ITV viewers were left "sobbing" and "in tears" on Thursday night, as much-loved TV and radio star Paul O'Grady returned to screens in a show he filmed before his sudden death last month.
His hit series Paul O'Grady: For the Love of Dogs was back for a new series, but it was very bittersweet.
While fans were excited to have the heartwarming show back on telly, it came with sadness following the "unexpected" death of Paul just weeks ago.
Paul passed away aged 67 at the end of March this year, as confirmed by his husband Andre Portasio in a devastating statement at the time.
The news of his sudden death left fans and celebrity pals in shock, with Paul planning several projects in the days and hours before he died.
On Thursday night, fans got to see what could be Paul's last ever TV series as his beloved dog series returned to screens.
Paul was as happy as ever in the first episode of the new series, filmed months before he died.
He was seen meeting a new group of adorable dogs at Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, where the series is filmed.
Paul was an ambassador for the shelter, and his TV series followed the lives of some of the adorable pooches at the shelter who were there waiting to be homed.
From harrowing stories of abused pets, to dogs whose owners could no longer care for them, the pets who featured on the programme certainly pulled on the heart strings of viewers, and host Paul.
From the off, viewers were fighting back tears as Paul graced their TV screens once more and shared his affection for the shelter's residents.
As the episode went on, viewers watched Paul doing what he did best and admitted they "couldn't believe he was gone", and that he would never front another series of the show - while there are more episodes yet to air.
The episode then ended in silence, with the credits written against a black background with no music playing, followed by a picture of Paul and a tribute to him.
Taking to Twitter, fans confessed seeing Paul and having the show back after such sad news had left them "in tears".
One viewer said: "absolutely love this programme you are going to be missed paul, got me in tears not just because of the dogs but cos you have gone."
Another tweeted: "OMG I’m sobbing I’m glad they all found their forever homes especially Peggy it was very emotional seeing Paul saying goodbye."
A third fan added: "For the Love of Dogs, has had me in tears from the start. RIP Paul O'Grady," as a fourth viewer said: "No can't keep them in here comes the tears."
Paul O'Grady: For the Love of Dogs airs Thursdays at 8:30pm on ITV1 and ITVX, with all episodes of the series so far available on the streaming service.
