Paul O'Grady honoured at National Television Awards in touching win
The much-missed presenter received a standing ovation at tonight's ceremony.
Paul O'Grady was honoured at this year's National Television Awards, as the much-missed TV presenter won for his series For the Love of Dogs.
The presenter, who sadly passed away in March, also received a standing ovation following a touching NTAs tribute.
Introducing a video of some of the late comedian's best TV moments, the ceremony's host Joel Dommett described him as "someone very special".
"Nominated an astonishing 28 times for an NTA – his first nearly 30 years ago – his career came in many guises and no matter what he did there was always kindness coupled with a unique sense of fun that won over audiences in an instant," Dommett said.
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Accepting the award in the Factual category later in the evening, head vet at Battersea Dogs & Cats Home Shaun Opperman said: "I would like to thank Paul and the ITV team for shining a light on the care that we're able to provide for the 100 or more dogs and cats that come to Battersea every week.
"I know that Paul cared deeply for each and every one of those animals. I think that something about their plight and their vulnerability really struck a chord with Paul. He often referred to Battersea as his second home and for over 10 years he was a tireless ambassador, not just for us but for rescue animals everywhere.
"For me though, he was just tremendous fun to work with and just a lovely, lovely man and we will really miss him."
However, it was adorable dog Riley who stole the show, joining the team on stage to collect the award and yapping during the speech.
Opperman joked: "You had one job, Riley!"
Read more:
- Paul O'Grady's final TV appearance confirmed as all-new documentary
- Lord Cashman: Paul O'Grady had "courage" to stand up for LGBTQ+ rights
Other winners at tonight's National Television Awards included Sarah Lancashire, picking up the Drama Performance and Special Recognition trophies; EastEnders, which collected three NTAs; and Ant & Dec, who continued their incredible run in the TV Presenter category.
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Christian Tobin is the Production Editor for Radio Times, overseeing all online content and editing digital articles across TV, Film, Gaming and more. He previously worked as Chief Sub-Editor at Digital Spy and has a BA in English Language and Literature from University College London.
