Inside tragic Paul Danan’s love life – from dates with Kelly Brook to Playboy model and Katie Price
PAUL Danan rocketed to fame on Hollyoaks - yet he turned to reality TV series Love Island for some help with his real-life romantic life.
The actor, who has sadly passed away aged 46, starred on the first-ever instalment of the ITV2 matchmaking show.
Paul was known for his colourful love life including dates with Kelly Brook, 45 - and awkward encounters with some of Hollywood's A-List.
The Channel 4 favourite starred on the first Celebrity Love Island back in 2005, and returned for the second instalment a year later.
Here we take a look at his relationships - and saucy sex confessions.
KELLY BROOK
Paul met Kelly at the prestigious Italia Conti drama school and the duo dated for six months.
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He previously branded the brunette "amazing" and told how he felt "lucky" to have shared a spark with the "Cindy Crawford"-esq model.
Yet Paul, then lifted the lid on the toe-curling moment their romance came to an end.
He told the Chatting B* podcast with Dapper Laughs: "I used to bring her back to my house after college.
"She met my grandpa. She was amazing."
Yet he added how his "grandpa walked in" on them during some intimate time in the bedroom - with the red-faced moment coming shortly before their split.
Addressing the final nail in the coffin for their dating he added: "I was a bit of a stoner, and she was into S Club 7.
“And I ended up finishing with her. So gutted.”
NIKKI ZIERING
Paul hasn't been shy in sharing his sex confession with Playboy model Nikki.
He told how the blonde beauty performed a "two minute" sex act on him in the loos on Celebrity Love Island - with his co-stars unaware of their frisky antics.
He previously told Jamie East's Reality Check of the cheeky tryst and said he couldn't be prouder of their quick fumble in the bogs.
He said: "Nikki Ziering... the Playboy model comes in and overtakes everything... 2 minutes 58 [seconds] blow***!
"They put the little time counter at the top of the screen.
"We went in the toilets, and then we were out...but a minute of it was spent taking off our microphones!"
During Paul's time on the Celebrity Love Island, he also shared the villa with the likes of Calum Best, Fran Cosgrave, Jayne Middlemiss and Abi Titmuss.
KATIE PRICE
Paul has previously spoken out about his date in 2017 with Katie Price, who went on to be a close pal.
What could have been a romantic encounter soured when the former glamour model turned up to their date with another man.
Paul, who was close to the mum-of-five through his life, previously recalled the awkward moment.
He said: “I get to this date and she turns up with another guy. I’m thinking, ‘Why has she turned up to meet me with a bloke?’
“All these years later she says she was probably a bit shy so she wanted someone with her. I took it to heart, as I thought she wasn’t interested.
“After about an hour, I said, ‘See you later’. I was really gutted.”
Paul Danan has died aged just 46 - here's a look back at his life...
- Paul revealed he nearly died from vape addiction just six months ago
- The former Love Islander took on a surprising new career 22 years after leaving Hollyoaks
- Paul’s health struggles are revealed including vape addiction and heroin overdose
- His haunting final Instagram post revealed he was auditioning for new roles
ANGELINA JOLIE
The cheeky star claimed the Mr and Mrs Smith actress was feeling "kinky" when she gave him a peck on the cheek - despite being in a relationship with Billy Bob Thornton at the time.
Paul claimed the smooch happened at the after-party for her movie, Gone in 60 Seconds, back in 2000.
It came when Paul was at the height of his fame playing Sol Jackson in Hollyoaks - making him a nationwide star.
Despite having her other half with her, Paul claimed Angelina gave him a "two second" kiss on the lips after he lent in for a hug following a meaningful conversation.
"I go to give her a hug because it felt like that kind of conversation, and as I go to give her a kiss on the cheek - bam.
"She turned my head and smacked me right on those lips. Boom. It was a proper two-second-er. On the lips, those Angelina Jolie lips."
Paul admitted the exchange "made his year" before claiming the acclaimed Hollywood actress was "kinky" and "flirty".
He shared: "I looked in her eyes and I was like, 'Thank you, you've made my year.'
"It was the most amazing... the bodyguard was about to come in and rip me to shreds."
MEL SYKES
Paul was aged 18 when he started dating model and broadcaster Mel, who at 26 was eight years his elder.
The pair were on-and-off for a couple of months - with Paul previously branding the breakdown of their partnership as "a shame."
The Celebrity Big Brother star previously recalled one blip which left him in Boddingtons advert star Mel's bad books.
It came after he crashed his car on his way to their date at a swanky restaurant.
He previously told his podcast of the mishap and said: "She didn’t believe me at first. I was late and driving a bit fast because I was really nervous about the date — she’d booked a restaurant. I came to a roundabout and didn’t brake in time. I ended up smashing into the back of a car. It was horrible.
"The guy in front had to go off in an ambulance and all I’m thinking was, ‘I’ve got to go. I’ve got a date with Melanie Sykes’. I called my dad. He came and took care of the car. I jumped in a cab, got to hers and she was like, ‘Why are you so late?’ I said, ‘I’ve just had a car accident’.”
Sadly for Paul, dinner was the only meal he enjoyed with Mel — as he did not make it to breakfast.
Paul added on his show: “That night I was in shock from the car accident, and it came out a bit later. I couldn’t even go to work the next day, I was really ill.
“It was a shame because that date could have been much better. We were on-and-off for a couple of months."
EMMA BUNTON
Paul pushed his Hollyoaks filming commitments to one side when Emma Bunton invited him on a swanky date.
He ditched his lines mid-set and hopped on a train from the soap's Liverpool set to London to meet up with Wannabe hitmaker Baby Spice.
Emma had invited Paul as her guest to a Versace store party after they “had a little snog and swapped numbers” at celebrity hotspot the Met Bar in central London.
Paul explained: “It was a really big thing, as it was a proper date and she was taking me to the event.
"But the worst thing about that date was when Emma said to me, ‘We have to leave separately and we’ll meet you down the end of the road’.
"I said, ‘What do you mean ‘we’? She said, ‘Dani Behr is coming with me’.” So I’m thinking, ‘Am I ever going to get the chance to go back to yours and have a bit of fun?’
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"I’ve come all the way down from Liverpool and f***ed up a scene in Hollyoaks, but I was like, ‘Yes, whatever you want, Baby’."
After chasing her car away from the event - and finally being let in - he told how she dropped him off at a petrol station.
Behind the headlines, Paul was a sweet, vulnerable, big-hearted guy
BY Oliver Grady, Assistant Showbiz Editor
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.