Danny Dyer, known to millions as Mick Carter, has delivered a scathing, brutally honest account of his turbulent nine-year stint on EastEnders — a period marked by behind-the-scenes tension, prescription drug use, and emotional burnout. In a no-holds-barred speech at a charity event in Wimbledon, the 47-year-old actor tore into the BBC soap, calling it “s*** now,” admitting to being drunk or medicated during filming, and revealing just how toxic the environment on Albert Square became.

Dyer’s entrance onto the soap in 2013, as the new landlord of the Queen Vic, came at a desperate point in his career. After earlier success in cult hits like Human Traffic and The Football Factory, his career had nose-dived. He said he accepted the role with bailiffs “at his door,” and though it revived his fortunes, his early days on the show were far from welcoming. According to Danny, the cast and crew were “clicky” and hostile — particularly due to the sudden replacement of beloved pub owners Kat and Alfie (Jessie Wallace and Shane Richie), who had ruled the Vic for over a decade. Dyer recalls being blanked by colleagues, saying: “They had the hump… It wasn’t my call. I just turned up.”

Despite the cold reception, Danny cherished his first three years on EastEnders, calling them the best of his run. But that goodwill eroded fast. With a new producer came sweeping cast changes and a cutthroat atmosphere. “A new producer came in and sacked every f***er,” he said bluntly. The ruthless nature of the job left him disillusioned, and he admitted to self-medicating to cope. “I was off my nut for a lot of that job,” he confessed, referring to a dangerous mix of Valium, diazepam, and alcohol — which he sometimes drank during scenes. “When I first arrived the pints were real,” he laughed, until producers found out and started spiking the beer with TCP to stop him drinking.

Dyer was candid about the mental toll the soap took on him. Unlike film, where actors are given time to recover from intense scenes, soap operas run on a relentless schedule. “You properly cry in a film and go to a dark place — but you have time to recover. On a soap, you ain’t.” He said many soap stars struggle mentally, adding, “I tell you, most people in soap are off their nut. You meet them on the street, they’re f**ing lunatics.”* He even claimed producers refused to let cast members attend funerals, painting a picture of a demanding workplace with little emotional support.

Despite the chaos, Dyer credits EastEnders with saving his career. Admitting he once looked down on the show, he now sees it as a lifeline. “I was a snobby fer. I thought I’d never go into EastEnders, but it saved my fing career. I’d be f***ed without it.” Since leaving the show, Dyer has enjoyed a major resurgence. He earned his first BAFTA nomination for Mr Bigstuff, and won praise for his role as Freddie Jones in Rivals, a steamy TV adaptation of Jilly Cooper’s novel.

Dyer was also refreshingly honest about how his public image — and earnings — soared thanks to daughter Dani’s appearance on Love Island. “My wages tripled when my daughter won Love Island,” he said. “Honestly, I was the father of the fing year and I’d done f all.” Now filming the second series of Rivals, Dyer joked about revealing more on-screen, teasing, “I do think I’ll get my c** out in the second series!”*

Despite the dark chapters in his past, Danny says he’s finally in a good place. He believes in his acting chops, and says he never gave up despite constant rejection. “I’ve always believed I had something about me. It’s just a matter of never giving up.” Now determined to challenge himself, he’s eyeing roles that break the mold and take him “completely left field” — showing a hunger for reinvention, even after decades in the spotlight.

From real pints at the Queen Vic to Valium-fueled filming days and industry backstabbing, Danny Dyer’s revelations rip the curtain away from the world of British soap. With his raw honesty and career renaissance, Dyer proves that sometimes survival in showbiz means baring the darkest truths — and then coming back swinging.