Craig Revel Horwood, a well-known television personality and judge on Strictly Come Dancing, recently appeared on the daytime talk show This Morning to speak about his experience performing in the musical Annie following the tragic passing of his friend and co-star, Paul O’Grady. The Lily Savage star, who was playing the role of Miss Hannigan in the musical, died at the age of 67 in March of this year. His husband, Andre Portasio, shared the heartbreaking news of his passing in a statement. At the time of his death, Paul was sharing the role of Miss Hannigan with Craig, another famous showbiz personality.
After Paul’s passing, Craig took over the role of Miss Hannigan and dedicated shows to his late friend. However, the experience of performing without Paul proved to be an emotional one for Craig, and he candidly shared his feelings during his appearance on This Morning. Craig revealed that he found it “really hard” to breathe during his first Annie show without Paul, and struggled to come to terms with his friend’s sudden and unexpected loss. He spoke about the state of shock and panic that the entire company felt when they first received the news of Paul’s passing.
During the interview, Craig also recalled the moment he saw Paul for the last time, before he passed away. He shared how they had planned to share the role of Miss Hannigan, and how Paul had said his goodbyes and expressed how much he was enjoying playing the part. The news of Paul’s passing came as a shock to everyone, and the company had to get on with the show despite the overwhelming grief they were all feeling.
Craig paid tribute to Paul on his Twitter account after hearing of his friend’s death. He described Paul as a “gorgeous colleague and friend” and said that he was “reeling in disbelief” at the news. He praised Paul as a “wonderful human being” who was both funny and to the point, and referred to him as a “legend” before signing off with “RIP darling”.
Paul’s funeral took place on April 20, and it was a somber occasion for all those who knew him. His husband, Andre Portasio, rode on a carriage that was carrying the star’s coffin, accompanied by one of the couple’s dogs, Conchita. The loss of Paul O’Grady was felt deeply by his many friends and colleagues in the entertainment industry, and his legacy as a performer and human being will be remembered for years to come.
