Paul O'Grady's ex-wife’s message after his death – and why she didn’t go to his funeral
Paul O'Grady's wife opened up about their 28-year marriage following his death last year, describing their union as "one of the longest marriages in showbiz".
Paul O’Grady secretly married Portuguese model Teresa Fernandes, now 74, in 1977 after meeting at a London gay club called The Showplace, where they both worked at the time.
The pals were never in a romantic relationship, but rather a marriage of “convenience” after Teresa’s mother pestered her about not being married in her late 20s.
They ended up staying married for 28 years and only got divorced in 2005 after Paul’s manager reminded him that all his assets would go to her if anything were to happen to him.
Teresa and Paul lost contact over the years, but she still holds the beloved entertainer dear to her heart.
Speaking after Paul’s death in April 2023, the former model joked: “We probably enjoyed one of the longest marriages in showbiz!
“Paul was a very special, close friend of mine, but we didn't really love each other. I was lesbian and he was gay so the marriage would never have worked but we had a great time as friends and even though it was almost 50 years ago, I have great memories,” she added to MailOnline.
Despite him being a big part of her life, Teresa didn’t attend Paul’s funeral.
Explaining why, she added to the publication: “Of course I was sad when I heard Paul had died, he was always a good friend but I hadn't seen him since the early 1980s.
“We just drifted apart at around the time he started to get famous, but I didn't go to the funeral because it's too far for me to travel.”
Paul, who would be celebrating his 69th birthday today, previously spoke fondly of their marriage, saying: "Teresa, I call her the lesbian Portuguese barmaid, was lovely. She looked like David Cassidy.
"We worked in a club in Westbourne Grove, London, when I was 22. She was from a very strict Catholic family and was always being hassled by them: ‘Why aren’t you getting married?’ So I said: ‘Come on then, we’ll get married’, and we did."
Paul even revealed that he had forgotten the pair tied the knot all those years ago. He went on: "I had no idea we were still married until my manager Brendan said, ‘If anything happened to you, everything would go to your wife.' It’s like a real-life Corrie storyline.”
Following their divorce, Paul married ballet dancer Andre Portasio in 2017 and they remained together until his death.
