TV-icon Paul O’Grady continued to earn around £63,000-a-week after his death.
The For the Love of Dogs favourite was still working until his death in March last year at the age of 67. And fresh figures from his company, Buster Productions Ltd, named after his pet dog, reveal that it paid £655,000 in Corporation Tax in the fiscal year ending in May. It shows that his 12-month income was around £3.3 million, while the firm is worth £8.5 million, reports the Mirror.
The star, who left £15.5 million in his will, established Buster Productions Ltd in 2001. Buster was the rescue dog that featured beside him on Channel 4’s teatime show The Paul O’Grady Show until the pooch’s death in 2009. After Paul died of cardiac arrhythmia, his casket was decorated with a wreath with Buster’s image.
The much-loved presenter paid £341,525 in corporation tax in the year ending May 2022, reflecting a total income of £1.7million. In 2021, he paid over £284,313 to the taxman, alluding to another bumper year for the animal champion.
Hard-working In recent years, Paul has featured in five seasons of the Blind Date revival, Paul O’Grady’s Great British Escape, and Paul O’Grady’s Saturday Night Line-up. The Birkenhead-born comedian also featured in a pre-recorded section for the introduction of the first semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2023, which was held in Liverpool. This was would be his final broadcast appearance before death.
A final series of For The Love of Dogs that O’Grady was recorded in summer 2022, with its final episode airing in January. Alison Hammond has since taken over the show. Paul resigned from Radio 2 in 2022 after becoming fed up at having to share the slot with comic Rob Beckett.
Paul’s will includes £125,000 for the upkeep of his five dogs as well as £500,000 for Battersea Cats and Dogs Home, which served as the backdrop for For The Love of Dog.
The late comedian’s Kent property is presently on sale for £3.5 million. Paul, who became famous through his drag alter ego Lily Savage, purchased the property in 1999 and stayed there until his death. He resided with his spouse, Andre Portasio, a ballet dancer who is selling the home. The huge rural home, which lies on 20 acres of land, has a grand main house, multiple outbuildings, and a swimming pool. Paul, an animal enthusiast, kept sheep, dogs, pigs, ducks, alpacas, goats, barn owls, and hundreds of rescued chickens at his house.
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