Paul Louis Danan (2 July 1978 – 15 January 2025) was an English actor and television personality, known for portraying the role of Sol Patrick in the Channel 4soap operaHollyoaks, between 1997 and 2001. In 2005, he appeared as a contestant on the first series of ITV's Celebrity Love Island and returned for the second series in 2006. He was also a housemate on the twentieth series of Celebrity Big Brother in 2017.
Between 1997 and 2001, Danan played Sol Patrick in the Channel 4 soap opera, Hollyoaks.[4] Following his departure from the soap, he played "the Monster" in Desires of Frankenstein by James Martin Charlton at the 2002 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.[5] In 2002, Danan played Melody's Agent Max Mitford in the CBBC series The Queen's Nose. In 2005, he appeared as a contestant on the first series of ITV's Celebrity Love Island. He returned for the second series in 2006.[6] Following his appearance on the show, Danan was awarded a Loaded Laftas Comedy Award for funniest reality TV personality.[7] The same year, he appeared in an episode of Dick & Dom in da Bungalow and presented a television series entitled Test Drive My Girlfriend on ITV2.[8] In September 2006, Danan appeared in the ITV2 series Calum, Fran and Dangerous Danan, in which he traveled from Texas to Los Angeles on America's U.S. Route 66 with Calum Best and Fran Cosgrave.[9] In 2007, Danan was due to play Jack in Jack & the Beanstalk at the Preston Guild Hall, but he was sacked after swearing during the Christmas Lights switch on.[10]
Danan previously lived in Hertford, where he ran a drama club for local children.[17] He had a son named Deniro, who was born in September 2015.[18]
Legal issues
In 2010, Danan was given a £350 fine after he was found to be in possession of drugs and swore at a police officer.[19] He was accused of driving under the influence of drugs in Warrington on 2 October 2024.[20] Before his death, Danan had been due to appear at court in Warrington on two drug charges on 16 January 2025.[21]
Health and death
Danan struggled with an addiction to vapes, cigarettes and cocaine.[22][23][24] He said he experimented with ecstasy from the age of 14 and survived a heroin overdose in 2007.[25][26] Danan said that he had been to rehab 17 times by 2022,[23] and that he had spent "about £1 million on rehab and recovery" by then.[27] In June 2024, Danan was hospitalised for respiratory failure caused by "obsessive" vape usage. He had to be given CPR by his family, before being admitted to ICU with pneumonia. Doctors warned him that if he continued smoking in any form, he risked being linked to an oxygen tank later in life.[28]
On 15 January 2025, Avon and Somerset Police attended an address in Brislington, Bristol, where Danan was pronounced dead the age of 46.[29] His death was announced the following day, with a statement from his management giving no cause of death and saying that no further comments would be made.[4][30] His death is not being treated as suspicious.[31]
