I was pals with Paul Danan – behind the colourful headlines he was sweet, vulnerable and big-hearted
PAUL Danan may have grabbed his share of column inches over his all too short 46 years, from his colourful love life to his well-documented struggles with addiction.
But beneath the headlines, there was a very sweet, vulnerable, big-hearted guy.
I’ve met and spoken with Paul many times over the years and have always had a soft spot for him.
We first met in 2021 when I interviewed him about his drug relapse. It was a sensitive topic, but Paul spoke with remarkable honesty and candour.
And despite the dark subject matter, he was also funny, articulate, smart and great company.
It comes as…
- Paul’s haunting final Instagram post revealed his hopes to return to acting
- He spoke about his tragic battle to beat his vaping addiction and drug demons before his death
- Katie Price has been leading stars paying tribute to the Hollyoaks actor and reality TV star
- Paul struggled to find love and turned to Love Island to help find the one
- The actor took on a surprising new career before his death
Yes, he had his demons, but he was very open about them and was always striving to be a better version of himself.
After interviewing him that first time, I’d regularly hear from him on Whatsapp, updating me on his life and how he was doing.
He was extremely proud of his theatre company, The Morning After, which he set up to help fellow addicts work through their trauma through drama and acting.
While he seemed lost at times, and on several occasions opened up to me about his struggle to be taken seriously in the industry after his private life exploits overshadowed his professional accomplishments, he clearly found a purpose in supporting others and helping them stay on the path of recovery.
He was a big help for me when my son was diagnosed with ADHD, something Paul also has.
I spoke to him about the challenges I was going through as a parent, and he would listen and give advice, then check in and ask how things were going.
In the showbiz world this is a real rarity – celebs love to talk about themselves but few ask about how other people are.
But Paul always cared about others, and I often thought he was almost too sweet and sensitive for the frequently brutal world of showbiz and television.
There was only one thing Paul was prouder of than his recovery and his theatre company, and that was his son DeNiro.
Paul lit up when he spoke about his boy, and looked forward to spending the weekends with him as he co-parented with the lad’s mum.
His Whatsapp photo was him beaming with DeNiro, and he loved to talk about his offspring’s accomplishments and his hopes for his future.
It breaks my heart that DeNiro now has to go through the rest of his life without his dad, and Paul will never see him grow up.
I last heard from Paul at Christmas, when he left me a voicenote saying he had some exciting things planned for 2025.
I told him we’d catch up in the New Year, but sadly we never got the chance to.
I’ll miss you Paul. You were one of life’s good ones.