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Hollyoaks and reality TV star Paul Danan died from a cocktail of drugs including cocaine and heroin, a coroner has heard.

The actor, 36, played bad boy Sol Patrick from 1997 to 2001 on the Channel 4 soap and was later known for his reality TV appearances, including on Celebrity Big Brother and Celebrity Love Island.

An inquest into Danan’s death was opened and adjourned before Maria Voisin, senior coroner for Avon, at Avon Coroner’s Court on Tuesday morning. Coroner’s officer Alexis Camp told the hearing that Paul was pronounced dead at his home in Brislington, Bristol, at 5.20pm on January 15.

His body was identified at the scene by his partner, Melissa Crooks. Ms Camp said: “The circumstances are that Mr Danan was found unresponsive at his home address. Emergency services attended and confirmed he had sadly died. A post-mortem has taken place and samples have been removed for further analysis”.

The court heard that the provisional cause of Paul’s death is combined toxicity of heroin, methadone, coedine, pregabalin, cocaine and zopiclone, contributed to by benzodiazepine use. Ms Camp added: “I understand there are no family concerns”.

Statements will be taken from Paul’s GP, family, police, the ambulance service and inquiries are ongoing with Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust (AWP), she said. Ms Camp said: “No note was left”. The coroner set a provisional date of May 28 for Paul’s full inquest hearing.

Paul had been due to appear for a plea hearing at Warrington Magistrates ‘ Court on January 16 after being charged with being in possession of cocaine and cannabis, according to court documents. He was also accused of driving whilst under the influence of drugs on October 2 last year, in Warrington, Cheshire.

The late actor had been open about his struggles with addiction, with entering rehab and trying to recover. Back in 2019, during a poignant moment on The Jeremy Kyle Show, Paul divulged his journey through ‘ 17 stints in rehab’, and shared: “They]rehabs] do work. They’re amazing. They’ve saved my life many times but it’s maintenance and it’s about sustaining that recovery and not putting anything before that recovery – even my little boy, who I love to death”.

Despite the efforts, his struggle continued, facing a relapse which he disclosed on The Dozen with Liam Tuffs podcast last year following his Hollyoaks departure. “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 confessed about his troubled past. “I got back home and my parents were so proud of me. I was fat and horrible and didn’t feel like myself”.

He regretfully recounted how he relapsed shortly after: “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”.

Paul previously opened up about how his drug ordeal began once he left the popular soap in 2001 and sought fame in Los Angeles, saying last year: “You can’t party and do well in Hollywood. You’ve got to be healthy. It was cool but I ended up getting into the wrong type of routine of using drugs”.

*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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The Royal Family gathered for one of the biggest events in the calendar this week – the annual Commonwealth Day service.

Yesterday saw King Charles and the Princess of Wales make a return appearance to the event, which they were forced to miss last year after they were both diagnosed with cancer.

Kate, in a striking red Catherine Walker coat and pill box hat, arrived at the Abbey with Prince William, with Charles and Queen Camilla following behind. After meeting dignitaries, the foursome, along with Princess Anne and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, had time to greet each other with kisses and curtsies.

William greeted his father the King with kisses on his cheeks before cameras saw them exchanging a few words. And according to lip reader Jeremy Freeman, Charles had a message for his eldest son, telling him: “Good to see you”. It comes as William and Kate were also seen chatting as they arrived and giggling together as they took their seats before the start of the service.

And body language expert Judi James told the Mirror it showed a ‘ transition ‘ from their recent outings – but one moment showed William’s ‘ bashful crush ‘ on his wife. She explained: “William and Kate made the body language transition from ‘ unison ‘ behaviours to mirrored, ‘ free movement ‘ behaviours at this formal royal event.

” Since Kate’s illness, they have been extra tactile and totally connected during their public appearances, using every opportunity to use touches, glances or mimed hugs to move together coupled up like ice skaters or ballroom dancers. But here they performed the equivalent of ‘ free ‘ movement, putting in their professional appearance in a more traditionally regal way but moving while apart in synchronised, mirrored unity as they did so.

“What this showed was a more relaxed approach with no need to check or employ tie-signs. It appeared to signal they were both on strong, repaired form for this event, keeping their signals of utter fondness to a minimum while still keeping totally in sync.

” They walked in together but slightly apart with signs of renewed energy and positivity. William’s beaming smile projected ongoing pride in his wife but he avoided all the steering pats and touches that can imply she has some need of support and encouragement.

“When they did connect as they do here, sitting together, William’s body-scrunched pose and his very youthful smile with eye crinkling and a peek of the front teeth through his lips in response to Kate’s lean and playful smile suggests a bit of a bashful crush is still going on in their relationship”.

The Commonwealth Day service is an important date in the royal calendar and a rare occasion when senior royals are seen together. Performers from across the Commonwealth took part in the service, which featured hymns and prayers in support of the institution and its leaders, and Britain’s Got Talent 2015 semi-finalists, violinist Braimah Kanneh-Mason and his sister Jeneba accompanying on piano, played during the service.

Guests included hundreds of schoolchildren, diplomatic representatives from the Commonwealth’s 56-member states, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, his deputy Angela Rayner, Foreign Secretary David Lammy and former Spice Girl Geri Horner.