Darren Day admits he was 'like the walking dead' during lockdown cocaine relapse

Darren Day has admitted he was "like the walking dead" when he relapsed into cocaine addiction during lockdown, triggering a week-long binge.

The 53-year-old actor and singer told The Sun he lost upcoming theatre work when the UK's venues closed in March 2020.

Day confessed he spent seven days in drug-fuelled isolation, using almost £2,000 worth of cocaine, when his roles in touring productions of Footloose and Chicago fell by the wayside.

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The star had to liquidate his company and found he was not eligible for government payments via the furlough scheme or universal credit.

He said: "I barricaded myself in the bathroom for seven days. I didn’t eat at all. I didn’t change my clothes for a week. I didn’t sleep."

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Day added: "I lost a week of my life. I did about 20 to 30 grams of cocaine. I kept going until it was gone.

“I sat at the top of the stairs and I sobbed like I’ve never sobbed before."

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The former Celebrity Big Brother contestant said his fiancee Sophie Ladds described him as looking "like a zombie" in the wake of his relapse after years of being clean.

"I was like the walking dead," he added. "I thought about my kids and I thought about Sophie. I just thought they deserve better. And, maybe, for the first time I thought that I deserve better and I’ve never felt that before."

Day contacted his friend Robbie Williams in the wake of the binge, who was able to put him back in touch with specialists and get him on the right track.

"I don’t mean to sound too dramatic but I love Robbie like a brother and he has been the most incredible support," he said.

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The stage veteran said he's now ready to focus entirely on work, with his rescheduled run as part of the Footloose tour due to begin in February 2022.

He added: "I have a partner who has faith in me, I have my three children who have faith in me and I don’t want to let those people down.

"So, for me, professionally and personally, this time is the moment.”

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