Darren Day has admitted ending his engagement to Anna Friel after meeting Tracy Shaw.
Speaking on Best Magazine’s Suddenly Single podcast, he revisited the romance that helped shape his tabloid reputation. He also described how fame changed the attention he received.
The actor said he disliked the love rat label attached to his high-profile relationships. He described that coverage as making his behaviour sound far more sinister.
His account centred on meeting Tracy at a press night, while he was still involved with Anna. He acknowledged being attracted to the Coronation Street actress.
“I finished with Anna,” he said. Darren made that admission while discussing how the relationships unfolded.
Darren Day revisits Anna Friel and Tracy Shaw relationships
Darren and Anna started dating in 1994, when she was starring in Brookside. Their relationship lasted three years.
He met Tracy while touring with Summer Holiday in Manchester. Their romance began around two weeks after his break-up with Anna.
On the podcast, Darren recalled returning to Manchester three days after news of his split became public. By his account, the following week brought the tabloid label he still objects to.
Tracy and Darren later separated. He subsequently dated former Home and Away actress Isla Fisher, and the pair also became engaged.
Their busy schedules were cited as the reason for their eventual break-up.
Darren also said becoming famous had an immediate effect on his romantic life.
“Yeah, you get famous and it is probably the best aphrodisiac for the, you know, opposite sex or same sex or whatever might be,” he said.
“I noticed the difference like instantly. You didn’t have to chase anyone up anymore, you know. It just was there,” Darren continued.
Addressing criticism of his celebrity relationships, he compared them with people meeting partners through their jobs.
Darren’s previous addiction and recovery disclosures
Away from his relationships, Darren has previously spoken publicly about addiction and his mental health.
He has described experiencing crack addiction between 2001 and 2005. He has linked that period to the strain of his public reputation.
In a 2020 social media video, Darren discussed recovery and sobriety alongside his mental health difficulties. He said he had previously spoken about addiction, but had not publicly addressed his mental health.
He also announced his involvement with the charity It’s OK Not To Be OK.
On Good Morning Britain in 2023, he recalled stopping drink and drugs abruptly when entering I’m A Celebrity. Darren appeared in the programme’s first series in 2002 and was the third contestant eliminated.
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