From Emmerdale to a Tent in Sheffield

Daniel Coll had a thirty-year career as an actor, with a recurring role in Emmerdale and small parts in Braveheart, Coronation Street and Gentleman Jack. He told The Big Issue that actors rarely earn much unless they are superstars.

In 2018 his film production business failed. He fell behind on rent and was evicted. He had also been left with post-traumatic stress after a car accident in 2015 in which his daughter was badly injured, and he said he lost everything.

For about two months, in April and May 2018, he lived in a tent on the streets of Sheffield. When he had money for it, he also camped or slept in his car. He had tried the NHS, but the waiting list for help was nearly twelve months. He had no money and felt ashamed, and eventually told his family that he had nowhere to live.

His sister let him stay in her caravan in Filey, North Yorkshire. From there he won a place on a master's course in film-making at Sheffield Hallam University. The Actors' Children's Trust and other charities helped with a deposit, student accommodation and tuition fees.

While making a documentary he befriended Paddy Doherty, and at the end of his master's in 2019 he pitched a travel show built around the pair. The result, Dan and Paddy's Bucket List, was due to launch on TravelXP, with the two travelling around Kyushu in Japan. Coll also planned a follow-up documentary on homelessness and the weakening of the social safety net.