Yahoo News Casualty star opens up on friendship with late Paul O'Grady
Casualty star Amanda Mealing has opened up about her friendship with Paul O'Grady and shared what plans for the late TV star's funeral might look like.
O'Grady died earlier this week on March 28. His husband, Andre Portasio, confirmed on March 29 that O'Grady died "unexpectedly but peacefully" the previous evening.
Tributes have poured in for the late For The Love of Dogs presenter while ITV changed its schedule to honour him. Now, Mealing has opened up to the Daily Mirror about her friendship with O'Grady and shared that the star would have wanted his funeral to be a celebration of life.
Related: ITV changes schedule for Paul O'Grady tribute
"He just told us to have a good time – he’d hate it if everyone was mawkish and morose. He would just say: 'I don’t care, I won’t be here! Do whatever you want,'" Mealing said.
"There may be two funerals. A small private one and a big one in a very grand place for those outside the family. I would think it’ll be in London. Then everyone can come to that and it gives people a chance to fly in. There are ongoing conversations."
She continued: "We’ve also been asking: ‘Can we do something in Liverpool?’ because obviously they very much feel he’s their baby. It’s so difficult."
Related: Paul O'Grady's For the Love of Dogs final series gets airdate following star's death
Mealing, whose two children were O'Grady's godchildren, said that she spoke to O'Grady on the phone a few days before he died and that the star was in good spirits. She explained that she received a text at 1am from Portasio telling her that O'Grady had died.
"I’m heartbroken for me because I’ve lost my best friend, but I’m not heartbroken for Paul because he absolutely rinsed his life," Mealing said.
"He got absolutely everything he could out of it and that is wonderful. He lived 67 lives with the adventures he created in his life and the things he did and the places he would go. He did everything he could and he never had regrets."
She continued: "He said: 'What’s the point? It’s done now. There’s no point regretting anything.' I said to Andre yesterday: 'This could have happened with him alone in a hotel room on tour somewhere obscure. Instead, he was at home in the place he loved with the person he loved.' I’m sure he would have said: 'That’s the way to do it.'"
If you identify with the themes in this article, the NHS has resources available to help with grief counselling and other support in the UK. In the US, the CDC also has resources available for those grieving.
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