Paul O'Grady reveals criminal past

Paul O'Grady has revealed a criminal past in his new autobiography.

The comic, who was made an MBE at an investiture at Buckingham Palace last week, admitted that he carried out burglaries with friends in his teenage years and dabbled in drugs.

In his book Paul O'Grady: At My Mother's Knee… And Other Low Joints, the comic wrote: "In one heist we chose not to take anything except an oil painting of a ship and an old pirate's pistol.

"It was an indefensible crime and I make no attempt to absolve myself. I had done it out of boredom and an unquenchable thirst for excitement.

"I swear we did it just so we could have a good nose around the homes of the 'posh'. If Location, Location, Location had been on the telly at the time none of it would have happened."

The chat show host also told how he dabbled in drugs and once ate cannabis with his mother.