Danny Dyer reveals the damning reason he left EastEnders and takes aim at former co-stars
DANNY DYER has opened up about why he quit EastEnders – and taken aim at some former co-stars.
The actor, who played Queen Vic landlord Mick Carter for almost a decade until exiting last Christmas, revealed he felt standards dropped during the later part of his time on the soap.
Danny said in his customary colourful way: “The first few years we f***ing smashed it. It was powerful s**t. The viewer listened to us more than these f***ing c* politicians.
“I was blessed with some amazing storylines, some s**te ones as well.
“They f***ed it up towards the end. It’s a shame it had to come to an end but I’d f***ing had enough.”
And it seems Danny grew a little tired of some of his cast mates, including Phil Mitchell actor Steve McFadden.
The Sun revealed earlier this year that the pair did not see eye to eye after Danny’s character was given the keys to the Queen Vic, which had been a Mitchell family staple for years.
Speaking at a fan Q&A in London on Monday night, Danny took a swipe at some unnamed stars and said: “I’ve worked with a lot of actors that are c***s, very selfish, it’s all about them.
“You need to look after your other actors. It’s about teamwork and looking after each other.”
Before joining the BBC One soap in 2013, Danny was the poster boy for hedonism with roles in films including Human Traffic and The Football Factory.
And it seems his on-screen life mirrored reality, with the Walford great saying: “I was famous for being a caner.
“People would come up to me in a club off their nut and want me to take drugs with them, which is a f***ing dangerous thing, but I f***ing lapped it up for a bit.”
Danny, who filmed Channel 5 drama Heat after leaving EastEnders, said he now preferred a quieter life.
He added: “I am just a working-class kid and fame never suited me. You have to conform to a certain way of behaving.
“Being famous does f*** your nut up. You can lose the plot for many years. You’ve got to remember who you are.”
MIKE HAS JAIL GRUB JITTERS
MOST of us would draw the line way before having to scoff kangaroo privates like those poor old I’m A Celebrity contestants.
But 2022 campmate Mike Tindall feared there were worse “dishes” in his latest show.
The ex-England rugby player endured jungle nasties alongside celebs including Matt Hancock and Chris Moyles during his time in Oz.
But Mike is now appearing on ITV1’s Grand Slammers, where he and fellow members of England’s victorious 2003 Rugby World Cup squad help to train a group of prisoners.
It hits our screens on Wednesday from 9pm, on ITV1 and ITVX.
Trying jail food for the first time, Mike says: “I ate a sheep’s vagina and a pig’s uterus while I was in the jungle and I’m more nervous about this.”
But he ends up pleasantly surprised: “I can get by on that. It’s better than what Matt Hancock got cooked.”
NEW Apple TV+ docu-series The Enfield Poltergeist will premiere on October 27.
The four-parter tells of the London haunting between 1977 and 1979.
It combines audio archive, a recreation of the house setting and original interviews from the case. All episodes land on the same day.
WALFORD ANSWERS SOS CALL
NICK KNOWLES’ DIY SOS crew is heading to Essex with a gang of EastEnders in tow.
The soap stars giving their time are yet to be revealed.
But for now, host Nick is also appealing for the public to help out.
The BBC team will be transforming a community centre in Harlow that helps people with issues including social isolation and self-harm.
Butterfly Effect Well-Being operates from a Portacabin and needs help from the DIY gang.
Nick said: “We wouldn’t be able to deliver such important projects without the generosity of our brilliant volunteers, so if you have a trade or can help us with materials then get in touch.”
The build will take place from October 25. Contact diysosharlow@bbc.co.uk.
E4’S Married At First Sight is one dating show still shining bright.
The series that sees couples meet for the first time at the altar had peak ratings of 1.7million on Monday and an average of 1million, which is huge for the channel.
The series airs Monday to Thursday at 9pm.
SIOBHANWITNESS THRILLER
HAPPY Valley’s Siobhan Finneran will join Katherine Kelly in new ITV thriller Protection, I can exclusively reveal.
The show, being filmed in Liverpool, looks at the shadowy world of witness protection and what happens when the system breaks down.
It comes from production company New Pictures, which produced The Long Shadow airing now on ITV1 and ITVX, also starring Katherine.
The six-parter revolves around Detective Inspector Liz Nyles, played by Siobhan.
It is based on an idea by a witness protection specialist who served in the Met Police for 30 years.
During his time in the field, he looked after a number of high-profile cases and informants, including war criminals, terrorists and a host of criminals.
Protection will air on ITV1 and ITVX next year.