Amanda Holden is under criticism after claiming that what she “loved” about the late Paul O’Grady was that he was “not woke in any way.”
Amanda paid homage to the late pioneer, who died ‘unexpectedly and painlessly’ at the age of 67 on Tuesday night, during her Heart Breakfast radio program, which she co-hosts with Jamie Theakston.
Hundreds of public personalities, including the royal family, paid tribute to O’Grady, also known by his drag identity Lily Savage.
Some Heart Breakfast listeners were not pleased when Amanda said in her tribute to O’Grady on Wednesday morning that he was “not woke.”
‘You know what I loved about him, he was not woke in any way,’ Amanda began, before Jamie chimed in and agreed: ‘Nope, that’s for sure.’
She continued: ‘He had massive opinions on everything, which I love people like that. Really, really funny. Very witty, bitingly sharp. Everything that came out of his mouth was brilliant, and I absolutely adored him.’
‘He’s one of those people who it feels like he was always around,’ Jamie added.
The Wild At Heart actress went on to say that O’Grady was “always there” and “had so much energy.”
‘You knew he was in the room, you absolutely knew he was in the room and I just, oh my god, we’re just all going to miss him so, so much,’ she finished.
‘You knew he was in the room, you knew he was in the room, and I just, oh my gosh, we’re all going to miss him so, so much,’ she said.
This perplexed O’Grady supporters, with one accusing Amanda of “utterly misjudging Paul’s legacy.”
Many individuals noted out that O’Grady was highly ‘woke,’ as described by Merriam-Webster dictionary as being ‘conscious of and actively attentive to major societal facts and concerns,’ throughout his life as he constantly battled to make the world a better place.
‘That would be the drag artist, AIDS campaigner, LGBTQ+ hero and anti austerity critic Paul O’Grady. Ffs,’ one person Tweeted.
Another said: ‘I can’t work out whether she doesn’t know what woke means, or simply doesn’t know who Paul O’Grady is.’
In a heartbreaking House of Commons moment yesterday, Conservative MP Dominic Raab grinned before correcting himself after incorrectly calling the late broadcaster “Paul Grayson.”
Mr Raab went on to suggest that ‘we need to avoid the wokery and the limitations on comedy’ which he said O’Grady and his alter ego Lily Savage would “not have had time for.”
Dictionary, anyone?
