Paul O’Grady has thanked fans for their support following the loss of his beloved dog, saying he was “devastated” about losing her.
Cairn terrier cross Olga, who had starred in her owner’s radio and TV shows, died earlier this month after her kidney failed.
O’Grady, who presents ITV’s For The Love Of Dogs, paid tribute to Olga during his Radio 2 show on Sunday night, saying she was “remarkable”.
“She was 13 years of age and she was tough as old boots that one, she was hard as nails, she was like a gangster’s moll in a dog,” he told listeners.
“She was a sweetheart.”
He continued: “On the Saturday we had to let her go. If you are going to be a responsible dog owner you’ve got to do that. You cant keep them on, not when they are in pain.”
O’Grady said Olga is buried in his orchard, adding: “It was all very very sad, hideous. I was devastated, seriously.”
The star said he can trouble containing his emotions when he returned to work filming at a children’s hospital.
He said: “I go in the next day and they are giving me sweets and saying, ‘We’re sorry about your dog’, and it’s torture trying to hold it together for the cameras, especially when you are dealing with a really ill child.
“They are so resilient, they are not thinking about themselves.”
The star concluded by saying he was lucky to have owned Olga and thanking fans for their supportive messages.
“I really appreciate it,” he said.
