TV legend Paul O’Grady had been in talks to turn his debut children’s novel into a film.
A source said seeing his Eddie Albert books as a movie or TV series would have been “the icing on the cake” for Paul, who died last month at 67.
The source revealed: “The books were a passion project and a fun adventure for him. He was genuinely touched by the response to Eddie.”
Last year, Paul finished writing The Curse of the Smuggler’s Treasure – a sequel to The Amsterdam Adventure.
He had previously told how the book is set on Romney Marshes and one of the new characters is a French rabbit “who thinks he’s a star as he once appeared in a toilet roll commercial”.
Paul described his character Eddie as “an ordinary boy with an amazing, secret talent” for speaking to animals.
Little Eddie is raised by his dad – “a smashing fella” – who gives up his music career to care for him following the death of his mum.
Paul said: “I had lots of letters from adults and children. Children whose mother had died could relate to that.”
The much-loved TV star will soon be back on our screens in the final series of ITV ’s For The Love of Dogs.
Since Paul’s untimely death, more than 130,000 people have signed a petition calling for a statue of him to be erected in his home town of Birkenhead, Merseyside.
