Paul O’Grady has reportedly landed his own ‘dirty’ chat show, after recording a pilot for the programme two years ago.
The comedian, 65, is said to have had his new show greenlit after making a number of risqué jokes in a pilot he recorded in 2019, including one dig that took aim at Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield.
According to reports from The Mirror, Paul will be recording seven, 45-minute episodes that will see him interview guests and also give audience members a chance to ask their burning questions to the stars.
Exciting: Paul O’Grady ‘lands his own chat show’ TWO YEARS after making shock pilot with dirty jokes that took aim at Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield, it was reported on Tuesday
A source speaking to the publication claimed the pilot Paul recorded ‘was very funny’ and added: ‘We’ve ordered more episodes and they will stay close to the pilot. They’ll go out later this year, probably in the autumn.’
Paul was reported to have said in the pilot: ‘You know what they are like at ITV, they are a bit leg-crossed aren’t they? Phil and Holly – the pair who p*** themselves if somebody says “bum”.
‘It is like The Graham Norton Show; you are plonked on the end of the couch and, of course, who are you going to talk to? You have got Meryl Streep at that end, me at the other. He’s not going to talk to me, so I am sat there, bored t**less.’
He is also reported to have called his chat show the ‘dirtiest’ possible to have on TV, so he claimed it was ‘too rude’ to make it to air.
Swipe: In a pilot he filmed in 2019, Paul is said to have called Holly and Phil (pictured on This Morning) ‘the pair who p*** themselves if somebody says “bum”‘
Savage: During his monologue, he was said to have also made a dig at Graham Norton (pictured in April), saying he was ‘sat there, bored t**less’ when he appeared on the show
MailOnline has contacted Paul’s representatives and ITV spokespeople for further comment.
Paul previously hosted his own chat show from 2004 to 2005 at ITV, before it was moved to Channel 4 from 2006 to 2009.
The programme was then given a revival at ITV after four years off the air from 2013 to 2015, but only stayed on screens for three seasons.
As his drag alter-ego Lily Savage, Paul also presented a number of shows in the 90s like Blankety Blank and The Big Breakfast.
New venture: According to reports, Paul (pictured in 2019) will be recording seven, 45-minute episodes that will see him interview guests and also give fans a chance to ask questions
Prior experience: Paul hosted his own chat show from 2004 to 2005 at ITV, before it moving it to Channel 4 from 2006 to 2009, it returned to ITV from 2013 to 2015 (pictured on the show)
In March, Paul revealed that he was once chatted up by actor Charlton Heston while dressed as Lily Savage.
The TV star, who shot to fame as his alter-ego Lily, said the Ben-Hur actor mistook his drag queen persona for a woman while at an Oscars party in the nineties.
Paul said the late actor, who died in 2008 aged 84, began flirting up a storm with Lily at the buffet table at the glamorous event.
Recalling the encounter on his Radio 2 show, Paul said: ‘I met Charlton Heston at the Oscars. I was at the buffet helping myself and he came over and started chatting away.
Good times! In March, Paul revealed that he was once chatted up by actor Charlton Heston while dressed as Lily Savage (pictured as Lily)
‘I’m chatting back and blah blah blah and he was very, very friendly. When Charlton Heston walked off, Robin Williams came over and said “He’s got a shine on you… he thinks you’re a woman”.
‘Every time Charlton saw me, I got a wink and a nod, and I gave him a wink and a nod back and I thought “I’m on here, I hope he’s got his chariot outside”.’
Paul, who was 40 at the time, said he was dressed as Lily for a sketch on Gaby Roslin’s Channel 4 show The Big Breakfast.
Fun: Recalling the encounter on his Radio 2 show, Paul said: ‘I met Charlton Heston at the Oscars. I was at the buffet helping myself and he came over and started chatting away’ (pictured as Lily)