In a fiery and brutally honest outburst, actor Danny Dyer has lifted the lid on the behind-the-scenes drama during his nearly decade-long tenure on EastEnders, and it’s far from the scripted tension fans see on-screen. Speaking candidly at a charity event held at Wimbledon Football Club, Dyer didn’t hold back, calling out former co-stars Jessie Wallace and Shane Richie for their cold reception when he joined the BBC soap in 2013.

Dyer, who played Mick Carter, the beloved landlord of the Queen Vic, revealed that his arrival, alongside Kellie Bright (who played his on-screen wife Linda), was met with hostility from Wallace and Richie—known for their roles as Kat and Alfie Moon. According to Dyer, the duo were unhappy about being replaced at the iconic pub, which led them to completely blank the newcomers.

“When we came in, it was a very cliquey place,” Dyer said, describing how Wallace and Richie were visibly upset over losing their roles at the heart of Albert Square. “They were getting prickly about us coming in. I thought, ‘What is wrong with these people? I didn’t make this call.’” He added that both he and Bright endured silent treatment, which fueled their determination to prove themselves. “We thought, f*** these c***s. Let’s show them something different.”

The actor admits that earning the cast’s respect was no easy task. It took six months of hard work and persistence before a shake-up by a new producer removed several members of the old guard, changing the atmosphere on set.

But Dyer didn’t stop there. He expressed deep frustration with several of the show’s storylines, particularly his final arc involving the character Janine Butcher (played by Charlie Brooks). “You’ve got to sell this s***,” he said bluntly. “Mick with Janine was mental.” The actor was left unimpressed by the pairing and admitted it was difficult to invest emotionally in the character’s final storyline.

Dyer also criticized the controversial death of Lola Pearce (Danielle Harold), who was written out in a heartbreaking brain tumor storyline. “I felt for her,” he said. “She’s an incredible actress. Wasted.” While acknowledging the power of the plot, he also pointed out the absurdity of EastEnders’ revolving door logic—where no death is truly final. “It’s EastEnders — anyone can come back.”

Further fueling his wild confessions, Dyer revealed a lesser-known behind-the-scenes anecdote: his attempts to sneak real alcohol on set. During the early days, he admitted to sipping lagers around the Queen Vic’s bar until producers discovered his habit and resorted to drastic measures—filling the beer barrels with TCP (an antiseptic liquid) to stop him. “I wasn’t off my nut,” Dyer clarified, “I had a drink every now and again.”

Despite the chaos and behind-the-scenes politics, Dyer enjoyed a lucrative run on the show, earning around £250,000 a year. However, he hinted at his growing dissatisfaction with the direction of the soap, pointing to the cancellation of the popular Sunday omnibus in 2017 as a cost-cutting mistake.

Dyer officially left EastEnders in 2022, closing the chapter on Mick Carter with a storyline that he admits never quite landed for him. Although he became one of the most recognized and beloved faces on the Square, it’s clear that the experience was far more turbulent behind the scenes than viewers ever knew.

Since exiting the soap, Dyer has pivoted successfully to other projects, including a critically praised role in Rivals, the Disney+ adaptation of Dame Jilly Cooper’s famous novel. Filming is already underway for a new 12-episode run of the series, indicating a bright new chapter in Dyer’s career away from the cobbles of Walford.

While EastEnders producers have yet to publicly respond to Dyer’s stinging remarks, his explosive commentary has reignited discussions around soapland politics, star egos, and the often unseen struggles actors face behind the scenes. In typical Dyer fashion, his revelations were raw, unapologetic, and dripping with the brutal honesty fans have come to expect from him.

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