British actor and reality television star Paul Danan has died. He was 46. Danan’s representatives confirmed his passing on Instagram.
“Known for his television presence, exceptional talent, and unwavering kindness, Paul was a beacon of light to so many,” the statement read. “His untimely departure will leave irreplaceable voids in the lives of all who knew him. During this difficult time, we kindly request respect and privacy for Paul’s family, friends, and colleagues. No further comments will be made at this time.”
No cause of death was specified. Danan is survived by his eight-year-old son, Deniro.
Danan got his start on the institutional Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, in which he played brooding bad boy Sol Patrick from 1997 until 2001. He went on to roles in the medical series Casualty; the well-known British children’s series The Queen’s Nose and The Basil Brush Show; and the films One Man’s Dog (2004) and Doll House (2019). Later in his career, Danan segued into reality TV with appearances on Celebrity Big Brother and Celebrity Love Island.
Danan was open about his addiction to cocaine and other substances throughout his career, once telling an interviewer that he’d been to rehab 17 times and had no business being on reality television in the state he was in. In June 2024, Dana told The Sun (via Variety) that he went into respiratory failure and had to spend a week in the ICU as a result of his vaping addiction.
“I’m upstairs puffing away on my vape then suddenly I lost my breath and collapsed,” he said at the time. “My family called for an ambulance and started giving me CPR, then police arrived and took over before paramedics took me to hospital. I was on a machine in [the] ICU and ended up with pneumonia. My family were warned I might not make it through the night. I’m so lucky,” he concluded.
