Tragic Paul Danan was found dead at luxury apartment where he was trying to get clean from drugs
PAUL Danan was found dead inside a luxury apartment where he was battling to stay clean from drugs.
The former Love Island and Hollyoaks star tragically died aged 46 at a property near Bristol on Wednesday.
Tributes have since flooded in for the “exceptional talent”, who had opened up on his battles with addiction in the years prior to his death.
Paul revealed on a podcast last year that he was staying at a Grade-II listed property in Bristol which boasted a swimming pool, gym and tennis courts.
A spokesman for Avon and Somerset Police said officers were called to an address in Brislington, Bristol, at about 5.20pm on Wednesday, “where sadly a man in his 40s was declared deceased by paramedics”.
His death “is not being treated as suspicious and officers are preparing a file for the coroner”.
Neighbours have since told MailOnline the actor “kept himself to himself”.
One said: “I didn’t know he was famous, I don’t think anyone living here knew who he was until he died.
“His family has been here since and asked us not to say anything.”
Paul, dad to nine-year-old DeNiro, had been due to appear in court to face drug charges the day after he was found dead.
He was charged with possessing cocaine and cannabis, along with driving under the influence of drugs last October.
Paul was best known for playing Sol Patrick in Hollyoaks before starring in the original series of Celebrity Love Island in 2005.
But in the years after he first rose to fame, Paul battled a cocaine addiction and revealed how he had been to rehab 17 times.
He said he has spent more than £1million on rehab over the years.
In June last year, he also told of how he had to be brought back to life after suffering respiratory failure triggered by his addiction to vapes.
He then spent a week in intensive care, where he contracted pneumonia.
Afterwards, Paul told The Sun: “I was dead — it’s a miracle I’m here. I’m so lucky.”
In an unearthed interview in 2020, Paul also warned Love Island bosses about the “dangers” that instant reality fame could pose to the Islanders taking part.
He most recently appeared in starred in Celebrity Coach trip, but his appearance on the show left him needing therapy.
The show typically sees contestants voted off the coach by the other participants, and Paul admitted that he found the process “brutal”.
He said of the experience: “I had to get a bit of counselling. It taps into a lot of stuff – like rejection. It’s brutal.”
Inside Paul Danan’s tragic battle to beat vape ‘obsession’ & drug demons
PAUL Danan struggled with his health for years prior to his death aged 46.
The tragic death of the ex-Love Island and Hollyoaks star was announced on Instagram this morning.
It comes after he faced health battles including a vape addiction and relapsing during the Covid lockdowns.
Paul battled a history of cocaine addiction and previously revealed how he had been to rehab 17 times.
In June last year, he also told of how he had to be brought back to life after suffering respiratory failure triggered by his addiction to vapes.
Paul took up the habit after years of smoking, before collapsing and being given CPR as he was rushed to hospital.
He then spent a week in intensive care, where he contracted pneumonia.
During an appearance on The Jeremy Kyle Show in 2019, Paul told of how he had sought therapy over his health struggles as he continually relapsed.
Speaking at the time, 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 – even my little boy, who I love to death.”
In August 2017, Paul told of how he died and was brought back to life after snorting heroin.
He would have lost his life had his mum not heard him gasping for breath in his bedroom and called for an ambulance.
Paul said: “My mum found me in my bed and I was making these weird noises and choking on my last breath.
“The ambulance was down the road thankfully, but by the time they arrived I was dead and they brought me back to life.”
He revealed how his battles stemmed from a motorbike accident in 2010 that saw him develop an addiction to painkillers.
Paul had been in and out of rehab as early as 2006 and 2007, but said the accident caused him to spiral.
Following appearances on Celebrity Big Brother and Celebrity Coach Trip, Paul then opened up on how he shouldn’t have been allowed to take part in reality TV shows.
After being shown a clip of himself drunkenly fighting with Calum Best during the one-off series Calum, Fran and Dangerous Danan, he said: “I should never have done any of those shows really because I wasn’t well. I’m not well.”
Following his stint on Hollyoaks, Paul appeared on ITV’s Celebrity Love Island as a contestant in 2005 and 2006.
He also appeared in the ITV2 reality show Calum, Fran And Dangerous Danan, in which he joined Celebrity Love Island winner Fran Cosgrave and Calum Best to travel across the US.
Paul took part in Celebrity Big Brother in 2017, hoping it would give him a “second chance” at his career.
He also regularly called for his return to Hollyoaks, before starting The Morning After With Paul Danan podcast, which lasted from 2019 until 2023.
Following the tragic announcement of his death, friends and former co-stars have paid poignant tribute.
Best, the son of footballer George, described him as one of the “funniest, kindest, and most authentic people I’ve known”.
In an Instagram post, he said: “Paul was truly a creative genius too having all of us laughing our asses off at his insta profile he made to rinse a certain era of celeb culture we lived.
“Life wasn’t always easy for him, but he faced it with such heart and courage, and that inspired so many of us.
“We shared many laughs, chats, and unforgettable moments. My heart goes out to his loved ones right now. Rest easy, brother.”
TV presenter Vanessa Feltz also paid tribute to her “fantastically gifted” friend.
Speaking on Friday’s episode of The Jeremy Vine Show on Channel 5, she said: “He was a friend of mine and he was the most delightful person.
“You know, when someone comes in and you just know that the whole evening’s going to be fabulous because he’s going to be funny and he’s going to be lively.
“He’s going to be, you know, telling you stories he shouldn’t have told you and telling you not to tell anyone and you immediately tell everyone.
“You know, he was funny and lively and lovely and warm and a fantastically gifted actor.”
Bafta-winning actor writer, director, and producer Adam Deacon said Paul was a “genuinely kind and compassionate person”