Paul O'Grady, the beloved entertainer who died last month at age 67, was forced to make a 'heartbreaking decision' early in his career to give up a job he loved, a close friend has revealed.
In ITV's tribute programme 'For the Love of Paul O'Grady', friends recalled how O'Grady worked as a social worker in Camden while performing as his alter-ego Lily Savage in London's pubs and clubs. A friend said: 'He was really into his job, being a social worker was his calling but he had to give up the work because he could only spread himself so thinly.'
After 13 years on the underground circuit, O'Grady hit the big time with Lily Savage becoming a regular on 'The Big Breakfast'. The star had previously worked as a peripatetic care officer in the 1970s, living with elderly people and dysfunctional families, which deepened his appreciation for those at the bottom of the social ladder.
Speaking to the Mirror in 2016, O'Grady recalled a terrifying incident during his social work days when he saved a child from a knife-wielding father. He fled the flat and made a desperate phone call to the Salvation Army, forging a long-standing admiration for the charity.
