Paul Danan handed cocaine on first day at Hollyoaks as a 'welcome'

Paul Danan has claimed he was handed cocaine by a colleague during his first day on the set of Hollyoaks in the 1990s, where he played Sol Patrick on the Channel 4 soap

Paul Danan has claimed he was given cocaine on his first day on the set of Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks.

The actor - who has tragically died at the age of 46 - played Sol Patrick on the show in the 1990s. His sad death was announced earlier today, with a statement from his management.

They wrote: "It is with heavy hearts that we share the tragic news of the passing of @pauldanan at just 46 years old. Known for his television presence, exceptional talent, and unwavering kindness, Paul was a beacon of light to so many. 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."

In a past interview, Paul recalled how he had been given cocaine on his first day on set. He claimed: "The day I started there, someone and I am not going to say who, handed me an eighth of cocaine and I didn’t really know much about coke and he was like, 'welcome.' It was the first day, the first read through, I hadn’t even filmed anything."

Paul had been open about his addictions over the years, admitting he relapsed "a lot". "I know that I have to work hard at it every day to keep in recovery. I find it difficult. I relapse a lot. When I was 14, 15, I started experimenting with ecstasy but it wasn’t a regular thing that I felt I had to. When cocaine came into the equation, that’s a drug that can become addictive without you realising," he said.

"I started to have a bit of time off I’d do it and it’s an invisible line and when you cross it it’s hard to go back. I’ve got an addictive personality and if I like something I want more of it." Throughout his life, Paul visited rehab around 17 times for his drug addictions.

Paul suffered a near-death experience following a stint in a South Africa rehab. Speaking on The Dozen with Liam Tuffs podcast, he discussed his struggles and the moment he almost died from a heroin overdose. He revealed he had an overdose not long after returning from a rehab stint in South Africa following his exit from Hollyoaks.

"It took a bad route, a very dark route. Drugs, I had an overdose. I came out of rehab in South Africa. The psychiatrist had put me on all these anti-psychotics. I was there for months," he said at the time. "I got back home and my parents were so proud of me. I was fat and horrible and didn't feel like myself."

He revealed he left to get cocaine but also bought heroin - which he never used before. Paul continued: "They gave me my keys and car and I detoured and got some gear, some coke. I got a bag of brown [heroin] which I'd never done before. I snorted it and shouldn't have snorted it because that's dangerous. I ended up having an overdose really bad."

Just last year, Paul opened up about how his vaping landed him in intensive care. He explained he had turned to vaping after giving up cigarettes, but his love of vaping caused him to end up in hospital – following a near-death experience.

He said: "I was dead - it's a miracle I'm here. I'm upstairs puffing away on my vape then suddenly I lost my breath and collapsed. 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 ICU and ended up with pneumonia. My family were warned that I might not make it through the night."

*Frank offers confidential advice about drugs and addiction (email frank@talktofrank.com, message 82111 or call 0300 123 6600) or the NHS has information about getting help.

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