At My Mother's Knee...And Other Low Joints: Tales from Paul’s mischievous young years

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His amazing and riveting life story reminds us that there is, when all is said and done, a bit of savage in all of us.

Paul, of course, went on to further success presenting his chat shows on Channel 4 and ITV, For the Love of Dogs and Animal Orphans on ITV, and his weekly show on BBC Radio 2, inter alia.I thought this was his life story, his autobiography, and was shocked when the book finished and he was only 18 years old ! When I was writing my book "I Need an Exorcism" I read Paul O'Gradys books, At My Mothers Knee, The Devil Rides Out and Still Standing. It's a life that includes, varyingly, stints in an abbatoir, as a social worker, in a high-class Mayfair brothel, and traipsing down to London to chase his dreams. What I received was an interesting and not surprising amusing tale of Paul's early life growing up in Birkenhead that was certainly light entertainment.

At My Mother's Knee and Other Low Joints is an entertaining autobiography from someone who really does have a life that is worth writing about.Now, in his own unique voice, Paul O'Grady tells story of his "early" life in Irish Catholic Birkenhead that started him on the long and winding road from mischievous altar boy to national treasure. And the Elephant and Castle, pub, I heard the Peter Skellern song about it years ago but I couldn't make out the words so I didn't know exactly how rough the pub was until I read Pauls books. At My Mother's Knee features a cast of rogues, rascals, lovers, fighters, saints and sinners - and one iconic bus conductress. In his own uniquely acid tongue, Paul O'Grady traces the hilarious tales of life in Irish Catholic Birkenhead that took him from a virtuous altar-boy ("my first drag") to Britain's best loved entertainer. Paul O'Grady first came to fame in the guise of Lily Savage, and was nominated for a Perrier Award at the Edinburgh Festival in 1991.

Lily later became a regular on This Morning, took over the bed on The Big Breakfast and presented Blankety Blank, but has now retired. In parts laugh-out-loud funny but also at times very poignant, this is a marvellous evocation of a Catholic working class upbringing in the 1950s through to the mid-70s.

I found it interesting to find out about life in Birkenhead for Paul O'Grady, as it's an area I know. At My Mother's Knee features an unforgettable cast of rogues, rascals, lovers, fighters, saints and sinners - and one iconic bus conductress. Personally I do not want to read four books to catch up with his life story, too many books to read.

I wanted to read his whole story, I admire and respect the important work he does now, especially with my love of animals, and the part of his life story I read was okay, but not his life story. He has mixed with stars and whores and all that's in between, slyly spotting the similarity between them all. What I didn't realise at the time was that he has so much to tell that I think he is already on book 4 of his life. I enjoyed this first instalment of his life story, it's written in an almost conversational, rambling style with the author going off at lots of interesting tangents. His four volumes of autobiography - At My Mother's Knee, The Devil Rides Out, Still Standing and Open the Cage, Murphy - are all Sunday Times bestsellers.Told with pathos, love, empathy, and naturally, biting humor, the story of Paul O'Grady is that of everyman, everywoman, and inevitably, every drag act ever. Born to a working class Irish migrant family in Birkenhead, O'Grady went through various jobs in his youth, including working in various bars, for the civil service and for social services, moving around the country to do so.