Danny Dyer reveals real reason he signed up to host Channel 4’s Scared Of The Dark
LOCKING a group of celebrities from the worlds of sport, comedy and reality TV into a blackout bunker might seem tempting at times.
And that’s exactly why Danny Dyer signed up to host Channel 4’s new experimental show, Scared Of The Dark.
The former EastEnders actor said: “They said, ‘basically we’re going to lock eight celebrities in the pitch black for eight days’ and I was like, ‘fking sign me up, it sounds amazing!’.
“It depended on the celebrities for me as well, I wanted it to be interesting people.
“Paul Gascoigne, as soon as I heard his name I signed up.”
The presenter said he was touched to hear the former Spurs and Rangers star — who during his career battled booze and drugs and beat his wife Sheryl — felt the same way.
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Danny told me: “Gazza was confused at the beginning because he thought I was going in with him.
“I believe his agent said I was doing it, and when I told him I wasn’t going in, he was gutted.
Gruelling challenges “So I just said. ‘No, mate, I’m just going to get you in there and sit back and watch the fun unfold.’
“He did an interview once and he said that if they do a film, that he’d want me to play him.
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“I had to tell him there’s no way in the f**** world I’m going to do the Geordie accent, you know?”
Instead Gazza was banged up with boxers Chris Eubank and Nicola Adams, TV host Scarlett Moffatt, actor Donna Preston, Love Island’s Chloe Burrows, singer Max George and comic Chris Mccausland for the six-parter.
Danny hosts as the group live in pitch darkness while undertaking gruelling challenges.
He said: “Back in the day I did documentaries on hooligans and stuff, which I didn’t enjoy.
“It wasn’t a bit of me. I’m not a journalist. I did it for the money.
“But I’ve got a theory that if you do too much personality stuff, then you give a lot away as an actor.
“I’ve done so much of this stuff so when I’m acting, it was ‘Oh, he just plays himself.’
“But as host on this I’m sort of a teddy bear with a bite, you know?”
We all like a teddy to cuddle in the dark.
- Scared Of The Dark begins on Sunday and airs nightly at 9pm.
‘RYLAN WOULD RILE ME’
PAUL GASCOIGNE may have been disappointed not to have shared The Bunker with Danny Dyer, but at least his least favourite celebrity wasn’t in there with him.
The ex-Three Lions star has revealed Rylan Clark, who has enjoyed a successful TV career having finished fifth on X Factor in 2012, gets on his nerves.
He says: “Rylan made it famous for being a prat. I mean, who is he? I mean, Scarlett Moffatt.
"She’s all right, that Moffatt, but she just went on Gogglebox or whatever. She’s done well.
“But that Rylan. He’s a hopeless singer, and he became famous for being hopeless.”
And it’s not just Rylan that grinds Gazza’s gears. He can’t stand “moaners” either.
He adds: “If they’re going to moan, I’ll just tell them to give their money back and get off the show.”
It sounds like Gazza managed to stay upbeat though, with Scarlett revealing he was the biggest prankster in The Bunker.
She said: “He’d get Twiglets and bits of cheese, and you’d just be sat and you’d get a bit of cheese in your eye.
"He was causing mischief and chaos.”
That sounds more like Gazza.
A LOOK-Y BREAK . . .
OLYMPIC boxing champ Nicola Adams prepared for the show by watching futuristic TV series See.
She explains: “It’s about people that live in the future and they’re all blind.
“I’ve been watching how they get around and how they do things not being able to see, so I’m thinking I’m going to try some of these little techniques out.”
Meanwhile comedy actress Donna Preston had a different kind of prep in mind to ensure she remained looking glam.
She adds: “I’m going to try my best to get up in the morning and do my hair and make-up.
"And we’ll see how that looks when the show’s out.”
STRICTLY SNIPPETS
MAX GEORGE sounds good value to the group, as he promised to dish the dirt on fellow Strictly stars.
The Wanted singer partnered pro dancer Dianne Buswell on the 2020 series and found love with EastEnders actress Maisie Smith on the show’s nationwide tour in 2021.
Asked about sharing showbiz gossip, he says: “I’ve got loads of Strictly stories, even though I lasted about a week.
"Everybody is always interested in the backstage gossip, there’s loads of that.”
I’ll be all ears too.
CHLOE'S BOOST
FORMER Love Island star Chloe Burrows reckons she has benefited most from being on the show.
She feels surviving eight days in total darkness has given her a much-needed confidence boost.
She says: “I had a bit of imposter syndrome because you come out of Love Island and it’s zero to a hundred and you’re like, ‘Oh my God, what am I doing? What am I doing?’
“But being in a room with people like that, it almost validates you and your capabilities, like, ‘Yeah, I can actually be in this arena of big names and I can hold my own and I’m not going to let anyone talk me down’.
“It’s given me such reassurance and confidence in myself.”
PERK IS SO POTTY
BLIND comedian Chris McCausland says he had an obvious advantage over his co-stars – and helped them when the call of nature arose.
The funnyman explains: “I helped everyone go to the loo!
"I didn’t exactly hold Gazza’s willy, I didn’t wipe anyone’s a**.
"But yeah, it was like living with a bunch of toddlers.”
A PEACE OF CAKE
FORMER boxer Chris Eubank talked a big talk on his way into The Bunker, revealing the prospect of living in darkness for eight days was nowhere near as intimidating as facing a beefy opponent in the ring.
He said: “Being a warrior is the scariest thing you can do.”
Chris reckoned the dark was going to bring him “peace”.
He added: “It’s not just meditation. It empowers me.
"It empowers you where you can think, and commune with yourself, as in talk to yourself, reason with yourself, love yourself or show respect.
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"Know that you are a King or Queen. So behave like one. I am a king and I shall do as I do.”
It comes as The Sun revealed last week that Chris quit the show halfway through because he was said to be desperate to smoke cannabis