Paul O’Grady’s funeral to be held at a local wildlife park that he loved

The funeral of Paul O’Grady is to be held at a wildlife park close to his home.

It has been revealed that the funeral of national treasure Paul O’Grady is to be held at Port Lympne Safari Park close to his home in Kent.

According to reports, part of the commemorations will take place at the wildlife reserve in Hythe, just a few miles from his home in Aldington. The 67-year-old much-loved showbiz star was a regular guest at the site and would judge competitions for them.

After his death was announced late last month, the park issued a statement on social media: “We are deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Paul O’Grady — a local supporter of Port Lympne and the work we do. We were incredibly grateful to have had him visit us.”

Reports suggest there will be a service held at a nearby church, before a celebration of the entertainer’s life is held at the park, surrounded by the animals he loved. Yesterday his cause of death was confirmed, with his official death certificate saying he died from sudden cardiac arrhythmia.

Port Lympne is run by the Aspinall Foundation, and home to more than 900 rare and endangered animals, including monkeys, lions and tigers. It was previously announced that O’Grady would have two funerals, one for the public to attend and a private one for family and friends.

The comedian, who was well known for his drag persona Lily Savage, became an ambassador for Battersea in 2012 following the success of the ITV show, For the Love Of Dogs, which was filmed at the home.

Just last year, O’Grady — known for his love of animals — was joined by the Queen consort for a special one-off episode of For The Love Of Dogs to mark 160 years of Battersea Dogs and Cats home.

Born on the Wirral in Merseyside, O’Grady moved to Kent and set up a small holding near Ashford for his menagerie of animals including dogs, goats, sheep, chickens, barn owls and also alpacas.

He was also recently appointed Deputy Lieutenant of Kent having championed the county, especially in 2020, with his programme ‘Paul O’Grady’s Great British Escape’.