC Radio 2 called Paul O'Grady on the Wireless.

In September 2021, he began hosting Paul O'Grady's Saturday Night Line-Up and Paul had been set to return to the airwaves next month to host a one-off Easter Sunday radio show on Boom Radio. His unexpected death has sent shockwaves through the entertainment world with hundreds of celebrities and fans paying tribute to the much-loved TV star.

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