Darren Day Reflects on 'Love Rat' Label, Cites Fame as an 'Aphrodisiac'

Darren Day has addressed his long-standing 'love rat' label, recounting how he ended his engagement to Anna Friel and subsequently began a relationship with Coronation Street actress Tracy Shaw.

Speaking on the podcast 'Suddenly Single,' Day, 58, detailed how his romance with Friel began in 1994 when she was prominent in the UK soap opera Brookside. The couple were together for three years and became engaged. However, just two weeks after their split, Day started dating Shaw, whom he had met while on tour.

Day admitted to being "very taken" with Shaw upon meeting her, acknowledging that he ended his relationship with Friel. He noted the public's reaction to his romantic choices, recalling a headline that read, "He's lost that loving feeling." He also recounted giving Shaw the £30,000 engagement ring originally intended for Friel.

Reflecting on his reputation, Day stated that the "love rat stories" made him sound like a "serial killer." However, he also posited that fame acts as a powerful aphrodisiac, observing an immediate difference in his romantic interactions once he became well-known.

"Yeah, you get famous and it is probably the best aphrodisiac for the, you know, opposite sex or same sex or whatever might be," Day said. "I noticed the difference like instantly. You didn't have to chase anyone up anymore, you know. Um, it just was it was there."

He further likened his relationships with high-profile women to a pilot meeting flight attendants, suggesting it was a natural consequence of his career.

Following his relationship with Shaw, which Day has described as involving "cocaine-fuelled sex binges," he later met Isla Fisher. He expressed that Fisher was "the first girl I've been in love with." However, their engagement also ended, attributed to their "hectic lifestyles." He also mentioned brief relationships with Tara Newley and Sophia Thierens.

Day has spoken openly about his struggles with addiction, including a period of crack cocaine use between 2001 and 2005, which he linked to the pressures of his public persona and label. He has been in recovery since his 2016 appearance on Celebrity Big Brother, aiming to showcase his progress. In 2020, he addressed his mental health struggles, becoming involved with the charity "It's OK Not To Be OK."

He also revealed that he went "cold turkey" from drink and drugs while participating in the 2023 season of "I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!," a stark contrast to his appearance on the show's first series in 2002.