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cockney reject

Dick Van Dyke complains nobody in the Mary Poppins cast told him his Cockney accent was rubbish

The 91-year-old claims the musical's star Julie Andrews told him years later she had felt too bad to admit the truth since she knew how hard he was trying

Dick van Dyke has confirmed he will make a cameo appearance in the Mary Poppins sequel

VETERAN actor Dick Van Dyke has revealed nobody told him his Cockney accent in Mary Poppins was “dodgy”.

Van Dyke, 91, who played jack-of-all-trades Bert in the 1964 hit musical, added it didn’t help that his voice coach was Irish.

 Dick van Dyke has complained that nobody in the Mary Poppins cast told him his accent needed work
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Dick van Dyke has complained that nobody in the Mary Poppins cast told him his accent needed work

He said: “Someone should have told me I needed to work on my cockney accent.

"I was given an Irish coach whose Cockney was much better than mine."

The star, who has five Emmys, a Tony, a Grammy Award and a Screen Actors Guild Lifetime Achievement Award to his name, complained that not even the movie's star Julie Andrews had told him his accent needed work.

 The 91-year-old says he still dances every day, and wants to live to 100
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The 91-year-old says he still dances every day, and wants to live to 100Credit: Getty Images
 Dick van Dyke played Bert the jack-of-all trades in the 1964 hit musical set in London, but for years his attempt at a Cockney accent has been the subject of ridicule
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Dick van Dyke played Bert the jack-of-all trades in the 1964 hit musical set in London, but for years his attempt at a Cockney accent has been the subject of ridicule

He said: “Nearly everyone in the Mary Poppins cast was a Brit but no one said anything.”

“Years later I asked Julie Andrews ‘Why didn’t you tell me?’ - she said it was because I was working so hard.”

 Dick claims Julie Andrews told him years later she didn't want to tell him his accent was awful because she knew he was trying
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Dick claims Julie Andrews told him years later she didn't want to tell him his accent was awful because she knew he was trying

Despite having a seven-decade entertainment career under his belt, the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang star admitted he has no plans to slow down anytime soon.

Van Dyke said: “I would like to live to be 100. I’m working on it. I dance every day and go to the gym.”