According to an acquaintance, Paul O’Grady would be furious if the artist who created Cristiano Ronaldo’s notorious bust was entrusted with making his statue.
It was revealed last month that the adored comic, who rose to prominence as Lily Savage, had died ‘unexpectedly’ at the age of 67.
Celebrities and admirers continue to pay homage on social media, and a campaign to have a monument of the late TV personality erected in his birthplace has exceeded 100,000 marks.
Coronation Street actress Jodie Prenger, a friend of O’Grady’s, spoke to Adil Ray and Kate Garraway on Thursday’s Good Morning Britain about how much he meant to her and her views on a possible statue to commemorate him.
‘He’s a stunning human being, and I think there should be a statue in every city in every town, ‘cause he had the nation behind him and I just… I just think they should be everywhere, because I tell you one thing they’ll do – they’ll make everyone smile,’ she said.
Garraway then questioned the serial actress what she thought O’Grady would think of being ‘immortalised in a monument,’ adding, ‘I can imagine he’d have had a few dry comments.’
Prenger responded: ‘I can imagine, but whatever you do, whoever does it, I’m going to say this on behalf of Paul: don’t get the one who made Ronaldo to do it. Remember that statue? He’ll be livid.
‘So whatever you do, do not get that fella. I’m sure he’s a lovely guy.’
Ronaldo had an airport named after him in Madeira in 2017, but a bust made in his memory didn’t quite catch his image in the way that the artist had probably hoped for.
For years, the bronze statue has been mocked, with sculptor Emanuel Santos disclosing the following year how distraught he was to learn that his work had been changed at the airport.
‘I was feeling very sad. Disappointed. I have no words. I’m very surprised,’ he told Bleacher Report.
According to airport head Duarte Ferreira, the new bust was’requested by the Aveiro family, through the CR7 Museum,’ according to Diario de Noticias Madeira.
‘The museum asked us to replace it and place this bust instead, in homage to the athlete, and we thought we should do it. But anyway we have the other one stored,’ Ferreira said.
Good Morning Britain airs weekdays from 6am on ITV.
