Paul O'Grady reveals why he'll never appear as Lily Savage again

27 December 2021, 12:30

Paul O'Grady never wants to dress as Lily Savage again. Picture: JMEnternational/Getty Images

By Radio X

The 66-year-old TV personality says there's "not enough cash on earth" to make him want to dress up as his alter ego.

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Paul O'Grady has insisted there is "not enough money in the world" for him to be Lily Savage again.

The 66-year-old presenter shot to fame as his outspoken drag alter ego, but he recently admitted he can't "be bothered" with having to dress up in her elaborate outfits.

"There’s not enough cash on earth to get me dragged up," he told the Sunday Mirror newspaper. God no. It’s always been, ‘Why don’t you be Lily Savage again?’ Well, because one, I’m too old. And two, I couldn’t be bothered.

“At the time I thoroughly enjoyed it but I’ve moved on. Even in panto I wouldn’t fancy it.”

The Liverpool personality has donated one of Lily's wigs to the V&A Museum in London for a costumes exhibition and he's amazed at the effort he used to go to to dress up as her.

He told the outlet: “I went up to my loft and found it. It was so heavy and I thought, ‘How did I glue it down and put on all that make-up?’ You just think ‘Ugh!’”

But even without Lily, Paul doesn't think his drag is missing from TV as it's become such a "trend" and he's expecting it to cross over into the mainstream, even into places where people are unlikely to expect it.

He said: “A lot of men like dressing up in drag – these rugby club dudes. You look at their behaviour and you think, ‘Oh dear.’

“At the moment it is the current trend. We’ll have a drag queen reading the news before much longer."

He added: “Question Time will be hosted by a drag queen. That would liven things up.”