Paul O'Grady's ex-wife of 28 years Teresa Fernandes breaks silence on star's sudden death

msn.com:

Paul O'Grady in a gay bar in 1977, has opened up about her marriage to the star in a new interview. On Thursday, mourners lined the streets to pay tribute to the TV icon, who died of a sudden cardiac arrhythmia at the age of 67 at his home in Aldington near Ashford on March 28.

Paul, who worked closely with many charities throughout his life, was beloved for his kind heart and generous spiritIt should therefore come as no surprise that the star also decided to marry his lesbian friend Teresa to stop her form being deported.

The pair were wed for an astonishing 28 years between 1977 and 2005, and she has now shared her sadness over her friend's death. READ MORE: Tony Blackburn cancels all work as illness turns more serious"We probably enjoyed one of the longest marriages in showbiz!" she quipped to the Daily Mail. "Paul was a very special, close friend of mine, but we didn't really love each other. "I was lesbian and he was gay so the marriage would never have worked but we had a great time as friends and even though it was almost 50 years ago I have great memories,' she said. Don't miss. . . Monty Don and wife 'lost everything' as they were left almost bankrupt [NEWS]Paul O'Grady's coffin buried next to grave of ex-lover Brendan Murphy [NEWS]Holly Willoughby issues health update after This Morning absence [INSIGHT]"Of course I was sad when I heard Paul had died, he was always a good friend but I hadn't seen him since the early 1980s. "We just drifted apart at around the time he started to get famous, but I didn't go to the funeral because it's too far for me to travel. "Paul, who was openly gay, kindly agreed to marry Teresa out of "convenience" and to stop her being "hassled" by her family.