Darren Day has revealed he relapsed last year, after his jobs were cancelled at the start of the long-running COVID-19 lockdown.
The singer and actor, 52, has been open about his struggles with addiction in the past – stating he is ‘lucky to be alive’ after enduring ‘dark days’ of excessive cocaine and alcohol abuse.
And in a chat with Vicky Pattison on her The Secret To… podcast, Day admitted that the stress of seeing his work dry up so suddenly led him back down that dark path.
Relapse: Darren Day has revealed he relapsed last year, after his jobs were cancelled at the start of the long-running COVID-19 lockdown. Pictured in December
He confessed: ‘I had a relapse. I was a week away from Footloose, the musical I was going to be doing, me and Gareth Gates. We were one week from rehearsals when everything was pulled.
‘And I kept it together for a couple of weeks, but I’m not gonna lie… I relapsed at the beginning of the lockdown.
‘It shook me so much that I got back into sobriety like I did at the beginning. I got into AA meetings, NA meetings, on Zoom, and everything like that.’
During the podcast, which was recorded at the end of March, Darren stated that he was marking 10 months of sobriety.
Honest: The singer and actor, 52, has been open about his struggles with addiction in the past. Pictured in 2017
He went on: ‘The biggest thing to come out of lockdown for me personally, which has to be more important than any of the career stuff, is I’m now a month and a half away from being a year sober again.
‘For me that’s the big one, because without sobriety my career’s gone, my family’s gone, my partner.’
However, he now remains more confident than ever that he can maintain his sobriety, after managing to do so under decidedly challenging circumstances.
The star explained: ‘It’s ironic really that I should have got stuck into recovery like never before when there’s no work and f*** all to do.
‘For an ex-addict, having f*** all to do and no structured day is a disaster waiting to happen. But if I can do it under these circumstances, I hope I’ll be OK when everything goes back to normal.’
In June of last year, he took Twitter to record a heartfelt video to address the mental strain his lifestyle has had on him over the years.
He told his followers: ‘Since my stint in the Celebrity Big Brother house four years ago its well documented that I am in recovery/sobriety with issues around addiction.
‘That I’ve spoken publicly about. Something I have never spoken about is my mental health issues. That changes as of today because I have become involved with a wonderful new charity: Its OK Not To Be OK.’
Admission: In June, Day candidly spoke out for the first time about his mental health issues
Darren appeared on the infamous 2016 series of Celebrity Big Brother, which featured other troubled stars who have experienced issues with mental health and addiction, such as Danniella Westbrook, David Gest and Stephanie Davis.
During the show – on which he finished in third place – he spoke about his addiction battles, opening up further about his troubled past in an interview with Hello! magazine the following summer.
The West End theatre actor revealed that his wife of 12 year Stephanie Doole – whom he subsequently divorced from in October 2018, just a year after they renewed their wedding vows – inspired him to be a ‘better man’.
The stage star said at the time: ‘I am a lucky man, right now, and to be honest I am lucky to be here, and I don’t mean in this room, I mean I am lucky to be alive.
‘My life hit a very dark place and the fact that life is so wonderful now, I am thankful every single day.’
Opening up: The star has stated he is ‘lucky to be alive’ after enduring ‘dark days’ of excessive cocaine and alcohol abuse. Pictured in 2016
He had previously told ITV’s Lorraine in November 2016 that he admitted that his stint on Celebrity Big Brother was an attempt to show the public how far he’d come.
‘The reason for going in the house, I just wanted the opportunity to show the public where I am now,’ he explained. ‘It’s taken time to build up bridges again, the last decade – I’ve worked hard and it finally feels like all the hard work has paid off.’
In August, Day announced his sixth engagement, little more than a year after confirming the end of his 12-year marriage to actress Stephanie Dooley.
The stage star revealed his proposal to girlfriend Sophie Ladds by sharing photos of her stunning engagement ring with Twitter followers.
Captioning two shots of their clasped hands, he wrote: ‘Spot the difference! My girl @SophieLadds & I just got engaged. She rocks my world.’
Diary room debrief: During his time on celebrity Big brother in 2016 – on which he finished in third place – he spoke about his addiction battles
Announcing the news on her own Twitter platform, actress Sophie added: ‘DarrenDOfficial you have made me the happiest girl in the world. Always…forever…and a Sophie Day.’
The engagement came exactly a year after Darren confirmed his marriage to Emmerdale star Stephanie Dooley was over.
In a statement published in August 2019, the couple announced they had separated in October 2018, just over a year after renewing their vows.
Before marrying Stephanie, Darren had a well documented love life, with Isla Fisher and Anna Friel among the long list of beauties who once dated him.
Happy news: In August, Day announced his sixth engagement to Sophie Ladds, little more than a year after confirming the end of his 12-year marriage to actress Stephanie Dooley
The actor originally proposed to Friel during their three year relationship, before giving her £30,000 engagement ring to former Coronation Street star Tracy Shaw following their split in 1997.
After separating from Shaw in 1998, Darren quickly moved on with Australian star Isla Fisher, with whom he confirmed his third engagement.
Despite describing Fisher as ‘the first woman he’d ever loved,’ Darren separated from the actress in 2000, with ‘hectic work schedules cited as a reason for the split.
By 2002 the star was involved in a new relationship with dancer Adele Vellacot after the pair performed in the same pantomime, with Darren confidently predicting they would ‘be together for a long time.’
But the relationship soon unravelled after his backstage fling with Summer Holiday co-star Suzanne Shaw was exposed.
Delighted: The actor admitted Sophie ‘rocked his world’ as he confirmed the happy news
The actor would go on to announce his engagement to Shaw, but despite welcoming son Corey Mackenzie with his fourth fiancée in December 2005, the relationship ended on Mother’s Day the following year.
In 2016 Darren insisted that his days of being a so-called ‘love rat’ were long behind him, after he earned the famous title throughout the 2000s.
Speaking on Lorraine he said: ‘There were times I know when I wasn’t a role model and things are very different now.
‘It’s taken time to build up bridges again, the last decade – I’ve worked hard and it finally feels like all the hard work has paid off.’
He added: ‘My lifestyle changed, I don’t drink, I even gave up smoking I try and be a good husband and father and be a good man.’
All over: The engagement came exactly a year after Darren confirmed his marriage to Emmerdale star Stephanie Dooley (pictured in 2018) was over