ITV Coronation Street's Tony Maudsley remembers late co-star's milestone moment with snap

Tony Maudsley shared a throwback image from Paul's 50th birthday party in France, (Image: INSTAGRAM)

Tony Maudsley has shared an intimate snap taken during Paul O’Grady’s 50th birthday celebrations in France. Fans of the Coronation Street actor have hailed the picture as “beautiful”, while others have used the opportunity to further mourn the beloved presenter, who died last March aged 67.

Earlier this week, Tony, 56, shared a picture with his 41,500 Instagram followers. The image, taken in 2003, saw Paul enjoying a sit-down meal with friends in the renowned seaside resort of Le Touquet.

Tony’s followers were quick to comment on the milestone moment, with one typing: “My heart breaks seeing Paul I was a big fan and a Scouser was sadly never met him.” A second echoed: “Miss that man what a wonderful person felt he was my friend.”

“Hope you had a blast,” replied someone else, while a fourth user typed: “How amazing, met Paul in the Nightingale Club Birmingham when he was doing Pano, what an amazing guy. You would need amazing in Panto.” (Sic)

Tony’s former Benidorm co-star Asa Elliott also took to the post to commend both the George Shuttleworth actor and Paul, writing: “Icon. Paul too.” The social media image was taken in the same year that Tony met the former For the Love of Dogs host when being cast in the BBC sitcom Eyes Down.

Tony and Paul worked together on the set of the BBC comedy series, Eyes Down. (Image: BBC)

The sitcom starred Paul as Ray Temple, the misanthropic manager of a Liverpool bingo hall called The Rio.

Tony played opposite him as number checker Martin Munroe while the ensemble cast included other famous faces, such as Sheridan Smith, Rosie Cavaliero and the late Edna Doré.

Paul’s first foray into scripted comedy was not as successful as he had hoped, according to his co-star Tony.

“As Lily [Savage], he'd always had free reign over what he said and when he said it,” he told comedian Julian Clary.

“With Eyes Down, he was working alongside five other actors and had to stick to a script. In the beginning, he would get so frustrated when he had to film something again.

“He'd say, ‘What was wrong with that? I got all me lines right?’ They'd say, ‘I'm gonna do the same again from a different angle’. But he hated doing it over and over again.”

Tony remembered that during filming, Paul got “so frustrated” with filming that he stormed off the set of the BBC sitcom.

The legendary comic died last March from sudden cardiac arrhythmia. (Image: GETTY)

"I chased after him. I said, ‘Paul, there's no car to pick you up till 4pm’. Next thing, he'd stuck out his hand and flagged down a double-decker bus.

“‘Take me to Tower Bridge’, he said to the driver. ‘I can't mate, this only goes as far as Cricklewood.’ Oh, then I'll go as far as Cricklewood and I'll get a taxi,’" he said.

"But, of course, he came back into work the next day with his tail between his legs and he apologised to everyone.”

Since Paul’s death from sudden cardiac arrhythmia in March, his husband Andre Portasio has opened up about the Birkenhead-born presenter’s final moments.

Speaking to The Mirror, the ballet dancer said: “He was on wonderful form and then we settled down in the living room and switched on the telly to catch up on Kent ITV News.

“He left to get some tea, and I heard this loud bang. But because the house is big and old, I didn't think of anything at first.”

Andre later entered the kitchen to see the comedian “lying on the floor” with a “cut on his forehead”.

“I just didn't know what to think at first. He had a cut on his forehead, and I thought he was probably just unconscious. I called the ambulance and they said the best chance to keep him alive was to do CPR.”

Despite medical experts arriving on the scene to resuscitate him, Paul was tragically pronounced dead.

“The saddest part of this all is that when all of this happened, and as I was trying to resuscitate him, I was trying to keep the dogs out of the room," he added.