X FACTOR star Honey G has shared a final photo with friend Paul Danan before his tragic death age 46.
The former ITV contestant, 43, shared a touching tribute along with a photo from her time on Channel 4 show Coach Trip from 2022.
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Former Hollyoaks star Paul was partnered on the show with Team GB athlete Ashley McKenzie.
Paul later said the series was so “brutal” that he needed therapy after being booted off.
Honey G has taken to Instagram to share her heartache as she described Paul as a “beacon of light” and a “quirky but warm person”.
The singer posted a throwback photo from their time on the show together, along with some other co-stars including Linda Robson.
She penned: “Today I am devastated and shocked to learn of the passing of my friend Paul Danan.
“I was filming with Paul a couple of weeks ago we were laughing and joking together and I was smiling constantly because I was with him.
“Paul, I wish you weren’t gone, you were a beacon of light. You lit up every room you walked in to.
“You made me and everyone laugh every time we saw you. I loved your quirky but warm personality. Your smile was infectious.
“Above we are all pictured on Celebrity Coach Trip. (He is on the far right) During the filming of Coach Trip Paul always let me know he always was looking out for me, we also share the same management, he was so kind and he always checked up on me to see if I was ok.
Watch unseen clip of Paul Danan partying on Celeb Coach Trip as devastated co-star pays tribute after his shock death
“You have been taken too soon.
“Rest in paradise you beautiful soul.”
Paul was best known for playing Sol Patrick in Hollyoaks before starring in the original series of Celebrity Love Island in 2005.
But in the years after he first rose to fame, Paul battled a cocaine addiction and revealed how he had been to rehab 17 times.
He said he has spent more than £1million on rehab over the years.
In June last year, he also told of how he had to be brought back to life after suffering respiratory failure triggered by his addiction to vapes.
He then spent a week in intensive care, where he contracted pneumonia.
Afterwards, Paul told The Sun: “I was dead — it’s a miracle I’m here. I’m so lucky.”
In an unearthed interview in 2020, Paul also warned Love Island bosses about the “dangers” that instant reality fame could pose to the Islanders taking part.
He most recently appeared in starred in Celebrity Coach trip, but his appearance on the show left him needing therapy.
The show typically sees contestants voted off the coach by the other participants, and Paul admitted that he found the process “brutal”.
He said of the experience: “I had to get a bit of counselling. It taps into a lot of stuff – like rejection. It’s brutal.”
Following his stint on Hollyoaks, Paul appeared on ITV’s Celebrity Love Island as a contestant in 2005 and 2006.
He also appeared in the ITV2 reality show Calum, Fran And Dangerous Danan, in which he joined Celebrity Love Island winner Fran Cosgrave and Calum Best to travel across the US.
Paul took part in Celebrity Big Brother in 2017, hoping it would give him a “second chance” at his career.
He also regularly called for his return to Hollyoaks, before starting The Morning After With Paul Danan podcast, which lasted from 2019 until 2023.
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