Paul O'Grady fans 'heartbroken' as star's final ever TV instalment airs

Fans of the late Paul O'Grady have been left emotional after the final instalment of his last ever TV series aired on Sunday night (April 7).

The second half of Paul O'Grady's Great Elephant Adventure, which saw Paul travel to Thailand and Laos to lend a hand at animal sanctuaries, broadcast on ITV. The show was filmed in December 2022 and was completed mere weeks before he suddenly died. The 67-year-old passed away on March 28 last year from sudden cardiac arrhythmia.

The second half of the series saw Paul head to the beaches of Hua Hin to visit the Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand, the country’s biggest wildlife hospital. He soon falls in love with 37-year-old Pun, who had been used for breeding. Paul also met 57-year-old Jum Nong, who was scarred both physically and mentally from a lifetime working in the tourist trade.

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He also helped the team look after 19-year-old Bengal tiger Susu, who arrived with a limp. The star then crosses the border to neighbouring Laos, where there are fewer than 800 elephants left in the country.

Claire Barton, the show's executive producer and a lifelong friend of Paul, explained how he had flown through the show's commentary recording, nailing it all in one session. She told The Radio Times: "He grabbed a cuppa and began recording his lines for the series. Usually, with his voiceovers, we would split the sessions in two, recording the second scripts around three weeks after the first. That was the plan here, too.

"But Paul was flying through the commentary. For the first time in 18 years of working together, Paul suggested that he crack on and finish recording the voiceover. We completed the