Dani Dyer admits her father Danny ‘wouldn’t be here now’ if he hadn’t gone to rehab twice and reveals why his first stint didn’t work

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Dani Dyer has spoken about her dad, Danny Dyer’s, struggles with drug addiction and his time in rehab. She believes he wouldn’t have survived if he hadn’t gotten help.

The 48-year-old actor, who used to be on EastEnders, has publicly discussed his struggles with drugs and has gone to rehab in South Africa before.

Dani shared on Jamie Laing’s podcast, Good Company, that her father’s initial attempt at something didn’t succeed because of an agreement he made with someone who ate excessively.

She explained that he had been to rehab two times, and during his first stay, he was actually bartering cream eggs for diazepam.

One person was in treatment for compulsive overeating, and the other for drug addiction, making a successful relationship unlikely.

This time, his stay in rehab was more intense. Dani has said her father believes his role on the soap opera EastEnders, playing Mick Carter, ultimately helped him get better.

As a lifestyle expert, I’ve seen firsthand how critical intervention can be. When he relapsed – that second time going back to treatment – I knew things were truly dire. Honestly, we all felt he wouldn’t have survived without it. He was in a really, really bad place.

He often credits EastEnders with turning his life around. He was struggling with personal issues and had turned to alcohol and drugs, but he realized he needed to change. He considers it the best decision he ever made.

I’ve seen this pattern so many times! This person initially surrounded themselves with a crowd that wasn’t serving them well – a lot of negative influences, frankly. Then, thankfully, they realized what was happening and made a really brave decision. They drastically simplified their life, cutting out about 70% of the people they were associating with. It’s amazing what a difference that kind of focused energy can make. Sometimes, less really is more when it comes to building a healthier, happier life.

Danny has spoken before about realizing he had a problem with alcohol, and he thanks his EastEnders colleague, Luisa Bradshaw-White, for pointing it out to him.

In a conversation with Louis Theroux, Danny revealed he realized he needed to change his life after a particularly wild night following the National Television Awards in 2017.

Louis started the interview by bringing up a story the celebrity had shared on the radio show Desert Island Discs, referencing their difficulty getting dressed the day after the National Television Awards.

Danny candidly replied: ‘I had a moment of clarity where I had been on it all night after the NTAs.    

‘I think I’d won and that’s always on like a Tuesday or something and I had to go to work.

The cast of EastEnders also had a hectic schedule – they were asked to attend the National Television Awards, but then had to be back at work early the next morning. I’d had a bit too much fun the night before and was really struggling to get dressed!

Wanting Danny to explain further, Louis asked him: ‘Which part of it?’ 

Danny explained he was sitting on the toilet, puzzling over which leg to put where, and wasn’t sure why he was even thinking about it.

‘I’ve sort of had many of them moments over the years of me being completely off my head. 

That moment really hit me hard. I glanced over at my wife, and honestly, she looked absolutely devastated – pale and unwell. Seeing her like that was what truly got to me.

Drug use and the chaotic lifestyle it brings not only harms your own health and well-being, slowly damaging your body, but also deeply affects and hurts the people you care about.

I simply stared at her, completely lost in my own thoughts even then. But all I could think was, ‘What are you doing to the people who care about you?’

I remember that moment clearly. My son, Artie, who’s eleven now, was about three years old at the time. He was running around downstairs, and I think I had just gotten the last guest to leave.

When asked what the time would have been Danny added: ‘Well it would’ve been about 6.30-6.45.’

Clarifying further, Louis asked the star:  ‘What in the morning?’

Danny responded, saying he realized he was in serious danger while being driven to work. He thought to himself, ‘This is it, I’m going to die.’

You’re in a lot of pain and heading down a dangerous path. You’re unhappy with your life and using drugs, which is causing significant harm to yourself and everything around you.

He explained that the moment was strange. He went straight to work that day feeling disoriented and admitted, ‘I need help. I can’t keep doing this.’

I’m really struggling and need support. I’m at a major turning point in my life and feel like I need to make significant changes quickly, or I don’t think I’ll get through the year.

He also wanted to acknowledge his co-star, Louisa Bradshaw White, who played his sister Tina. He said she was incredibly supportive, especially during challenging moments.

She’s always believed I struggle with something, and it’s surprising because no one else has ever mentioned it. I guess people generally avoid getting involved in others’ personal issues.

She had a really laid-back way of letting me move at my own pace. She’d often say, ‘Whenever you’re ready,’ and I finally felt like I was.

When Louis asked if Louisa might have experienced something comparable, Danny replied that she, like many people – and many people in his life – has faced her own difficulties.

I’ve witnessed many people struggle with difficult situations and often thought I had it better than them. It turns out I was going through my own challenges too, it just took me longer to realize it.

Danny shared in 2019 that he previously struggled with a crack cocaine addiction and had reached a point of deep despair, admitting he was essentially harming himself over time.

He told the i newspaper that he was going through a very difficult time and felt like he was destroying himself. He described feeling hopeless, self-loathing, and unable to even bear looking at his own reflection.

He remembered a particularly low point in his life: staying up all night using crack cocaine before performing in Harold Pinter’s play, Celebration, at Lincoln Center in New York City in 2001.

He admitted he was pushing himself too hard, leaving him overwhelmed and unable to express himself clearly.

‘The blood rushed from my feet to my head and I was petrified. I felt so vulnerable.’

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2025-10-29 21:53