Tamer Hassan gets helicopter back to the UK for Paul Danan’s funeral as he shares emotional farewell message to friend

• Amanda Devlin, Assistant Showbiz Editor (Features)

Paul Danan whitethorn person grabbed his stock of file inches implicit his each excessively abbreviated 46 years, from his colourful emotion beingness to his well-documented struggles with addiction, but down the headlines, determination was a precise sweet, vulnerable, big-hearted guy.

I’ve met and spoken with Paul galore times implicit the years and person ever had a brushed spot for him. He was funny, articulate, astute and large company.

Yes, helium had his demons, but helium was precise unfastened astir them and was ever striving to beryllium a amended mentation of himself.

He was highly arrogant of his theatre company, The Morning After, which helium acceptable up to assistance chap addicts enactment done their trauma done play and acting.

While helium seemed mislaid astatine times, and connected respective occasions opened up to maine astir his conflict to beryllium taken earnestly successful the manufacture aft his backstage beingness exploits overshadowed his nonrecreational accomplishments, helium intelligibly recovered a intent successful supporting others and helping them enactment connected the way of recovery.

There was lone 1 happening Paul was prouder of than his betterment and his theatre company, and that was his lad DeNiro.

Paul lit up erstwhile helium spoke astir his boy, and looked guardant to spending the weekends with him arsenic helium co-parented with the lad’s mum.

His whatsapp photograph was him beaming with DeNiro, and helium loved to speech astir his offspring’s accomplishments and his hopes for his future.

It breaks my bosom that DeNiro present has to spell done the remainder of his beingness without his dad, and Paul volition ne'er spot him turn up.

I past heard from Paul astatine Christmas, erstwhile helium near maine a voicenote saying helium had immoderate breathtaking things planned for 2025.

I told him we’d drawback up successful the New Year, but sadly we ne'er got the accidental to.

I’ll miss you Paul. You were 1 of life’s bully ones.