Paul O’Grady’s ex-wife reveals rare details into their unique marriage: 'We forgot to get divorced'

Paul O’Grady received a well-deserved goodbye that the nation gave him this week. The TV presenter was laid to rest next to his former partner and ‘best mate’ Brendan Murphy after a private and intimate ceremony this week. The ceremony took place at St Rumworld’s Church, Bonnington, Kent. Thousands of people and their pets turned up for his funeral procession to pay their respects to him. However, there’s more about his life that people don’t know.

Paul O’Grady’s secret marriage with lesbian wife

The star, who had an unconventional living situation with Andre Portasio, was secretly married to Teresa Fernandes. Paul and Teresa met when they worked at North London gay bar The Showcase in the early 1970s. He met Teresa before he found fame with his alter ego - Lily Savage.

According to MailOnline, gay Paul O’Grady and bisexual Teresa married in a small ceremony at the ‘registry office at Harrow Road with friends,’ because of Teresa’s mother. The retired barmaid’s mother always asked her ‘When are you getting married you are almost 28,’ and Paul stepped in to help her a ‘marriage of convenience’ was born between the two.

Talking about the marriage that was ‘never consummated,’ Teresa said:

We probably enjoyed one of the longest marriages in showbiz!

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.

Teresa insisted that a few years after their ‘unique’ martial arrangement, the two drifted apart and ‘forgot to divorce’ each other for 28 years. She added that her notable absence from the funeral was because ‘it's too far for me to travel.’

Read More Paul O’Grady’s huge career sacrifice that made him a performer

When did Paul O’Grady get divorced?

Paul and Teresa were married for almost three decades but ‘never lived together or slept together.’ Instead, they both carried on with their jobs like normal after getting married. Teresa revealed she ‘had other partners (boyfriend and girlfriend) since then’ and so did Paul during their marriage. The two met each other last time in the 1980s before Paul became famous and went on to create a fortune of £6.4 million.

It wasn’t until 2005 that Pual and Teresa got divorced after Teresa’s lawyer who helped her get a British passport sorted it for her. She explained:

I only found out I was still married when my lawyer who helped me get my British passport asked me and when I told him the story he said we had better sort it out.

In the end, the divorce came through and when I noticed the date I had to smile as it was Valentine's Day, 14 February 2005.

We had been married for 28 years, most people don't even get to half that these days. It must have been one of the longest marriages in show business.

Read More

⋙ Paul O’Grady had ongoing health issues before his death close friend reveals

⋙ Paul O'Grady's living situation with Andre Portasio wasn't the only unconventional part of his life

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Daily Mail: Paul O’Grady’s secret lesbian wife breaks silence on his death