British soap star Paul Danan reportedly died from a cocktail of drugs, including heroin and cocaine. He was 46.
Danan was best known for starring as Sol Patrick from 1997 to 2001 in “Hollyoaks,” the British soap that has aired since 1995.
He also appeared on the reality series “Celebrity Big Brother” and “Celebrity Love Island.”
Danan was pronounced dead by paramedics on Jan. 15 after police officers were called to his home in Bristol, England.
On Tuesday, March 11, an inquest opening at Avon Coroner’s Court in England heard the provisional cause of Danan’s death was from the combined toxicity of heroin, methadone, codeine, pregabalin, cocaine and zopiclone, contributed to by benzodiazepine use, according to the BBC.
His death was first announced on Instagram by his management, Independent Creative Management.
“It is with heavy hearts that we share the tragic news of the passing of Paul Danan at just 46 years old,” the post read.
“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.”
According to the Guardian, Danan had a longtime struggle with addiction and claimed to have spent around 1 million British pounds on rehab. The actor reportedly relapsed during COVID. According to the Mirror, he went to rehab 17 times during his life.
Per the Mirror, Danan once claimed, “The day I started [on ‘Hollyoaks’], 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.”
The outlet also reported that he once said, “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 realizing.”
Before his death, Danan was scheduled to attend a plea hearing at Warrington Magistrates’ Court on Jan. 16. He had been charged with cocaine and cannabis possession, according to court documents obtained by the BBC.
Previously, he had also been accused of driving while under the influence of drugs in Warrington, Cheshire. Additionally, he was hospitalized in June 2024 for a vaping addiction that caused respiratory failure.
During the hearing on Tuesday, the coroner’s officer, Alexis Camp, said Danan’s body was identified at the scene by his partner, Melissa Crooks.
“The circumstances are that Mr Danan was found unresponsive at his home address,” Camp said.
“Emergency services attended and confirmed he had sadly died. A postmortem has taken place and samples have been removed for further analysis.”
Camp added, “I understand there are no family concerns. No note was left.”
The coroner announced May 28 as a provisional date for the full inquest hearing.
