Coronation Street star was helped to have kids by supportive friend Paul O'Grady

03 April 2023 , 10:25

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Charlie Condou has credited Paul O'Grady with giving him the courage to become a dad (Image: REX/Shutterstock)

Former Coronation Street star Charlie Condou has revealed Paul O'Grady helped him find the courage to pursue his dream of becoming a dad.

Actor Charlie, 50, who met the TV and radio favourite through mutual friend Amanda Mealing, said it was almost impossible to be in Paul’s company without collapsing into fits of laughter thanks to his quick wit.

But he also told how Paul was a tower of strength for him when he confided in him about his wish to have children.

Charlie, who played Marcus Dent in the ITV soap until 2014, is now dad to daughter Georgia, 13, and son Hal, 10, with husband Cameron Laux.

And he remembered: “Paul would always manage to make you laugh, and he absolutely didn’t mince his words. He could be brutal. But he was so kind and compassionate.

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“I remember telling him I wanted to have kids, and at that time for a gay man, that wasn’t easy. But he told me: ‘Absolutely do it, you’ll be a great dad.’ He told me it was who I was meant to be. He was so supportive.

“I have some lovely memories with him... we used to get drunk a lot. I remember one occasion when we were in Dublin, in a club called Lily’s Bordello, and we just took it over. We had the whole place singing with us.

“Paul was just such a wonderful man. People bandy around the term: ‘National treasure’ but he really was one. When I met him I was a boy, and I’m 50 now. In all that time I never met a person who didn’t like him.

“It was just impossible not to.”

Laura Armstrong