27 September 2023 , 07:16
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EastEnders legend Danny Dyer has revealed the brutal reason why he left the soap, while also hitting out at his co-stars.
The actor, who entertained the nation as landlord Mick Carter for almost a decade, quit last Christmas. Danny has previously shared how he thought his exit storyline was "odd", after Mick appeared to die on Christmas Day. After new wife Janine Butcher had driven Mick's ex-wife Linda Carter into the sea, he went in to save her but seemingly got into difficulty. He was presumed dead and lost at sea.
Danny has since shared how he felt standards had dropped during his time on the show. He shared: "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.”
Danny left EastEnders after almost a decade (BBC/Kieron McCarron/Jack Barnes)Speaking at a Q&A at London’s British Film Institute, Danny took aim at some unnamed former co-stars. "I’ve worked with a lot of actors that are c***s, very selfish, it’s all about them," he said. “You need to look after your other actors. It’s about teamwork and looking after each other.”
Earlier this year Danny touched on the reasons he decided to walk away from Walford. Speaking to The Times, he said: "One reason I left EastEnders was because I wasn’t around enough. You’ve got to try and get in there early with your holiday, because otherwise they give you a holiday in February, and who wants to go on holiday in February?”
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The actor also wanted to explore other options surrounding Mick's departure. The character had battled with depression and contemplated taking his own life two years earlier on the soap, after it emerged he had been sexually abused as a child. His abuser, Katy, fell pregnant with his child and Mick was introduced to her in 2020 when the whole truth came out. Danny wanted to explore a mental health storyline again to encourage men to speak out, and wanted Mick to take his own life.
Show bosses didn't want to go ahead with the plot as they said it would "trigger" viewers, and instead they chose a dramatic showdown to see the character bow out. Danny also addressed whether Mick could return some day, but admitted he found his exit scenes "odd". He said: "Anything is possible. Where would he have gone to? He can’t swim. I found it a bit odd."