Paul Danan opened up about his struggles with shopping addiction in a moving final interview before his death at the age of 46.
The former Hollyoaks star is believed to have died after he slipped and fell at the ‘dry house’ where he was staying in Bristol in a bid to get clean, and was laid to rest on January 21.
Shortly before his untimely death, Paul spoke to the Outlet Ten Discussions Podcast, where he opened up about battling a shopping addiction.
The actor also struggled with drug, alcohol and vaping addiction, revealing in 2022 that he had been to rehab 17 times.
Recalling one of his stints, Paul revealed that during recovery he relapsed and ended up buying a £10,000 car that he couldn’t afford after being given access to his mobile in order to check Covid test results.
Paul Danan opened up about his struggles with shopping addiction in a moving final interview before his death at the age of 46
He recalled pondering: ‘I think I need a car. I wonder if NatWest would lend me 10 grand.
‘So, I can’t believe I’m saying this, I go on the app, and it f***ing gives me 10 grand, like that. Within a day, I had the money, and I just couldn’t believe it.
‘I’m shopping around, they’re bringing up my food, saying ‘don’t worry Paul, the test will come back soon, we’re so sorry you’re in your room’ and I was content…
‘And then someone came up with my dinner, and I said to them, ‘I just need to tell you this – I’ve just bought a car, but I’m gonna be here, and it’s up North, and I don’t know how I’m gonna get it. But I’ve paid for it, And it was 10 grand.”
‘They said, ‘we knew you had a shopping addiction, but Paul, 10k you can’t do that!’ and they took my phone off me.’
Yet while Paul may have objected to having his phone taken away he revealed that it was during his period of reflection that he came up with the idea to launch Morning After Drama – a drama workshop service aimed at supporting the mental health and life development of people in active recovery.
Elsewhere in the podcast, Paul claimed he was related to a hugely-renowned Jewish prophet, and had hoped to marry his dream girl in a synagogue.
The star revealed that he was a descendant of the Sephardic rabbi and philosopher Maimonides, also known by Jewish acronym Rambam, who changed the pathway’ of the lives of his community.
The actor is believed to have died after he slipped and fell at the luxury apartment near Bristol where he was staying on January 15
He shared: ‘My dad was born in Morocco, in Fez, and funnily enough my great, great, great, great, grandfather, we have a museum, he was the chief rabbi of Morocco. He was unbelievable and we’re related to this prophet.’
‘They are so into this guy, because of what he did, he changed like the, the way, I should know more, and I feel embarrassed that I don’t, but he changed the pathway of their lives, of the Jewish people’s lives, and… he was also a bit naughty like me.
‘I went to Portugal when I did like Celebrity Coach Trip, I met this guy and he was a Jewish bloke, and he did lthis excursion, where we did this meditation stuff, it was like mindfulness eating and stuff, and we were eating all different things, but we were really like, and we were like, Chewing it and really in the moment of what it was.
‘Anyway, I got on really well of him and I told him I was relation, a relative of this man and his name is the Rambam right, and he was a lawyer, a psychiatrist or something, a doctor, and all these other things, but he was also a bit cheeky,he did what he did to get things.
‘And we’re talking like hundreds of years ago, but to be related to him is the most incredible thing. So when I see a rabbi and they literally bow down to me, I’m like ”what are you doing?”
‘I got invited to this Friday night dinner with this rabbi, he lives in Golders Green and and the whole evening and the whole dining table was in honor of me that’s related to the Rambam and I [said] ”what what are you doing?”
‘When I go to Morocco and I see the RAMBAM museum, there’s a synagogue and all the chief rabbis of the world are all buried there together, and my grandfather is there and it is amazing.’
Elsewhere in the podcast, Paul claimed he was related to a hugely-renowned Jewish prophet Maimonides (pictured) and had hoped to marry his dream girl in a synagogue
Sharing that this was the first time he’s ever spoken about his family history, Paul went onto reveal that after sharing he links to the Jewish prophet, and she hopes to marry the girl of her dreams at the renowned synagogue he visited.
He went onto say: ‘I went to the Danan synagogue and said ”if I found someone, could I get married here?” Because it’s not a place for people to get married, and he went ”because you’re a Danan, you can.”
‘And I thought to myself, one day, if I do meet, I’m going to bring her here, we’re going to get married at this synagogue because, oh my God, it’s like a museum.’
Paul is believed to have slipped and fallen at the luxury apartment near Bristol where he was staying, leading to his death.
The accident is thought to have happened while the actor was full of hopes for a TV comeback after getting life back on track.
Much-loved Paul had been put forward to go on a popular dating show and was feeling optimistic after getting his life back on track.
Neighbours told how an ambulance was called to the flat near Bristol on Wednesday evening – but paramedics could not save the star.
Paul spoke candidly in the podcast with Outlet 10 founder Anne-Marie (right) whose goal is providing affordable and inclusive mental health education and support
Paul, who appeared on Love Island and Celebrity Big Brother, was due to appear in court the following day charged with possession of Class A drugs.
In a podcast seven months ago Paul told how he was living in a ‘dry house’ in Bristol, believed to be the £392,000 flat where he was found dead.
The Grade II listed property – part of a former Georgian lunatic asylum – boasts a swimming pool, gym and tennis court along with 10 acres of grounds.
Also registered at the one-bedroomed property is Judith Kim Skelton, 46, a personal development coach who specialises in mental health.
Danan’s neighbours said he ‘kept himself to himself’ in his first-floor apartment.
One told MailOnline: ‘I didn’t know he was famous, I don’t think anyone living here knew who he was until he died. His family has been here since and asked us not to say anything.’
Another neighbour said she saw an ambulance at the communal entrance to the gated mansion house in Bristol.
She added: ‘I then found out that the man living [in the flat] has died. I didn’t know him, it’s very sad.’
Avon and Somerset Police said the death was not being treated as suspicious.
Residents said they thought Paul lived on his own at the apartment where he was fighting his addiction demons.
Just a week before his death, Paul filmed himself auditioning for a Shakespearean role, likely inside the flat where he fell ill
In a YouTube podcast titled Love Island, Escapades, Addictions last summer Paul talked about how he was introduced to cocaine and later went on to use crystal meth and heroin.
Talking about his addictions and treatment during lockdown he said: ‘I will probably go to Bristol … go and live in a dry house, I need to carry this on and be in a house with addicts who are in recovery.’
Paul, who shot to fame as Sol Patrick in Channel 4’s Hollyoaks, said he wanted to teach drama to adults alongside a career of acting, writing and directing.
He previously told MailOnline how he moved in with his parents and struggled to get acting jobs so worked in a phone shop repairing screens to get by after leaving Hollyoaks.
The actor became a household name playing bad boy Sol Patrick from 1997 until 2001 on Channel 4‘s top soap.
He told MailOnline just before Christmas how he regretted leaving Hollyoaks to try to break into Hollywood because he didn’t want to be typecast as a soap star and become ‘the next Ken Barlow’.
But he could not cope with the rejection that followed in LA and became home sick, getting drawn down the dark path of drugs that blighted his life.
He said he failed in Hollywood so he went on Celebrity Love Island, which hampered his prospects, blaming ‘snobby’ casting directors for a lack of work afterwards.
In 2020 he moved back in with his parents in Essex after he became homeless having previously spent ‘about £1million on rehab and recovery’ over the years.
Most recently he was based in Bristol, where he was teaching students in drama school while trying to break back into acting.
You can listen to the full interview on the Outlet Ten Discussions Podcast.
For help with addiction issues visit www.wearewithyou.org.uk
