British actor and reality star Paul Dannan died at the age of 46.
Danan representatives confirmed the news on Thursday, January 16, writing via Instagram“It is with heavy hearts that we share the tragic news of the passing of Paul Dannan at the age of just 46. Known for his television presence, extraordinary talent and unwavering kindness, Paul was a beacon of light to so many. His untimely passing will leave irreplaceable gaps in the lives of all who knew him.”
Cause of death not disclosed in Independent Creative Management’s statement. “At this difficult time, we kindly ask for respect and privacy for Paul’s family, friends and colleagues. No further comments will be made at this time,” the post concluded.
The Forms of Danan Celebrity Big Brother costar Aisleen Horgan-Wallace paid tribute following the news of his death.
From directors to artists, Hollywood lost several stars in 2025. On January 4, news broke that Aubrey Plaza’s husband, Jeff Baena, had died a day earlier at the age of 47. According to medical records reviewed by Us Weekly, Baena killed herself. “This is an unimaginable tragedy,” a Plaza representative said in a statement to us (…)
“Paul Dannan…my friend…I am so shocked and heartbroken…. my dear husband… I will cherish all our happy memories,” she wrote via Instagram. “Tear the beautiful amazing talented person.”
Michael Grecoknown for his role in the BBC soap opera EastEndersturned to X with a message of his own. “So sad to read of Paul Dannan’s passing. In this day and age of lies and fake people, he was a genuine and caring man who just wanted to please everyone,” he wrote. “A wonderful warm man who will be missed by many. RIP friend.
Paul Dannan in Hollyoaks.
Tim Roney/Getty ImagesDanan became a star while playing Sol Patrick Hollyoaks from 1997 to 2001 He also appeared in British children’s shows The Queen’s nose and The Basil Brush Show before being cast in the medical drama Casualty.
After achieving success with screenwriting projects, Danan became part of reality television in the UK It appeared on Come Dine With Me, Celebrity Love Island and Celebrity Big Brother. He is survived by his 8-year-old son Deniro.
Less than a year before his death, Danan was hospitalized for respiratory failure in June 2024. He told the UK The sun at that time he spent a week in intensive care due to his vaping addiction.
“I’m upstairs puffing on my vape and then all of a sudden I’m out of breath and I collapse,” he recalled. “My family called an ambulance and they started doing CPR, then the police arrived and took over before the paramedics took me to hospital. I was on a machine in the (ICU) and ended up with pneumonia. My family was warned that I might not make it through the night. I’m so lucky.”
Danan’s doctorit was so, so rough” after the health scare. “She said to me, ‘Paul, you don’t know how serious this is and now you’re going to be here for a while, on this oxygen,'” he added. “She said that if I ever smoke again in any form, I risk being connected to an oxygen tank later in life. She said that’s it now.
Dannan’s last social media post before his death was a recording of an audition for the character of Duke Orsino in Twelfth Night.
“It’s been a long time since I got a little closer to the Master who is our pioneer Sir William Shakespeare,” he captioned the video earlier this month. “You forget what a genius he really was and you remember how beautiful and exciting it is when you get into his work. It’s an amazing experience! Sometimes I forget how much I need to be woken up.
