"We text each other": Paul O'Grady reveals VERY unexpected friendship with Tom Hardy
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They are, without question, very different men.
But, despite their contrasting personalities, it seems that Paul O'Grady and Tom Hardy share a rather unlikely friendship.
According to Heat magazine, the pair - who first bonded over their shared love of dogs, several years ago - remain good friends and actively text one another.
The Liverpudlian comedian, 61, told the weekly glossy: "Ah, he's lovely. Such a great fella. Tom's not like a film star at all.
"He likes coming down to Battersea to hang out with the dogs."
(Photo: Battersea Dogs & Cats Home)
(Photo: ITV)
(Photo: ITV)
He added: "People come in to look at the dogs and you see them staring at him thinking 'Is that Tom Hardy?'. I have his number and, yes, we text each other."
The men became pals after Tom, 39, appeared on Paul's TV series For The Love of Dogs in 2015.
Not that Paul is unaccustomed to having famous friends - or making public declarations about them, of course.
Earlier this month he joked that longtime pal Cilla Black took cocaine while she was filming Blind Date.
The TV presenter, who has just taken over the reins as the new presenter of the dating show, caused a stir with his comments during recent filming at the London studios.
(Photo: ITV)
(Photo: Rex Features)
He made a number of light-hearted quips about Cilla, who fronted the show from 1985 until 2003, saying she had a secret wild side and did drugs.
"How the f*** did Cilla do this for 25 years? No wonder she was on cocaine. God bless her, wherever she is," he said after stumbling over his words.
Cilla Black passed away in August 2015.