Paul O'Grady documentary: The Life and Death of Lily Savage to air next week - how to watch

A new documentary, celebrating the late, great Paul O'Grady, is set to air this Easter.

The much-loved entertainer, who was born in Birkenhead, died suddenly on March 28 last year, aged 67, prompting a huge outpouring of love and tributes from across the country and beyond. A passionate animal-lover and professional chatterbox, O'Grady became a much-loved fixture of primetime television. But, for more than 20 years, he was also an iconic drag queen.

In a new special 90-minute documentary to mark a year since his passing, Paul’s story will be told through the prism of his famous alter ego, Lily Savage - an underground cabaret star who took mainstream television by storm, against all the odds.

The documentary, titled The Life and Death of Lily Savage, will feature Paul’s daughter Sharyn and other close family and friends including Sir Ian McKellen, Julian Clary and Graham Norton, sharing deeply personal memories and first hand accounts, with much of it told in Paul’s own words.

The Life and Death of Lily Savage will tell the unlikely tale of how a working class, gay man from Birkenhead created the unforgettable character of a Scouse sex worker and honed her persona on the stages of London’s underground gay venues in the 1970s and 80s. A leading voice in the battle for LGBTQ+ equality, O’Grady endured police raids, the death of a generation of friends, and heart-breaking visits to AIDS wards (in character) before moving into television.

From her big break on Channel 4’s The Big Breakfast to mainstream success hosting Blankety Blank on Saturday nights on BBC1, Lily came a long way in 20 years – and so too did Britain. But then, at the height of her fame something extraordinary happened - Paul O’Grady hung up Lily’s wig for the last time in 2004.

Paul’s final TV project, filmed in the months before his sudden death, will also air for the first time on ITV1, on Easter Sunday. Paul O’Grady’s Great Elephant Adventure is a two-part series following Paul as he travels through Thailand and Laos to celebrate the wonderful work done by elephant conservation centres to rescue, rehabilitate and protect the majestic, but vulnerable, animals.

How to watch The Life and Death of Lily Savage

The Life and Death of Lily Savage will air on ITV1 and ITVX on Good Friday - Friday, March 29 at 9.00pm. It will also be available to watch on demand.

How to watch Paul O’Grady’s Great Elephant Adventure

Episode One of Paul O’Grady’s Great Elephant Adventure will air on ITV1 and ITVX on Easter Sunday - Sunday, March 31 at 8.00pm. It will also be available to watch on demand.