Emmerdale's Danny Miller reveals co-star inspiration behind sobriety decision
The ITV soap's Aaron Dingle actor says it was one of his castmates he turned to when he wanted to stop drinking
Emmerdale star Danny Miller has revealed that he turned to one of his castmates when he wanted to stop drinking, and that she has been his inspiration ever since.
It was earlier this year that the Stockport actor, who is famed for playing Aaron Dingle in the ITV soap, opened up his fitness journey, giving his followers a "before and after" of his impressive transformation.
At the time, after teasing an exciting photoshoot, he revealed the progress he's made and wrote on Instagram, saying he had "swapped late nights and one more round, for early mornings where I found a clearer head, a steadier pace."
It was then towards the end of May that he revealed he had reached one year of sobriety after making significant life changes to his lifestyle. As he marked the personal milestone, he admitted it had been an "emotional day" and sent a message to his followers: if he can do it, they can too, while also showering his wife, Steph, with praise for all her support.
Now, Danny has been heard sharing how it was Emmerdale co-star, Isabel Hodgins, who helped him start his no-drinking journey, and has been the "inspiration" behind his continued sobriety.
Speaking on the podcast he co-hosts, You Don't Know You're Born!, as Isabel, who plays Victoria Sugden in the ITV soap, joined him and co-host Nigel Clucas as a special guest, Danny said: "Isabel was actually the inspiration... I'm going to say this quickly or I'll cry! Isabel was the inspiration behind me [going sober] and I can remember, to the day, when it was.
"It was a Friday, and I remember this because the last day I had a drink was a Thursday night, when I thought everything was going to be over for me, and on the Friday morning, I was with Isabel and I asked her, 'How do I stop drinking?' And she was amazing with me. She was the inspiration behind it."
He went on to share how Isabel had given him both a six-month and a year sobriety chip, which are physical tokens often given in 12-step programs to celebrate recovery milestones, acting as tactile reminders of progress and sources of motivation. "She's brought in her very own year token to say well done to me and she was the inspiration behind it and a massive reason I'm still not drinking today."
He then turned to Isabel and said: "That's why you'll always be one of my best friends in the world and I'll always be thankful." She then replied: "I'm glad I could help because the person you are now, I could not be more proud. So well done you!"
A clip of the comments was shared on the You Don't Know You're Born! Instagram page, to which Isabel, who hails from Eccles, replied: "So so proud." Fellow Emmerdale star Eden Taylor-Draper, who plays Belle Dingle, also commented: "You guys [heart emoji]."