Danny Dyer isn't happy about backhanded praise for Rivals performance
The actor hit out at critics in a new episode of his podcast.
Danny Dyer has hit back at critics' "backhanded" comments for his role in new Disney Plus series Rivals.
The former EastEnders actor starred as electronics businessman Freddie Jones, with many fans falling for his and Lizzie Vereker's (Katherine Parkinson) flirtations throughout the series.
During a segment in his and his daughter Dani's podcast Live and Let Dyers, the actor said: "Some people were alluding to the fact that, you know, I'm the one that sort of come out of it, really, in a way, going, 'Oh God, he's a really good actor.'
"I'm getting this backhanded sort of, you know, from these big, broadsheets going, 'Oh no.' Actually, there's a headline that went, 'The biggest plot twist about Rivals is that Danny Dyer can act.'
"In a way, I'm going, 'Oh, thanks for the compliment,' at the same time going, 'Well, f**k off!'"
Following Rivals' release, viewers took to social media to say that Dyer shouldn't be 'wasted' on soaps, with many praising his work in the Disney Plus series, negating his equally great work across his career.
This perceived 'snobbery' was batted by back by many, including Dyer himself and ourselves at RadioTimes.com.
"I remember when it first got announced, there were a few comments going, 'Oh, you lost me at Danny Dyer,'" the actor continued.
"There was [some] right negative s**t about me going, 'Oh my God, what has happened to Disney? How can they hire him?' How f**king wrong were they?"
Read more:
- Danny Dyer – and Rivals – aren't above the soaps, actually
- Rivals review: David Tennant's sumptuously soapy drama is a reminder of how fun TV can be
Dyer reunited with former EastEnders executive producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins on Rivals, with the latter adapting the series from Jilly Cooper's novel of the same name.
As for whether or not we'll see Dyer back as Freddie in another instalment is currently uncertain, with the streamer yet to announce if Rivals will return for season 2.
However, there is hope yet!
Liam Keelan, Disney's senior vice-president of original content for Europe and Africa, told The Times: "You'd have to be living in a cave not to have come across Rivals. Everyone's talking about it. I've seriously never known anything like it.
"But it's been on the platform for just over a week, so give us a chance, but hopefully more news to come. Suffice to say, we love the show."
Rivals is streaming now on Disney Plus – sign up to Disney Plus now for £4.99 per month or £79.90 for a full year.
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Authors
Katelyn Mensah is the Entertainment and Factual Writer for Radio Times, covering all major entertainment programmes, reality TV shows and the latest hard-hitting documentaries. She previously worked at The Tab, with a focus on reality TV and showbiz news and has obtained a BA (Hons) in Journalism.
