EXCLUSIVE: Paul O'Grady's 'secret' daughter says family 'devastated'

EXCLUSIVE: Paul O’Grady’s ‘secret’ daughter, 48, breaks silence on late father’s death to reveal her family are ‘devastated’ by the loss of the beloved TV favourite

Paul O’Grady’s ‘secret’ daughter has broken her silence on her father’s sudden death, saying the family is ‘devastated’.

Sharon Mousley, 48, was born after Paul had a brief relationship with then work colleague Diane Jansen, now 76, in the early 1970s.

The Lily Savage icon enjoyed a close relationship with Sharon and he gave her away when she married husband Philip Mousley.

Speaking exclusively to MailOnline from her home in Liverpool, Sharon said: ‘What can I say? We are all devastated, I am, my mum is, everyone is. We loved him and we will miss him.

She added: ‘We are all distraught.’

Paul O’Grady’s ‘secret’ daughter Sharon Mousley, 48, (pictured) has broken her silence on her father’s sudden death, saying the family is ‘devastated’

Paul O’Grady holds his then-three-week-old grandson with daughter Sharon by his side in January 2007

Paul O’Grady with daughter Sharyn Mousley at his OBE investiture at Buckingham Palace in 2008

Many fans of the star were unaware he had fathered a child until the raft of coverage about all aspects of his life and career following news of his death earlier this week.

Sharon Moseley was born in May 1974 when Paul was just 18 years old. She has since appeared publicly with him on several occasions.

The mother of two teenage children, Abel and Halo, she attended Buckingham Palace with her father when he was awarded an MBE for services to entertainment in 2008.

Paul also gave her away in the traditional father role at her wedding and made a speech at the reception. He said of the wedding afterwards ‘It was a really great day. Sharon looked fabulous and Philip is a smashing fella. They fit together like a pan and a lid. She looked like a Disney princess.’

Sharon Mousley (right) was born after Paul had a brief relationship with then work colleague Diane Jansen, now 76, (left) in the early 1970s

Paul agreed to pay maintenance of £3-a-week for Sharon (right) out of his £11-a-week pay packet and how his mother Mary had berated him for getting a woman pregnant – although she clearly blamed Diane (left)

In his autobiography ‘The Devil Rides Out’, Paul describes both poignantly and humorously how he felt after Sharon was born.

He wrote how he went to visit mum and baby in hospital and said: ‘A smiling nurse showed me into a shiny ward where Diane lay in the middle bed of a row of three, beside which the tiny newborn babies lay in their cots.

‘Nervously approaching the cot next to Diane’s bed, I felt the blood rush to my cheeks as I became conscious that the eyes of all the new mothers and nurses in the ward were on me.

The last photograph of O’Grady taken just days ago showed the icon posing with a dog in Edinburgh, where he was performing in a stage production of the musical Annie

For The Love Of Dogs: Paul O’Grady’s final television appearance will air next month when the new series of For the Love of Dogs is shown on ITV, the channel has confirmed

‘All of them were waiting to get a kick out of seeing a young father’s reaction to the first sight of his newborn child.

‘Diane, sitting on the bed, her face flushing a bright red to equal mine, was just as embarrassed by the situation as I was. She quickly said, ‘Why don’t you have a look at her?’

Paul recalled how initially he had gone to the wrong cot and wrote how another mother had said: ‘You’re looking at the wrong baby, mate.

‘That one’s mine, yours is over there. This went down a treat with the mums and nurses, setting them off screaming with laughter and me scuttling over to take a peep at my own child, feeling more like Carabosse than a loving father.

‘Well, what do you think?’ Diane asked, still unable to look at me. I wasn’t sure what to think. Amazed? Confused? Or just nothing? Could this minuscule object with the scrunched-up face and the tight little fists really be my own flesh and blood?

‘I kept waiting, hoping for a rush of fatherly love as I lifted her nervously out of the cot. She was a sweet little thing, yet I felt distant. I was ashamed of myself. What was wrong with me? Didn’t I come from a loving, stable family?’

Showbiz legend: It was confirmed by his partner Andre Portasio that the legendary presenter and radio star passed away ‘unexpectedly but peacefully’ on Tuesday night

Passion: Paul was known for his comedic wit and alter-ego as Lily Savage, but later in life he hosted family favourite, For The Love Of Dogs, which encapsulated his own passion for animals with raising awareness for the rehoming of rescue dogs

He also recalled the spat he and Diane had over naming the baby and wrote:’ When the baby was old enough, we took her to be registered.

‘There had been some dispute between us over a suitable name. I wanted to call her Gypsy, Diane had other ideas and understandably put her foot down, adamant that she was to be called Sharon, which I thought was boring.

‘I can just hear you,’I sneered. ‘Sharrrin, gerrin fer ya tea.’ ‘I don’t talk like that as well you know and I don’t care what you say, I’m not calling her Gypsy, it sounds like a poodle’s name.’

‘So Sharon it was but as a consolation prize I was allowed to pick her middle name, providing it was sensible.

‘I chose Lee, whether it was after Lee Remick, who I had the hots for at the time, or Gypsy Rose Lee I can’t really remember.’

Paul agreed to pay maintenance of £3-a-week for Sharon out of his £11-a-week pay packet and how his mother Mary had berated him for getting a woman pregnant – although she clearly blamed Diane.

Loss: Paul passed away in his bed with Andre at his side it emerged today, as grief-stricken friends and family detailed the much-loved star’s final hours  

READ MORE: Paul O’Grady’s final moments: Star, 67, died in bed with his former ballet dancer husband Andre, 41, beside him 

 

In his book, he wrote how she had told him: ‘Oh Paul, fancy letting some predatory middle-aged woman get her claws into you.’

She went on: ‘Twenty-bloody-seven, nine years older than you? Nine years! And pray tell me who is this Jezebel preying on daft young lads?’

Speaking in 2021, Paul reflected on how he had been mentally ill-prepared for parenthood when so young saying he ‘just wasn’t equipped’ when Sharon was born.

Likening himself at the time to a five-year-old boy, despite being 18, Paul admitted Sharon was secondary school age before they met properly and got to know one another.

They then went on to become close though he would joke that Sharon held her own – saying she ‘has a mouth on her’.

But despite the initial misgivings Paul remained in close contact with Sharon and Diane – who both still live in Liverpool – and his daughter was invited to his OBE ceremony at Buckingham Palace in 2008.

He also gave her away at her wedding and Paul recalled: ‘It was a really great day. Sharon looked fabulous and Philip is a smashing fella. They fit together like a pan and a lid.’

Paul had two grandchildren Abel, 16, and Halo, 14, who he adored and in December he posted a picture of Abel on his Instagram adding: ‘This little monster is 16 today. Happy Birthday Abel. Love GanGanxxx’.

While in another interview Paul said: ‘My grandkids add the greatest reward of fatherhood. I became a dad at the age of 17 and didn’t really get to see a lot of my daughter when she was little.

‘But I did with the grandkids watching them grown up is just wonderful. I think My God, I’ve kept the chain going.’

Sharon added: ‘Mum’s very upset. We are all just devastated.’

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