Emmerdale cast support Danny Miller as he shares impressive one-year milestone

The Emmerdale cast have shown their support to Aaron Dingle actor Danny Miller as he shares an important one-year milestone.

Yesterday the star uploaded an Instagram video celebrating 365 days of being sober, explaining why he did it and what it feels like to not consume alcohol anymore.

“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 wife, for my family.”

He continued: “It’s an emotional day for me because I never, ever in a million years believe this was achievable, genuinely.

“I knew I had an issue with it, I fell down a rabbit hole. Steph has been an absolute rock throughout it, despite me itching for a drink every now and then.”

He explained that while he wanted to get sober partly for his career, the main reason was to show his children the “best version” of himself, rather than not being present due to his hangovers.

“I could tell that I was di stant from them”, he explained. “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.”

He concluded by saying that he hoped he could inspire others to get sober by sharing the video.

“So proud of you son”, commented Lucy Pargeter, while Isabel Hodgins wrote “So so proud of you x”.

“Very proud of you Danny! Well done”, said Gemma Atkinson, while Jay Kontzle said “Brilliant mate”.

Even stars from other shows congratulated him on the milestone, including RuPaul’s Drag Race UK season 1 runner-up Divina de Campo.

Outside of Emmerdale, Miller has a podcast called You Don’t Know You Were Born and took part in the first UK season of The Celebrity Apprentice, a filming process he described as “really quite painful”.

The cast of Emmerdale have rallied around actress Emma Atkins after she opened up about a deeply personal change she made following a difficult year behind the scenes.

The Charity Dingle star shared an emotional message with fans this week after revealing she had decided to step away from social media for six months in order to focus on her mental health and family life.

Posting a heartfelt video to Instagram, the actress explained that the constant pressure of online attention had slowly begun affecting her confidence and emotional wellbeing.

“Hi everyone,” she began. “I’ve gone backwards and forwards about whether to talk publicly about this, but I think honesty is important. Today marks six months since I removed myself from social media completely, and honestly, it’s one of the healthiest decisions I’ve ever made.”

Emma explained that although she loved interacting with viewers and appreciated the support from longtime fans of the ITV soap, she had reached a point where she no longer recognised herself.

“You don’t realise how much noise there is until it suddenly stops,” she continued. “I became obsessed with checking comments, reading opinions, comparing myself constantly. It slowly chips away at your peace without you even noticing.”

The actress admitted that balancing work on one of the UK’s biggest soap operas alongside raising a family had become increasingly overwhelming over the past few years.

“There were days I’d finish filming emotionally drained, then spend another two or three hours scrolling through negativity online,” she said. “It reached the point where I couldn’t switch off. Even when I was physically at home with my family, mentally I was somewhere else.”

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Related: Fans predict huge betrayal storyline for Cain Dingle after recent village tensions

Emma went on to explain that the decision was not made overnight. According to the actress, friends and family had gently encouraged her to take a break for months before she finally agreed to do it.

“My husband kept saying, ‘You don’t need to carry everybody else’s opinions around with you.’ At first I ignored it because social media had become part of my routine and, in some ways, part of my job. But eventually I realised I was exhausted all the time.”

The star also revealed that stepping away from online platforms helped her reconnect with the simpler parts of everyday life.

“I started reading again. I started cooking more. I spent proper time with the kids without constantly reaching for my phone every few minutes,” she explained. “It sounds silly, but I genuinely forgot what it felt like to be present.”

Emma described the first few weeks as “strangely uncomfortable”, admitting she often felt the urge to check notifications out of habit.

“I think people underestimate how addictive it becomes,” she said. “I’d be sitting watching television and instinctively reach for my phone. Then I’d remember there was nothing to check anymore. It felt bizarre at first.”

However, she soon noticed improvements in both her confidence and anxiety levels.

“I sleep better now. I feel calmer. I don’t wake up immediately worried about what people are saying or whether I’ve posted enough,” she added. “I think for years I confused being constantly available with being connected.”

The actress also reflected on how public scrutiny can affect performers working in long-running television dramas.

“When you’re on a soap, viewers feel like they know you personally because they’ve watched you for years,” she explained. “Most people are lovely, genuinely lovely, but there’s also pressure that comes with constantly being visible.”

She continued: “You can film an emotional storyline all day, pour everything into it, then go online and see hundreds of comments criticising how you look or sound. Sometimes it’s difficult not to absorb that.”

Fans quickly flooded the comments section with supportive messages after the video was uploaded.

“You look happier than ever,” one fan wrote, while another commented: “Thank you for speaking honestly about this. So many people struggle silently with social media pressure.”

Several of Emma’s fellow Emmerdale co-stars also publicly praised her decision.

Mark Charnock, who plays Marlon Dingle, wrote: “Absolutely brilliant and incredibly brave. Proud of you.”

Meanwhile, Michelle Hardwick commented: “You’ve inspired more people than you realise.”

Lisa Riley also showed her support, writing: “Mental health always comes first. Sending you love.”

Even stars from outside the ITV soap world joined the conversation, with former Coronation Street actress Catherine Tyldesley commenting: “This is so important. Thank you for talking openly about it.”

Emma later returned to Instagram Stories briefly to thank viewers for their kindness following the response to her video.

“I honestly expected to post this quietly and disappear again,” she admitted. “I didn’t think so many people would relate to it.”

The actress explained that she had received hundreds of private messages from followers sharing their own experiences with anxiety, burnout and online pressure.

“One message came from a mum who said she realised she hadn’t spent a full evening without checking her phone in years,” Emma said. “That really stayed with me because I recognised myself in that immediately.”

She also encouraged fans not to feel guilty about taking breaks from social media if they need them.

“We’ve somehow normalised being available every second of every day,” she explained. “But nobody is designed to absorb constant information and opinions 24 hours a day.”

The soap star clarified that she was not criticising social media entirely and acknowledged that online platforms can still provide support, humour and connection for many people.

“There are amazing communities online,” she said. “I’ve met wonderful fans and spoken to people going through difficult times. But I think boundaries are important, and I completely lost mine.”

Emma’s candid video comes during an especially dramatic period for Emmerdale, with several major storylines currently unfolding in the fictional Yorkshire village.

Recent episodes have featured explosive family tensions, emotional relationship breakdowns and speculation surrounding multiple character exits, leading to intense discussions among viewers online.

Despite the pressures of working on such a high-profile programme, Emma said she still feels incredibly grateful to remain part of the long-running ITV series.

“I love my job, and I love the people I work with,” she said. “This wasn’t about stepping away from acting or from the show. It was simply about protecting my peace.”

The actress concluded the video by encouraging followers to prioritise their wellbeing over online expectations.

“If you feel overwhelmed, if you feel drained, if you constantly feel like you’re comparing yourself to everyone else — it’s okay to step back,” she said. “The world keeps turning. Your mental health matters more than an algorithm.”

Fans once again praised the actress for her honesty, with many describing the message as “refreshing”, “important” and “genuinely relatable”.

As support continued pouring in across social media platforms, many viewers noted that conversations surrounding mental health and online burnout have become increasingly common among television personalities in recent years.

For Emma, however, the most important thing was much simpler.

“At the end of the day,” she said, smiling through tears, “I just wanted to feel like myself again.”