Paul O’Grady’s ex-wife of 28 years breaks silence on star’s sad death

Teresa Fernandes, who met the late Paul O’Grady in a gay bar in 1977, has opened up about her marriage to the star in a new interview. 

On Thursday, mourners lined the streets to pay tribute to the TV icon, who died of a sudden cardiac arrhythmia at the age of 67 at his home in Aldington near Ashford on March 28.

Paul, who worked closely with many charities throughout his life, was beloved for his kind heart and generous spirit

It should therefore come as no surprise that the star also decided to marry his lesbian friend Teresa to stop her form being deported. 

The pair were wed for an astonishing 28 years between 1977 and 2005, and she has now shared her sadness over her friend’s death.

“We probably enjoyed one of the longest marriages in showbiz!” she quipped to the Daily Mail.

“Paul was a very special, close friend of mine, but we didn’t really love each other.

“I was lesbian and he was gay so the marriage would never have worked but we had a great time as friends and even though it was almost 50 years ago I have great memories,’ she said. 

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“Of course I was sad when I heard Paul had died, he was always a good friend but I hadn’t seen him since the early 1980s.

“We just drifted apart at around the time he started to get famous, but I didn’t go to the funeral because it’s too far for me to travel.”

Paul, who was openly gay, kindly agreed to marry Teresa out of “convenience” and to stop her being “hassled” by her family.

 

While the pair ended up losing contact, they only made their divorce legal in 2005, and years later Paul admitted he had “forgotten” they were ever married until his manager reminded him. 

The For the Love of Dogs star went on to find new happiness with Brazilian ballet dancer Andre Portasio, 42,  and the pair married in 2017.

Paul also welcomed his daughter, Sharon, with his close friend Diane Jansen, in 1974.

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