Paul O'Grady -

Book excerpt: Comedian, talk show host, and all-round entertainer, multi-award winning Paul O'Grady is one of the most popular figures on television. But his real-life journey has been more dramatic than any of his on-stage stories. Born into an Irish Catholic household in Birkenhead, Paul was always determined to live a colorful life. He was a boxing champion as a boy and became a father as a teenager. He has been a barman in a brothel and spent his first years in London working as a caregiver to some of the city's most at-risk kids. In this intriguing biography, Neil Simpson reveals the extraordinary highs and the terrible lows of Paul's life. Topics addressed include Lily Savage's origins as a way to make more money and help Paul take his mind off the horrors he saw as a social worker; the difficulties faced by the "blonde bombsite from Birkenhead" to break into the entertainment mainstream; and why Paul decided to risk everything by throwing off Lily's wig and carve out a new career as himself. Frequently hilarious and sometimes heart-wrenchingly sad, Paul O'Grady has always lived his life on a rollercoaster of emotions. Today he is a proud grandfather, a multimillionaire, and a man loved by millions of devoted fans. This is his incredible story.