Nancy and Sausage were both rescued from Battersea Dogs and Cats Home during filming for his show, something which Paul promised he would never do. He once said that "under no circumstances" was he allowed to bring any more animals into the home. Tributes have since been pouring in for the late star who is known as one of the country's biggest and brightest entertainers. He rose to fame on the nightclub circuit as the acerbic, platinum wig-wearing Lily Savage, and has been hailed as a "trailblazer" for breaking into the mainstream broadcasting landscape with his alter ego and for his charity work around animals and Aids. And on Thursday night (April 13), fans of O'Grady saw him looking joyful upon returning to Battersea Dogs & Cats Home in a new series of his much-loved show, For The Love Of Dogs, which was filmed months before his death. The programme, which sees O’Grady meet dogs brought to the centre in need of medical treatment, training and ultimately new homes, opened with a voiceover by the late entertainer. By the time he passed away, it is understood that Paul and his husband Andre Portasio had five rescue dogs in their Kent home. They were called Nancy, Arfur, Conchita, Eddie, and Sausage.

Always a joy to be around and obviously, so much fun. He will be missed. Telly and friends have lost one of the best….RIP.” Peggy, it's been a real privilege meeting you, it's not every day you get to meet a special dog like you. You are very beautiful. It's been lovely knowing you, take it easy, Peggy." As Paul left her, Peggy started to whine, with the star telling her: "Don't start, Peggy, please. I'm going to get a job on the railways. It's too hard to say goodbye." By creating recipes inspired by all that mother earth has to offer, our Hero Naturally Nutritious dog food helps support your dog's health in a number of ways. And because we strongly believe that this shouldn't come at the expense of taste, we know your dog will truly love it. The formulations Burgess uses are designed to ensure that our dog food nuggets contain the right level of nutrients after processing. What range of dog food kibble do you provide?BBC EastEnders: The real life of Dot Cotton actress June Brown - quiet Folkestone life to family tragedy During his career, he hosted The Paul O’Grady Show, Blind Date and Blankety Blank, as well as ITV’s multi-award-winning For The Love Of Dogs. He also hosted ITV celebrity game show, Paul O’Grady’s Saturday Night Line Up. And following his tragic passing, his last filming stint at Battersea Cats and Dogs Home is set to air on Thursday evening (April 13). Following his death, the new, eleventh series of Paul O’Grady: For the Love of Dogs began to air posthumously, however, it came come to an end on Thursday night (September 28), leaving fans heartbroken.

Veronica Green, who appeared in both series two and three of the show, tweeted: ‘RIP to Paul O’Grady one of the drag greats. Sleep well Lily.’ To lose somebody who had seen so much of the struggles that our community have been through and then to be taken so early, someone who started out like so many drag queens do, in a pub, with full audiences or two men and a dog cutting your teeth in that old-school training ground for drag.

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Our dry dog food is available in bags and boxes of all sizes, from 1kg to a whopping 15kg - so you can buy in bulk for even greater savings and extra convenience. Dog lover Paul O'Grady is often seen caring for various rescue dogs on his show, The Love of Dogs (Image: PA Photo/Battersea Dogs and Cats Home/ Shiver Production/ITV)

Paul's relationship with his now-husband Andre would go on for 11 years before the two finally tied the knot in the summer of 2017. Just two years before this, Paul revealed Nancy to his followers on social media, explaining that he'd been approached by a rescue charity to foster a dog during filming. "I'd grown quite fond of this little pup so I took her home. Of course, I fully intended to keep her from the start and I've called her Nancy," he said. The British TV icon helped dozens of animals be welcomed into new families. However, his love for canines was so big that sometimes he would relent and take them home himself. Julian Clary, who makes regular guest appearances on Strictly Come Dancing, has also lived at 17th century Goldenhurst Farm in Aldington for more than a decade.He never pretended to not have a political viewpoint; he said people should be in the streets challenging austerity. 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."