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Danny Dyer has opened up about his personal struggles during his time on EastEnders, admitting he was “off his nut” on prescription drugs for much of his stint on the iconic BBC soap.
Speaking at a charity night at Wimbledon Football Club, the 47-year-old actor reflected on his nearly decade-long run as Mick Carter, the beloved landlord of the Queen Vic, who was killed off in 2022. Despite his on-screen success, Dyer revealed that his time on the show was marked by serious challenges behind the scenes.
“I was off my nut for a lot of that job. I was squinting a lot for a couple of years, a lot of Valium and Diazepam,” he confessed, as reported by The Sun. Dyer explained the intense filming schedule, with up to 30 pages of dialogue a day, led him to rely on prescription drugs to cope, ultimately resulting in two trips to rehab.
The pressures of working on EastEnders were compounded by strict on-set rules. Dyer revealed that he was banned from drinking alcohol in the Queen Vic, with crew members even putting antiseptic in the beer barrels to prevent him from sneaking drinks. “When I first arrived on set, I was slipping around the side and having a few lagers, and they found out, so they started to put TCP into the beer,” he shared.
Credit: BBC
Dyer did not hold back in his criticism of the show’s storylines either, describing some of them as “dark” and even “mental.” He took aim at Mick’s romance with Janine and branded the decision to kill off Lola Pearce (played by Danielle Harold) as a “waste.”
He also highlighted the toll of the relentless work schedule, claiming it left him with little time for a personal life. “You earn good money, but you ain’t got time to go to a cashpoint. The amount of birthdays I missed… If someone dies in your family, they won’t even let you go to the funeral. It’s such a machine.”
In response, an EastEnders spokesperson told Metro: “We would never discuss an individual’s private matters; however, we do not recognise these claims. EastEnders has extremely robust and well-established procedures in place to safeguard the welfare of everyone who works on the show.”
Dyer’s revelations have surprised many, given his previous expressions of interest in returning to the show. A source told Metro that those who work on EastEnders would be “baffled” by his remarks.
Beyond his time on the soap, Dyer has spoken openly about his personal struggles, including marital issues and substance abuse, which he has previously credited his wife Jo with helping him overcome.
Credit: Robert Viglasky/ Disney
