Paul Danan, a British actor and reality star best known for his role in the British soap Hollyoaks, has died. He was 46.

Danan’s representatives at Independent Creative Management confirmed the news in a statement.

“It is with heavy hearts that we share the tragic news of the passing of Paul Danan at just 46 years old,” they said in a post on Instagram. “Known for his television presence, extraordinary talent and unwavering kindness, Paul was a lighthouse to so many. His untimely departure will leave irreplaceable gaps in the lives of everyone who knew him.

“During this difficult time, we ask Paul’s family, friends and colleagues for respect and privacy. No further comment will be made at this time.”

A cause of death was not given.

As a teenager, Danan was cast in the long-running Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks, playing troubled young man Sol Patrick. He appeared on the show from 1997 to 2001.

He also appeared in the British children’s series The Queen’s Nose and The Basil Brush Show, as well as the medical drama Casualty.

Danan later became a fixture on reality TV, appearing on shows such as Come Dine With Me, Celebrity Love Island and Celebrity Big Brother.

Last June, the actor gave an interview to British tabloid The Sun in which he said he suffered respiratory failure and spent a week in intensive care due to his e-cigarette addiction. “I was upstairs smoking my vape and then suddenly I lost my breath and collapsed,” he reportedly told the outlet. “My family called an ambulance and started to resuscitate me. Then the police arrived and took over before paramedics took me to hospital. I was on a machine in the intensive care unit and developed pneumonia. My family was warned that I might not make it through the night. I’m so lucky.”

He leaves behind his 8-year-old son Deniro.