Emmerdale star Danny Miller, best known for playing Aaron Dingle, has given fans a moving update on his sobriety journey after reaching one year without alcohol. The actor shared a split image on Instagram showing his appearance before and after his lifestyle change, with striking results.
In his caption, Miller wrote: 'It's not until you see old pictures that you realise how much you've changed. Looking at the photo on the left, I remember feeling run down, tired and constantly putting myself at the bottom of the priority list. Like a lot of parents, I was so busy trying to be everything for everyone else that I forgot to look after myself. To be the best husband I can be. To be the best dad I can be. I first needed to be the best Danny I could be.'
He added: 'The photo on the right isn't about being perfect. It's about feeling healthier, happier and having more energy for the people who matter most. Still a work in progress, but I'm proud of how far I've come.'
Fans flooded the comments with support. @maxfoxuk wrote: 'Knocked off 10 years mate! Congratulations.' @palmer.malcom shared: 'Yeah. That painted on smile and dead eyes. I totally get it. I'm 37yrs sober and it was the best thing I ever did. Saved my life. Everyone benefits from us being the best version of ourselves that we can be. Well done you.' @kylalhall added: 'You look ten years younger and you have happy eyes. Well done. Absolutely smashing it.'
Why Danny Miller gave up alcohol
In a previous video announcing his milestone, the 35-year-old actor opened up about his reasons for quitting drinking. 'Hi, I'm Danny, I'm 35 and today marks one year of sobriety,' he said. 'One year since I last had a drink. One year of reinventing myself for my family, trying to better myself, for my children, for my wife. It's an emotional day for me because I never, ever in a million years believed this was achievable, genuinely.'
He continued: 'I knew I had a bit of an issue with it. I fell down a rabbit hole with drinking. Steph has been an absolute rock throughout it, despite me itching for a drink every now and again. I'm not an alcoholic by any means. I wanted to better myself, my family, for my career, for my children mainly.'
Miller explained how his drinking affected family outings: 'Every single water park, theme park event that we used to go with the kids, I'd always have to just check there's a bar first then I could enjoy myself. It was beyond control, now I've changed my ways. I wanted them to get the best version of me without me being frustrated that they were there and they were present when I wasn't.'
The actor also addressed why he went public: 'Why am I doing this video? Do I want to be a voice for sobriety? No. Am I asking for attention? No. Am I asking for praise? No. I'm merely saying that if I can do it, then you can do it. And I know that's such a boring cliché saying. If you're lucky enough to be a father, embrace it because it genuinely doesn't last long enough. They grow up so quickly and then it's gone. If you're thinking about doing it, just do it. Please trust me, just do it.'
He concluded: 'One year, no beer. That was what a colleague of mine at work said. One year, no beer. Try it, see how you get on. My career, my family life, everything has just got better since. You can do the same.'
