Paul O'Grady's cause of death reported in official documents after much-loved star died 'unexpectedly'

Paul O'Grady's cause of death has been reported after the TV presenter passed away last month.

O'Grady was 67-years-old when he died, with his family announcing at the time that he died 'unexpectedly but peacefully' on 28 March.

ITV

His husband, Andre Portasio, shared the news on social media, writing: "We ask, at this difficult time, that whilst you celebrate his life you also respect our privacy as we come to terms with this loss.

"He will be greatly missed by his loved ones, friends, family, animals and all those who enjoyed his humour, wit and compassion.

"I know that he would want me to thank you for all the love you have shown him over the years."

The family did not give a cause of death at the time, but O'Grady's death certificate, obtained by the Express, has revealed that the presenter died from sudden cardiac arrhythmia.

The British Heart Foundation explains that sudden arrhythmic death syndrome (SADS) is when someone dies suddenly following a cardiac arrest, and no obvious cause can be found.

A cardiac arrest takes place when the heart suddenly stops pumping blood around your body, causing the brain to become starved of oxygen.

WENN Rights Ltd / Alamy Stock Photo

The death certificate indicates that O'Grady's long-time friend, as well as former PA and agent, Joan Marshrons, registered his death six days after he passed away.

The For The Love Of Dogs presenter had previously been open about his struggles with Ischemic Heart Disease, having endured three heart attacks before the age of 65.

In the years before his death, O'Grady told The Mirror he was 'counting his blessings' when it came to his health, saying it would be a 'miracle' if he reached 60.

"I don’t fear anything nowadays," he said. "There has to be an angel out there. They are trying to steer me out of trouble 24 hours a day."

Reflecting on the first heart attack he suffered in 2002, O'Grady added: "I’d sort of been waiting for it… all of our family has died of heart disease. But I never thought I wasn’t going to make it. God, no."

The report of O'Grady's cause of death comes as fans were able to tune in this week to the presenter's final series of the ITV show For The Love Of Dogs, which saw him head once again to the Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, to meet some of its residents in need.

The series is set to continue each week on ITV, and online on ITVX.

Topics: Celebrity, Health, TV and Film, Paul O'Grady

Emily Brown

Emily Brown is the Community Desk Lead at LADbible Group. Emily first began delivering news when she was just 11 years old - with a paper route. She went on to graduate with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University before contributing to The Sunday Times Travel Magazine and Student Problems. She joined UNILAD in 2018 to cover breaking news, trending stories and longer form features, and now works as Community Desk Lead to commission and write human interest stories from across the globe.