Danny Dyer reveals how moving letter from daughter Dani persuaded him to stay in rehab and kick drug addiction

Scottish Sun

11-05-2025

Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window)
Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
DANNY Dyer has revealed how a touching letter from eldest daughter Dani was the catalyst for him to stay in rehab and kick drugs for good.
His touching comments come after The Sun exclusively told how he was "off his nut" after his "dark" EastEnders stint.
6
Danny Dyer has revealed a touching letter from daughter Dani helped him beat his drug demons at the height of his addiction
Credit: Getty
6
Danny, 47, opened up on the influence of his eldest daughter who penned him a letter
Credit: Getty
6
He told how the Love Island alum's words made him 'sit back down' and take note
Credit: Getty
The 47-year-old - who played Queen Vic landlord Mick Carter for nine years - said: 'I was off my nut a lot of that job . . . a lot of Valium and diazepam.'
Now he has told how his Love Island alum daughter played a key role in ditching his demons after he admitted he'd "sit up all night smoking crack" at the height of his addiction.
Now he has candidly opened up on his rehab stint in South Africa - and how the reality TV star's words sobered him up.
Speaking to Lauren Laverne on Desert Island Discs he said he was ready to quit the facility around eight years ago.
He told the BBC Radio 4 show: "Then they read a letter out from home, from my daughter Dani, and it made me sit back down in that seat."
Talking of the height of his drug battles he said: "I remember I had this moment where I was sitting in my ensuite trying to work out how to put a pair of jeans on - I was that off my head.
"I looked up, I looked at my wife and I could just see how tired she looked and I could hear kids running around downstairs, and I thought 'I need to sort my life out'."
Back in 2022, Danny previously told The Sun he feared he would die if he didn't get help when his life was on the brink five years ago.
Danny went to show bosses and told them he desperately needed to take time out after his relationship with his wife Joanne Mas hit the rocks in 2017.
He admitted he had spent years being 'a c*** to her" and was taking so many drugs he had to make a desperate cry for help to producers of the BBC soap.
Danny Dyer calls himself a 'p---k' as he candidly opens up about split from wife Jo in The Assembly
Danny and Jo met as kids, growing up on the same council estate in East London, and had a daughter Dani, 28, when he was 18.
The couple went on to have a daughter Sunnie, 18, and son Arty, 11.
REAL DEAL
Danny also opened up on his darkest times at a boozy event this weekend.
Fans and celebs including Patsy Kensit, 57, were at Wimbledon Football Club in South West London on Friday for the charity night with Danny.
Danny Dyer's career so far
By Conor O'Brien
Danny Dyer has played several film and TV roles across a three-decade acting career.
Here's a look back at some of his most memorable performances. Prime Suspect (1993): Danny made his screen debut in an episode of the long-running ITV police procedural. He appeared as a character named "Martin Fletcher".
Danny made his screen debut in an episode of the long-running ITV police procedural. He appeared as a character named "Martin Fletcher". Human Traffic (1999): Danny's debut film saw him portray "Moff", a dealer. Directed by Justin Kerrigan, the coming-of-age comedy drama also featured John Simm, Andrew Lincoln and Richard Coyle.
Danny's debut film saw him portray "Moff", a dealer. Directed by Justin Kerrigan, the coming-of-age comedy drama also featured John Simm, Andrew Lincoln and Richard Coyle. Mean Machine (2001): An adaptation of The Longest Yard, this sports comedy also featured Vinnie Jones and Jason Statham. Danny played "Billy the Limpet".
An adaptation of The Longest Yard, this sports comedy also featured Vinnie Jones and Jason Statham. Danny played "Billy the Limpet". The Football Factory (2004): Loosely based on the novel of the same name by John King. Danny led the cast of this sports drama, directed by Nick Love. He portrayed "Tommy Johnson".
Loosely based on the novel of the same name by John King. Danny led the cast of this sports drama, directed by Nick Love. He portrayed "Tommy Johnson". EastEnders (2013-2022): Danny appeared in the London-set BBC soap opera for almost a decade. He played Queen Vic landlord "Mick Carter", opposite Kellie Bright as his on-screen wife Linda.
Danny appeared in the London-set BBC soap opera for almost a decade. He played Queen Vic landlord "Mick Carter", opposite Kellie Bright as his on-screen wife Linda. Rivals (2024): The actor was among an all-star ensemble cast in this Disney+ series based on Jilly Cooper's novel. Danny played the role of "Freddie Jones".
Speaking of EastEnders, he told the audience: '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.
'You have 30 pages a day you've got to learn. There's no f***ing about. You organically make the scene work, you rehearse nothing. It f***s your nut up. I ended up in rehab twice.'
In an apparent reference to the show's storylines, he added: 'Not so much in Corrie, but in EastEnders it's so dark.'
Danny joined the soap as Queen Vic landlord Mick Carter in 2013 but quit in 2022, with his character seemingly drowning at sea.
He added: "On EastEnders there is no messing about and you've got to do it. It's the hardest part of our job.
'I'd love to see A-list actors come in and do it, they'd crumble. You've got to be on it.
'In films you make yourself properly cry, you go to a dark place and you have time to recover. It messes a lot of people's heads up. Most people are off their nut."
During the boozy bash Danny also confessed bosses banned him from drinking alcohol in the Queen Vic and even put antiseptic in the beer barrels.
He said: '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.
'I wasn't off my nut. I had a drink every now and again.'
An EastEnders spokeswoman said yesterday: '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.'
6
Danny told how he was 'off his nut' on drugs during his time on EastEnders
Credit: BBC
6
Danny told of his 'dark' times on the BBC soap
Credit: BBC