Darren Day has recalled being booed on stage during the height of his addiction issues. The actor, now 57, opened up exclusively about a dark period when he was more famous for his bad behaviour than his career.
A Painful Memory
Day remembered walking onto a stage at the Café de Paris in London in the 1990s and being booed by the audience. He said: "I tell you - unless you're playing Captain Hook and you're supposed to be booed when you walk on - that's tough. You've got to be pretty thick skinned to deal with that."
Turning Point: Celebrity Big Brother
A major turning point came during his stint on Celebrity Big Brother in 2016, where he placed third. Day admitted he was shocked by the public's support: "I remember the final night and I'm thinking why am I still here? I thought the public didn't like me anymore. When I got to the final it blew my mind."
His son showed him footage of the finale recently, and Day became emotional: "The reaction from the crowd was like it used to be at the beginning of my career. I was so scared of being booed. That helped me a lot."
Taking Responsibility
Day is candid about his past, saying: "I had the world at my feet and I can't blame anyone other than myself for the downfall of my career." He now feels more positive: "Walking on stage now is a thousand times lovelier than when I was having those nasty headlines."
New Role in Million Dollar Quartet
Day is set to play legendary record producer Sam Phillips in the musical Million Dollar Quartet. The show depicts a historic jam session with Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Elvis Presley. Day, an Elvis fan, said: "I've loved Elvis my whole life. For my 50th birthday, I went to Graceland and sat at Sam Phillips' desk. Never imagined I would get to be part of this."
The production runs at the Barn Theatre in Cirencester from June 15 to August 22.
