Alan Carr hit out against “fake” friends who came “out of the woodwork” after the death of Paul O’Grady earlier this year.

The comedian – who attended Paul’s funeral in April – took aim at celebrities who claimed to be Paul’s friends in the wake of his passing.

Alan hit out after the funeral (Credit: ITV)

Alan Carr on Paul O’Grady’s death

Paul O’Grady died suddenly on March 28 this year. Celebrities and fans rushed to make tributes to the late great TV star. However, Alan was left frustrated, claiming that some of them were not “real friends”.

Alan made the claim while speaking with Kathy Burke on her Where There’s A Will, There’s A Wake podcast, in June.

The comedian admitted he was frustrated with “fake” people claiming close friendships with Paul.

Alan knew Paul and interviewed the Lily Savage star on Chatty Man numerous times. However, he said that though he spent Christmas parties with Paul, he wasn’t “close friends” like Julian Clary was.

“You knew him a bit better than me, I think. I was listening to a couple of your books about yourself and you used to spend Christmas with Paul, didn’t you?” Kathy asked.

Alan clarified that the pair had “Christmas parties together”.

The comedian knew Paul (Credit: ITV)

Alan Carr slams ‘fake’ Paul O’Grady friends

Alan then continued. “But when he died, it was so sad obviously, but you don’t know what to do when someone dies like that. He was a friend, but he wasn’t a friend-friend like Julian was. And you don’t know how much to say. You don’t want his real-real friends saying, ‘oh Alan here you are, ambulance chasing.’”

Alan then explained that “some celebs come out of the woodwork” following celebrity deaths. He called out one person “who will remain nameless”.

“He said, ‘I knew him so well, what a buddy,’ and he’s got a Getty Images photo on Instagram,” he then said.

The comedian continued: “That’s a sign he’s not your real friend, is he? If you have to go on Google Images to find a photo with him, he’s probably not the best of friends, is he?”

Kathy and Alan agreed that Julian Cleary was a “proper” friend of Paul’s, and added he was “in bits” over Julian’s eulogy at the funeral.

Paul’s final project has been revealed (Credit: ITV)

Paul’s final TV project revealed

In other Paul-related news, the late star’s final TV project has been revealed.

Last year, Paul travelled through Thailand and Laos for a two-part documentary – Paul O’Grady’s Great Elephant Adventure.

ITV hasn’t confirmed when the series will air, but fans can expect it to hit screens this Autumn.

According to The Sun, the show is “warm, playful and heartfelt and always characterised by his much-loved wit and humour”.

It’s reported that each episode also highlights a particular challenge faced by elephants in the region.

Paul O’Grady’s Great British Escape airs at 8pm on ITV1 and ITVX. 

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