Comedian, teatime talk show host and all-round entertainer, multi-award winning Paul O'Grady is one of the most popular figures on British television.But his real-life journey has been more dramatic than any of his on-stage stories.Born into a noisy Irish Catholic household in Birkenhead, Paul was always determined to live a colourful life. He was a boxing champion as a boy. He became a dad as a teenager. He has been a barman in a brothel and spent his first years in London working as a carer to some of the capital's most at-risk kids.In this, the first major biography of the star, Neil Simpson reveals the extraordinary highs and the terrible lows of Paul's life. He explains: how Lily Savage was born as a way to make more money - and help Paul take his mind off the horrors he saw every day as a social worker; how tough it was for the 'blonde bombsite from Birkenhead' to break into the entertainment mainstream; and, why Paul decided to risk everything by throwing off Lily's wig and carving out a new career as himself.The depression, the private grief and the near fatal heart attacks that struck as Paul re-invented himself as the funniest and most successful chat show host in the country. Frequently hilarious and sometimes heart-wrenchingly sad, Paul O'Grady has always lived his life on a rollercoaster of emotions. Today he is a proud grandfather, a multimillionaire and a man loved by millions of devoted fans. This is his incredible story.

The definitive biography of the late, great comedy legend, Paul O'Grady

The late, great comedian, teatime talk show host and all-round entertainer, Paul O'Grady was one of the most popular figures on British television. But his real-life journey was more dramatic than any of his on-stage stories.

Born into a noisy Irish Catholic household in Birkenhead, Paul was always determined to live a colourful life. He was a boxing champion as a boy and became a dad as a teenager. He was a barman in a brothel and spent his first years in London working as a carer to some of the capital's most at-risk kids.

In this, the first major biography of the star, Neil Simpson reveals the extraordinary highs and the terrible lows of
Paul's life. He explains:

How Lily Savage was born as a way to make more money - and help Paul take his mind off the horrors he saw every day as a social worker.

How tough it was for the 'blonde bombsite from Birkenhead' to break into the entertainment mainstream.

The depression, the private grief and the near-fatal heart attacks that struck as Paul re-invented himself as the funniest and most successful chat show host in the country.

Frequently hilarious and sometimes heart-wrenchingly sad, Paul O'Grady has always lived his life on a rollercoaster of emotions. A man who was loved by millions of devoted fans, this is the incredible story of one of the nation's greatest comedy legends.