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AIBU?

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Original poster

To feel so sad about the death of a celebrity?

128 replies

Enfys1982 · 04/04/2023 08:59

I know this is going to sound ridiculous, but I feel so sad over the death of Paul O’Grady, even though I’ve never met him. Even more ridiculous I keep thinking about his dogs wondering where he’s gone (I felt the same about the Corgi’s when the Queen died ffs). My now long gone Grandmother loved him as Lily Savage back in the day, went to see her live in Blackpool and even had her videos. She used to howl with laughter. I used to adore his teatime chat shows with Buster and Olga, then obviously more recently For the Love of Dogs which even inspired me to donate to Battersea.

No one has a bad word to say about him unlike a lot of celebrities and people in the public eye, and I think it was a case of what you saw was what you got. It seems so unfair when there are so many awful celebs who are in rude health (no names mentioned) and he’s been taken so suddenly and before his time.

Anyway I’m being ridiculous aren’t I? Surely this isn’t normal?

OP posts:
Prescottdanni123 · 04/04/2023 10:24

I watched the Paul O'Grady show after school without fail, and then For the Love of dogs and all the shows he did in Africa and Asia. He was at Boon Lotts elephant sanctuary filming for another animal show back in December. The line of animals that were waiting to greet that man on the other side must have been a mile long.

It is very sad. Its upset me even more than I thought it would.

Aaron95 · 04/04/2023 10:25

If some random "celeb" from Big Brother dies I couldn't care less. But I was hugely upset when Terry Pratchett died. I didn't know him but his writing had a huge impact on me when I was growing up. I therefore felt incredibly sad knowing there would never be any more, plus I admired him as a person (even though I didn't know him).

AlphaAlpha · 04/04/2023 10:28

I still feel incredibly sad when I think of Keith Flint, Chester Bennnington and Taylor Hawkins. Such icons to me, and desperately sad that Keith and Chester felt that suicide was their only choice.

SilverPeacock · 04/04/2023 10:30

He was just one of those people who was very relatable like he was chatting directly to you when he was talking on the radio and you could imagine having a drink with him or something. Like others have said sometimes deaths or other circumstances of people you don’t personally know resonate with you for some reason and that’s ok.

Tidsleytiddy · 04/04/2023 10:30

I cried and cried when Bowie died. There was no one like him.
So upset about Paul O’Grady. What a thoroughly decent human being and hilariously funny x

SalmonEile · 04/04/2023 10:30

My one is a little strange , but I was genuinely gutted when Bobbi Kristina , Whitney Houston’s daughter died
I wasn’t a massive Whitney fan but had followed her career and had seen interviews where Krissy would be there or videos of them together and in a sense I feel like I watched her grow up and the poor poor girl just had no shot at life at all

rewilded · 04/04/2023 10:31

Yes OP it makes sense as Paul O 'Grady was a part of your family history.

I like others was upset when Prince died. It took me by surprise as I hadn't been interested or listened to his music for a while. It hit me for a month or so and I was definitely feeling the loss. It was the end of an era and my youth I suppose.

Bobshhh · 04/04/2023 10:32

One of my music idols died last year at a young age and I still
think about him regularly and feel incredibly sad.

G58 · 04/04/2023 10:32

I met Terry Pratchett once and he was a really nice chap - though I was star struck. Loved his books and was saddened by his death as well.

I still do feel sad about Robin Williams as it was only after his death that he was confirmed as having dementia. Dead Poet's Society had and still has a huge impact on me.

NBLarsen · 04/04/2023 10:33

It's not ridiculous OP. This was someone you admired and cared about, regardless of whether you met him. It's completely natural to feel some grief when they die.

JarByTheDoor · 04/04/2023 10:37

I thought this was going to be about Nigel Lawson…

DeadButDelicious · 04/04/2023 10:47

I too am upset by Paul O'Gradys passing, much more than I expected I would be. He led such an interesting and varied life and was so passionate about the things he believed in. And like you say, no one has had a bad word to say. He was by all accounts a nice man and it's just so sad that he's gone. I could have listened to him talk for hours and would have loved a good chat with him about politics etc. It's a shock as well as it was so unexpected.

He's also tied up in a lot of memories of my Nan, she LOVED him. We'd watch Lily Savage together when I was a child and the Paul O'Grady show when I was older. She thought he was fabulous.

FirstnameSuesecondnamePerb · 04/04/2023 10:48

I adored him. He was 12 years older than me so kinda there for much of my adult life.
I think it just brings home that chronic health conditions, looked after (or not depending on what you read) do cause sudden death. Fame cannot save you.

TiredSloth · 04/04/2023 10:48

This is a really random one but in 2009 when Brittany Murphy died it hit me like a ton of bricks for some reason. I spent hours watching her films and interviews on YouTube and thinking how terrified she must have felt when she collapsed. She always seemed so full of life and was a really great comedic actress (and had a fantastic singing voice!). I still feel a gut punch when I think about her now or watch one of her films.

I also cried when I found out Lisa ‘Left Eye’ Lopes had died (I was a teenager when it happened).

pigalow27 · 04/04/2023 10:50

I was very touched by Caroline Aherne's death especially how brave she had been during her illness and how she died alone. She was a true original, very talented and very intelligent. So sad.

WhatATimeToBeAlive · 04/04/2023 10:56

Yes, I'm with you. I admit I shed a tear - he was the sort of person who made you feel like you knew him when you didn't. I haven't read a bad word about him since he died and there aren't many people you can say that about. I'm a massive dog lover too, and you can see how much he genuinely loved dogs and other animals. He left us far too young.

Claricethecat45 · 04/04/2023 11:03

Same here...I was a fan of his work with animals, and his very unique personality just completely shone...and it is wonderful to be reading and watching only good, generous things about him.

You are not alone...his life was certainly, one 'well lived' he will be missed.

TiredSloth · 04/04/2023 11:04

If some random "celeb" from Big Brother dies I couldn't care less.

@Aaron95 I find that a little harsh, i mean they’re still human beings and I find it sad when anyone dies young.

Aaron95 · 04/04/2023 11:08

TiredSloth · 04/04/2023 11:04

If some random "celeb" from Big Brother dies I couldn't care less.

@Aaron95 I find that a little harsh, i mean they’re still human beings and I find it sad when anyone dies young.

Millions of people I don't know die every day. If I was sad about everyone who even gets a mention on the radio or TV I would spend a lot of time mourning.

Eyesopenwideawake · 04/04/2023 11:11

I had the same reaction when Ayrton Senna died - I was on a long train journey the following day and wept the whole way.

Rinkydinkydoodle · 04/04/2023 11:15

I got terribly upset when Freddie died (I was only eleven) and am still sad he’s gone. Seems like the best people don’t get long enough.

I’m not given to this sort of thing (not one of those people who phoned the helpline when Take That split up (as a poster famously wrote on here about someone else getting upset about some grief that didn’t personally involve them 😂)) but I totally know where you’re coming from, DH and I felt gutted when we heard Paul O’Grady had died. He touched your life, I bet he’d be pleased to know he did that.

YesIReallyDoLikeRootBeer · 04/04/2023 11:19

Alan Rickman's death hit me hard.
I'm still sad now when I think about it

Kazzyhoward · 04/04/2023 11:27

YANBU. I felt very sad and emotional the day Olivia Newton John died even though I know it was about to happen. I can still well up when I listen to her songs. It's very strange as I've never felt like that about any other celebrity.

It's not as if I've been a life long fan either. I grew up in the 70's with her guesting constantly on Saturday night TV programs, never bought her records (didn't buy any records really), so was just vaguely aware of her, then of course, Grease, Xanadu and Physical were top of the charts for weeks, so again, knew her hit records, but nothing else. Then she went off my radar from 82 onwards.

It was around this time last year when I was creating Spotify play lists and she popped up as a suggestion, so I started listening to hear, discovered lots of songs I'd never even heard before, then I found some YouTube videos of her performances, interviews, etc., and became almost obsessed with her. I found out she had a fascinating life, ancestry, etc., also her environmental and charitable work, and that basically no one ever had a bad word to say about her - she was genuinely loved by everyone - beautiful inside and out. By this time last year, she'd disappeared from public life, so it was obvious the 3rd cancer battle was about to be lost. That made me sad that I'd actually missed following her, missed the chance to see her live in concerts, etc.

On the day she died, it hit me very badly. Considering she was someone I only vaguely knew about (and forgot about), it was as if she'd been taken away just as she'd come into my life! That somehow made it worse. Still struggling to understand why it's affected me so much.

kittensinthekitchen · 04/04/2023 11:27

Sometimes these things hit us harder than others, in unexpected ways.

I'd imagine it's probably tied to your grandmother and the memories you have.

Sidking · 04/04/2023 11:29

Chester Bennington hit me hard, Linkin Park was my first introduction to 'not-pop' music and shaped my teen years

Paul seems genuinely lovely, I always enjoyed his shows

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