Darren Day has looked back on his days of West End stardom as he prepares to take on a new role and explained why Robbbie Williams “saved” him at the time he needed it most
Darren Day is back on top form as he prepares for a new role in a musicoal (Image: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock)
Once hailed as the new Cliff Richard, Darren Day enjoyed the dizzying highs and crushing lows of life in the spotlight, from performing for royalty and becoming one of the West End’s biggest leading men to battling addiction and spending time in rehab.
Now, at 57, he’s back in top form, starring in Million Dollar Quartet at the Barn Theatre in Cirencester until September. Away from the stage, he’s embracing family life as a father-of-three and a doting grandfather.
Beneath the ‘fallen star’ narrative that has followed him in recent years lies the story of a genuine 90s heartthrob. During his heyday, Darren dated some of the era’s most sought-after actresses and pop stars, including Anna Friel, Isla Fisher, Tracy Shaw and Suzanne Shaw, as well as 80s singing sensation Debbie Gibson.
Darren says critics scoffed at his romance with Anna, then one of Britain’s hottest young actresses, because he was dismissed as a cheesy theatre performer.
He told The Mirror: “Anna was always edgy and people did not like it when ‘Mr Musical Theatre Darren Day’ was in a relationship with her. But I was being hailed as the new Cliff Richard and was doing my Saturday night show, but still people didn’t think I should be with Anna because she was credible and one of these rising star actors, but we had a laugh together.”
The Essex-born entertainer got his big break when he landed the title role in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the London Palladium in 1993, taking over from Phillip Schofield.
He said, “I met Anna because she was at the opening night of Joseph in 1993. I was a lucky boy. We’d have weekends away with Phil and Steph [Lowe, Phillip’s wife], we all got on great and Anna was good mates with them, too.”
Despite the controversy surrounding Phillip’s departure from This Morning in 2023, Darren insists his old friend remains one of the good guys.
“Phil and I were with the same management company. I wouldn’t have had the part of Joseph if it wasn’t for him. I was doing this children’s afternoon show at the BBC, which then got put onto Going Live! for the second series, which is where I met Phil, and it was Phil who set me up with James Grant Management.
“He’s a good guy and we had a lot of fun times together. He was incredibly supportive of me because I took over from him in Joseph and I was scared. I was a kid from a building site singing in pubs in the evenings and suddenly I was headlining at the London Palladium. Phil helped me, and that’s not a given in showbiz.”
At the height of his fame, Darren became one of the West End’s most bankable stars, appearing in Grease, Summer Holiday, Godspell and Priscilla Queen Of The Desert, while also fronting ITV game show You Bet!
He performed for the late Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip at the Royal Variety Performance in 1993 and enjoyed some memorable encounters with royals.
“I had a chat in the hairdressers once with Diana, Princess of Wales, and we chatted for about an hour and she was lovely,” he recalled. “And then a funny thing happened with Princess Margaret. Over a two-week period I hosted the Royal Variety in 1994 and she was the guest, then I did another gig at the Royal Albert Hall where she was guest of honour.
“Then I did this concert at St Paul’s Cathedral – a tribute to the music of Andrew Lloyd Webber. We were all standing in line at the end and Princess Margaret was coming along saying hello to everyone. When she reached me, she put her hand on my shoulder and said, ‘Hello, Darren.’ My friends couldn’t believe it!”
But life under the media microscope eventually took its toll. Darren struggled with drug and alcohol addiction amid a string of failed relationships and also faced drink-driving convictions which derailed both his career and personal life.
In 2020, he revealed he had been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder and has since spoken candidly about his recovery journey.
The former I’m A Celeb contestant says he owes his life to close friend Robbie Williams after suffering a near-fatal relapse. “In 2019 I was given six months to live and if it wasn’t for my amazing mate Robbie, I wouldn’t be here. I went off the rails and broke down over the phone to Rob. I was in a state.
“Rob said, ‘When can you take three months out of work?’ and then said, ‘Leave it to me.’
“He saved my life. He sent me to a place in South Africa to heal and I owe my life to him.”
Today, Darren’s focus is firmly on family. He’s a dad to Corey, 21, Madison, 19, and Dalton, 14, and became a grandfather to baby Colton earlier this year.
Now happily settled with fiancée Sophie Ladds, Darren says he has finally found the contentment that eluded him during his wildest years. “I am here playing a great role. I’ve got three amazing children, a fantastic partner, a wonderful grandson and good mates. I’m alive and sober – I feel very lucky.’
Darren Day stars in Million Dollar Quartet at The Barn Theatre, Cirencester, until September
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: mirror.co.uk
