To feel so sad about the death of a celebrity?

[Enfys1982]

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?

I used to work with a nurse who cared for HIV/AIDS patients in the 80’s and 90’s. Apparently Lily used to make regular appearances, visiting and cheering patients and staff up

Hearing that he had died felt like a gut punch 😭

I still feel terribly sad about Caroline Flack. The way she was hounded and slowly ground down. I was struggling with depression when she died so I get why it affected me so much, but it was also such a shock.

I don't feel any sense of loss when a celebrity dies, even some I've met. My BFF died suddenly on the same day as Paul O'Grady so I'm genuinely grieving for someone that was almost family to me. The coverage of his death seeks, bizarrely, so unfair, while she goes unmourned by the nation.

I’m the same completely, and I could never understand the hysteria over the death of Diana and all the people wailing that were lining the streets.

It’s obviously sad when someone dies but I can’t think of anyone famous dying where I’ve thought more than it’s sad or a shame. Never shed a tear.

I still miss Sean Lock. Best comedian ever.

I know I'll feel the same way when David Attenborough dies.

Omg me too. Sometimes this pops into my head and I panic internally. He cant go! 😭

@onefinemess. I feel you. I was completely devastated when he left. 💜

I think it's sad but I never cry, get upset or anything like that. I don't personally know them so it's different to me. I do sometimes wonder if there is something wrong with me as I don't cry at films etc either.

I sobbed when the world lost Keith Flint and Luke Perry in such quick succession. It was like the two sides of my teenage years had imploded somehow.

I'll be a mess when Dick van Dyke dies...

Winter

I feel sad about celebrities who actually made the World a better place, i.e. by charitable, environmental, animal welfare work, etc., as their passing usually means good causes will suffer. Not too bothered at all about celebrities who didn't use their status for good causes - more selfish people who can act, sing or play footie but don't use their status/wealth for good causes aren't really any loss - there's always someone else who can perform/entertain.

I feel such a desperate sense of loss when I think about Victoria Wood. She had so much more in her and like others have said, I really identified with her and her background. She was a one off. I do feel similar about Paul O'Grady in some ways. He had no public persona or arc. He was his own inimitable self and you can't comfort yourself with somebody like him, somebody who fills the same gap. I suppose that's why they were celebrities, because they were enormous and unique talents who did so much but had so much more left to give. They changed things too. Female centred comedy is different because of Victoria. Drag could be seen as a homage to womanhood due to Paul (I don't like drag as a rule but it did feel like he was paying tribute rather than taking the piss). They both left lasting marks on their industries, whether comedy, acting, presenting, charitable works, writing, broadcasting.

I get it op. It’s Prince for me, I’m not sure I’ll ever be over his death. So sad I’ll never see him play live again.

Me neither. And yet he was just a passing singer in my Goth young adulthood. But l was traumatised for about a month. Proper crying. I was mad for Morrisey, but l doubt l’ll shed a tear on his passing.

My username used to be TheEmojiFormelyKnownAsPrince. But l felt it made me feel old, so l changed it!

Sean lock for me. I can sit and watch videos of him over and over and mourn his loss... carrot in a box is my favourite comedy sketch I've seen. Makes me laugh every time I watch it!

Also, Sean Huges.

Never really noticed him much. But l was gutted when he died.

Freddie, Bowie, Rickman, Ledger

and then Carrie fisher.

I was fine til I went to see rogue one. And she’s got the final scene.

But yes to Paul O’Grady. I think his reach was :is far wider than imagined.

Me too :(

I‘m always sorry for the family when someone dies but I can’t say I’ve ever mourned someone I never knew.

I'm very sad about Paul O' grady because he really did seem like a very genuinely nice man. The Celebrity death that really upset me the most though, was Victoria Wood back in 2016. I grew up on her - I remember laughing along on Saturday nights (with both of my parents, who are also now both gone - which somehow makes it more poignant). She had so much talent, but was so unassuming and down to earth and I had absolutely no idea she was ill, so it was a real shock. It's weird, but also fascinating how we are all affected by different celebrities because of different remembered experiences

Oh jeez when George Michael died I cried my eyes out. I was crying for him, for his family and friends and for myself. For the death of my youth, lost innocence, nostalgia for being an 80’s teen…everything that’s changed and gone.
He was meaningful to me.
Perhaps those who don’t ever get upset at celebrities deaths don’t have that deeply felt connection to someone through their music/acting/comedy.

The next day Careless Whisper came on the radio. That sax…and I was gone again.

Since going through the menopause however I no longer cry so I wonder how it will be the next meaningful to me celebrity dies.

Mine too. My sister and I were bereft. I lines his music, but like Paul O'Grady seemed like a genuinely lovely person.

Celebrities leave their mark on the world with their music, or their humour, or whatever their craft was. Sad about George Michael but I love all the Wham! tracks on Absolute 80s and 90s. It's like he hasn't gone away.

Likewise Paul OGrady, there's loads of stuff he did online, hes left all that humour as his legacy, great scouse humour and a thoroughly decent person.

I get you op, I've been thrown this week after hearing about Paul O'Grady and was genuinely in shock when I heard the news. I don't normally feel like this about celebrities, obviously I feel sad for their families but not like the sadness I have felt about Paul O'Grady
Im putting it down to the fact I saw him perform in Annie less than a week before, which by the way he was amazing in

I wonder if he’d been don’t a bit too much? He’d had a bad heart for years but had been touring with Annie and filming a documentary in Thailand before Christmas. That would knacker anyone out never mind someone with his health problems. I don’t think he looked well in recent photos of him. Anyway, it makes you realise how fragile and fleeting life can be I suppose.