Vanessa Feltz has paid tribute to her beloved friend Paul O'Grady on the day of his funeral.
The former Radio 2 presenter, 61, said the Lily Savage icon had the "sweetest, kindest heart in the world", as he was laid to rest near his home village of Aldington, as crowds lined to the streets to say farewell.
Famous friends such as Rolling Stones' Ronnie Wood, Alan Carr and Julian Clary, who read the eulogy, were among the mourners at the service, after the TV presenter died on March 28, aged 67.
Vanessa dedicated part of her TalkTV show this afternoon to Paul, describing how they hit it off after meeting on the TV show The Big Breakfast.
She told viewers: “I wanted to say how deeply, deeply he’s going to be missed by so very many different people. Because he touched so many different communities.
"Of course, there were all his fans who watched him on television, who just adored him as an entertainer whether in the guise of Lily Savage or whether as himself Paul O’Grady - a lover of animals, that champion of LGBT groups, that champion of social justice."
Speaking about Paul's drag alter ego, Lily Savage, who was a staple of 1990s TV, Vanessa said: "He had been a social worker before he was a comedian and was once watching a show when he thought, gosh, that MC is so abysmal, I’m sure I could do better. And leapt on the stage and that very night Lily Savage was born.”
Vanessa movingly spoke of how she has voice messages on her phone from Paul, "Saying he was ‘looking forward to some evenings of dissipation and debauchery’ with me. And, my gosh, I can’t tell you how much I was looking forward to spending them with him."
She concluded by saying: “He really was a gifted man. I don’t just mean a comedian, but a well-read polymath, an intellectual giant actually - although he wore his intellect and his education very, very lightly. He was fascinating, he was kind and considerate. He had an acerbic humour but the sweetest, kindest heart in the world.
“He will be missed so much, by so many of us. I just wanted to pay tribute to him today because I am among those people who will miss him desperately.”
Earlier today, during the funeral cortege, Andre Portasio rode the horse-drawn carriage carrying the late TV star in his coffin.
The private funeral was held at St Rumwold's Church in Bonnington, Kent, conducted by the Reverend Canon Roger Martin before mourners went to a wake at Port Lympne Safari Park.
The Salvation Army Band played songs such as Annie from Tomorrow - in which Paul was starring in the production at the time of his death.
Following the service, Mr Martin discussed the spirit of the service and said it was a light hearted and moving occasion.
