Emmerdale star Danny Miller has marked one year of sobriety, vowing to 'reinvent' himself for the sake of his family. The 35-year-old actor, best known for playing Aaron Dingle on the ITV soap, shared an emotional video on Instagram on Friday, reflecting on his journey.
One Year Sober: A Personal Milestone
In the clip, Miller confessed he was the 'biggest drinker' among his friends, often experiencing hangovers that left him distant from his children—Albert, four, Edith, two, and Vincent, 10 months—whom he shares with his wife, Steph. He admitted that family outings would require checking for nearby bars. 'I've now changed,' he affirmed, captioning the post: 'If I can do it. So can you! For my kids, my wife, for me. One year, no beer.'
Miller said: 'Hi, I'm Danny. I'm 35. And today marks one year of sobriety. One year since I last had a drink... One year of reinventing myself for my family, trying to be better for myself, my children, for my wife, for my family... It's an emotional day for me, because I never in a million years believed this was achievable, genuinely.'
He recalled the significance of the date: 'A year to the day. A Friday. That was always the thing that stuck in my mind: 'who gives up drink on a Friday?' Well, me.'
Acknowledging his wife's support, he added: 'Steph has been my absolute rock throughout it, despite me itching for a drink every now and again. I'm not an alcoholic by any means. This is to better myself for my family, for my career, for my children. Mainly I wanted them to get the best version of me without me being frustrated that they were there and present when I wasn't during a hangover. And it became too much, I became distant from them.'
Opening Up About Father's Dementia
Miller's post follows a candid appearance on Good Morning Britain, where he discussed the devastating impact of his father Vince's dementia. Diagnosed in May 2025, Vince's condition has been a source of profound grief for the actor. 'It's sad, me and my dad were thick as thieves at one point, and losing him over and over again, it's awful,' he told hosts Susanna Reid and Ed Balls.
Ed Balls, who has personal experience with dementia through his mother Carolyn, shared his own insights. 'Those words 'losing' are important; you miss the man he was. When you are with your dad, there will be moments you will see him flicker back to his old self. At the same time, I always feel guilty about this, you're also slightly in mourning, aren't you? You feel as though they are alive, but the person you knew has gone. It's not the same. There is a loss, isn't there?'
Miller agreed, describing the painful distance: 'Absolutely. Over and over again. I live a couple of hours' drive from my dad now, which breaks my heart... I have my own family, I have a job in Yorkshire, Emmerdale. Being around in Manchester isn't easy anymore, so I moved my family up there. It was a really tough thing to do because I am not there as much as I would like to be. I miss him terribly.'
He shared a touching memory of playing Matt Monro for his father—a singer friend of Vince's from his days as a comedian and performer. 'I played it one day and he pointed and said '10 December 1970 whatever'. I googled it and he was right! It was his birthday when it was released. Now, it's a normal thing; I put it on the side and play it and just talk to him normally. I tend to get a better visit. It took us quite a while.'
Describing the fluctuating nature of dementia, Miller said: 'There are good days and bad days. There was a time last week where I didn't know if I would be sat here; he's up and down with his general health. But dementia does make it feel somewhat worse—water infections or urine infections that suddenly make them more confused. Then his health declined; he looked ill.'
When asked if his father sometimes fails to recognise him, Miller became emotional: 'That will break my heart. I'm not there yet. We're not there yet, luckily, but it will break my heart.'
Ed Balls offered comfort, drawing from his own experience: 'I've been there for seven years, and sometimes she won't speak at all. But you still believe deep within her, I know she watches videos of us on television. I'm sure your dad watches you... Even when they are not speaking, they are still recognising and reacting. I think you always have to find the positive, even when it gets hard.'
Miller reflected on his father's pride: 'It's tough because I was always 'This is my son, Danny from Emmerdale'. It was never 'This is my son, Danny.'
