Legendary presenter, drag artist and national treasure Paul O’Grady has opened up about homophobic abuse he and husband Andre Portasio suffered on a recent flight into the UK.
Speaking to The Sun, Paul revealed how he confronted a fellow holidaymaker after his husband was called a “f**king queer” by a nearby passenger.
Paul quickly responded after the passenger made another sexually suggestive comment, allegedly telling them: “‘You’re lucky we’re not in the street, mate, because you’d be eating your dinner through a straw.'”
“He didn’t know I was sitting next to Andre,” the Blind Date host continued. “Then the bonehead was saying something about me thinking I could do whatever I wanted because I was famous.
“He claimed Andre had been looking at him, which was ridiculous. I mean, he was this typical English yob with a beard and a beer belly.”
The passenger in question was reportedly arrested by police at Heathrow, but both Paul and Andre declined to press charges to avoid causing any further delays.
“It was only afterwards I thought they should have turned that flight around and had him arrested by Thai police,” Paul added. “It could easily have turned nasty up there.”
Paul and professional ballet dancer Andre Portasio married last August in an intimate ceremony in London, 11 years after they first got together.
The two celebrated their marriage with the likes of Sir Ian McKellen, comedian Julian Clary and EastEnders star-turned-politician Michael Cashman.
Anyone who has witnessed or experienced a hate crime is urged to call the police on 101, Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or visit the True Vision website. In an emergency, always dial 999.
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