Fans of Paul O’Grady were left emotional as they watched the first episode of the late star’s last ever documentary on Sunday.

It was announced Paul had died ‘unexpectedly but peacefully’ from sudden cardiac arrhythmia at home with his partner Andre Portasio on March 28 last year.

His final TV project was Paul O’Grady’s Great Elephant Adventure, which he was finalising his work on just days before he died.

The documentary was filmed across Thailand and Laos in December 2022, while Paul’s voiceover work was completed in the weeks leading up to his death.

The two-part series, which is being shown over Easter on ITV, follows Paul as he helps out at centres by caring for the endangered species.

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Fans of Paul O’Grady were left emotional as they watched the first episode of the late star’s last ever documentary on Sunday

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His final TV project was Paul O’Grady’s Great Elephant Adventure, which he was finalising his work on just days before he died

Taking to social media during the episode, one person wrote: ‘Elephants and Paul O’Grady in one place on my telly is not good for my emotional stability.’

Someone else posted: ‘So lovely to be watching Paul O’Grady again. He really was such a genuine guy who got on with any animal he came across.. Very emotional watching him with the elephants tonight He really was one of a kind.’

While another person shared: ‘Awww this world without Paul O’Grady is a sadder place. I miss him & his special soul. So lovely to see him on our screens, it feels like he never left us.’

‘The world is a much poorer place without Paul O’Grady. That man was a gem of all human beings,’ noted another viewer.

While someone else posted: ‘What a national treasure Paul O’Grady is. So hugely missed but the legacy left is so remarkable.’

Another fan wrote: ‘Paul O’Grady really is a national treasure. We lost so much a year ago.’

And someone else shared: ‘Now watching Paul O’Grady ‘s #GreatElephantAdventure. A lovely, caring, sensitive man. You’re sorely missed #POG.’

According to the show’s producer and Paul’s longtime friend, Claire Barton, while he was at one of the centres, despite being covered in mud and nearly tumbling over Paul declared that he was ‘in heaven’.

Taking to social media during the episode, one person wrote: ‘Elephants and Paul O’Grady in one place on my telly is not good for my emotional stability’

A teaser clip for the series shows Paul receiving a whack from an elephant named Lotus, as he turned to apologise to her for not giving her enough attention.

Paul laughs, and jokes: ‘I don’t stand a chance do I!’

The show’s producer and Paul’s longtime friend. Claire Barton said: ‘Paul wanted to highlight the plight of elephants, which fascinated him throughout his life.

‘Little did we know that this would be the last TV series Paul would film before his death last year.’

The series focuses on the efforts of workers at the conversation centres to rescue and rehabilitate wild elephants.

While filming was completed in late 2022, it was only edited and finalised in the days before Paul’s sudden death.

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Paul O’Grady admitted he was ‘in heaven’ while filming his final TV documentary just months before his shock death aged 67 last year

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His final TV project was Paul O’Grady’s Great Elephant Adventure, which he was finalising his work on just days before he died

In February 2023, Claire revealed how she met with Paul for meetings before he recorded voiceovers for the show.

She admitted that if they had worked at Paul’s usual rate the job may never have been completed, but she wrote in the Radio Times he was keen to crack on.

She wrote: ‘But Paul was flying through the commentary. For the first time in 18 years of working together, Paul suggested that he crack on and finish recording the voiceover. We completed the films with Paul’s voice on them that afternoon. The date was 15 March 2023. It would be the last time I ever saw Paul.’

Claire also heartbreakingly revealed that she had Paul had great plans for more TV shows together, which will now never be made.

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Paul receied a whack from an elephant named Lotus, as he turned to apologise to her for not giving her enough attention

The duo had worked together on different shows for 20 years and were already in the early process of bouncing new ideas around.

According to Claire, these ideas included a series on the African elephant as well as one about wild dogs and wolves in Canada, set to be filmed the same year.

The series is a nod to Paul’s lifelong love of animals, after spending much of his later life filming his show, For The Love Of Dogs, at Battersea Dogs and Cats Home.

The series will end with a tribute to Paul, which reads: ‘In loving memory of Paul O’Grady MBE 1955-2023.’