Paul Danan's wild life – drug addiction, forgotten Love Island stint and famous exes

Former Hollyoaks actor and podcaster Paul Danan is one of the many stars set to take part in the latest series of Celebrity Coach Trip.

He will join other celebrities including Matt Richardson and actor and presenter Will Best, actors Linda Robson and Lesley Joseph, Geordie Shore stars Sophie Kasaei and James Tindale, members of girl band The Honeyz, Celena Cherry and Mariama Goodman and Olympian Ashley McKenzie who will partner Paul.

Having first rose to fame as Sol Patrick in Hollyoaks, a role he played from 1997 until 2001, Paul has appeared on a number of TV programmes including The Kevin Bishop Show and Are We Dead Yet.

However, he has also had a very wild life with a forgotten stint on Celebrity Love Island, 17 rehab stays and dates with a host of famous exes.

Forgotten Love Island stint

Long before Love Island became staple TV viewing, stars including Paul Danan took part in Celebrity Love Island in 2005.

He shared the Love Island Villa with a host of stars including Calum Best, Abi Titmuss, Jayne Middlemiss and Lady Isabella Harvey, who he tried to woo after a night of partying and champagne.

In one of the series most infamous moments, it is reported that Paul even had to be removed by security guards, after becoming volatile when other contestants refused to share a bed with him.

His actions in the villa also earned him the nickname ‘Dangerous Danan’.

However, he soon returned to the villa and even struck up a bond with some of the contestants including Calum Best and Fran Cosgrave, who he went on to film TV series Calum, Fran and Dangerous Danan with.

That’s not the only reality TV series that Paul has taken part in though, as he was also a contestant on Celebrity Big Brother in 2017.

Drug addiction

Tony has spoken openly about his drug addiction in the past, revealing on the Jeremy Kyle show that he had entered rehab over 17 times and that he nearly died after snorting heroin.

He said: “I’ve had 17 stints in rehab. They do work. They’re amazing.

“They’ve saved my life many times but it’s maintenance and it’s about sustaining that recovery and not putting anything before that recovery.”

He also revealed that his mum heard him gasping for breath at home, after the actor had overdosed, with Paul saying: “I’d overdosed and I was pretty much just taking my last few breaths.

“Luckily down the road there was an ambulance just parked up that saved my life.”

Speaking to Bristol Live about his past experiences with drug addiction, he said: “You break your arm, people care about you,” he said. “You become ill from alcohol and drug addiction, people think ‘I don’t want to be like that.’

“I never spoke out because I was too ashamed, I really wasn’t well. Some people don’t realise how close I was to not making it through the other side.

“It’s since I’ve been talking about it and been much more open, so many people have told me ‘yeah that’s what I was like.”

He has since used his experience to help others, including working at a drug and alcohol rehabilitation centre in the Cotswolds, and setting up a theatre company during lockdown to support people with addictions.

The company has since received support from drug and alcohol treatment service DHI (Developing Health and Independence), with Paul adding: “I want to take it out to recovery festivals, prisons and rehabilitation centres.

“I want this to go nationwide.”

Famous exes

While Paul is now a doting father to his son DeNiro, the star has had a number of famous exes in the past including Spice Girl Emma Bunton and TV personalities Melanie Sykes, Kelly Brook and Katie Price.

However, he has revealed in the past that some of his first dates with the stars did not go smoothly.

Talking on his podcast, Paul Danan’s Morning After, the actor revealed that Melanie Sykes was not impressed when he crashed his car on the way to pick her up for a date in 1996.

“The guy in front had to go off in an ambulance and all I’m thinking was, ‘I’ve got to go. I’ve got a date with Melanie Sykes”, he said.

“It was a shame because that date could have been much better. We were on and off for a couple of months. She ended up getting together with an actor guy and married him.”

On another occasion, he also took TV personality and model Katie Price on a date, but they were not alone, explaining that Katie said she was shy, so she brought along a male friend with them on their date.

During the podcast he also recalled taking Emma Bunton on a date to an event in 1999, where the Spice Girl introduced him to David and Victoria Beckham.

Paul drove all the way from Liverpool to take Emma on the date, but was surprised by the reaction he got when introducing himself to Victoria Beckham.

He said: “It was a really big thing, as it was a proper date and she was taking me to the event. She introduced me to David and Victoria Beckham when we got there but Victoria was so rude.

“I stuck out my hand and she wouldn’t even shake it, she just looked at me.

“David was so nice, he was chatting to me for about 20 minutes but I couldn’t understand how he’d let his wife be so blatantly rude to someone, especially someone who was with her fellow band member.”

He added: “But the worst thing about that date was when Emma said to me, ‘We have to leave separately and we’ll meet you down the end of the road.”

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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk