Paul Danan to be laid to rest at emotional funeral today after Love Island & Hollyoaks star’s tragic death

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 behind 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. He was funny, articulate, smart and great company.

Yes, he had his demons, but he was very open about them and was always striving to be a better version of himself.

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.

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.