Moment boozed-up Danny Dyer suffers meltdown at NTAs and has to be calmed by EastEnders cast as actor told to sort out wild lifestyle
THIS is the moment EastEnders bosses knew ranting Danny Dyer needed to sort out his wild lifestyle.
A video clip shows boozy Dyer, 39, having to be calmed by co-stars in a meltdown after the National Television Awards.
Witnesses have told how EastEnders stars had to step in as raging Danny Dyer “kicked off” after the bash.
An onlooker who captured the dramatic scenes on her phone said: “You could tell Danny had been drinking. The whole thing lasted about 15 minutes.”
Another source said: “The actors got together as a group to rally round Danny.
“It was like they were thinking, ‘S*** we’ve got to calm him down’ because he was really kicking off.
“It was obvious he was going off on one. He was really animated. His partner was also trying to calm him at one stage as well.”
The meltdown came days before Dyer, who plays Queen Vic landlord Mick Carter, took a break from the soap to deal with his “issues”.
The Sun has told how his hard-partying lifestyle was worrying bosses and The Sun on Sunday revealed his babbling rants on set were concerning co-stars and crew.
The final straw is believed to have come at the National Television Awards on January 26.
Dyer, 39, had tried to give up alcohol but was back on the booze.
He arrived at 6pm and saw red at the end of the evening.
Pals including Jane Beale actress Laurie Brett and James Bye, who plays Martin Fowler, can be seen in the video footage trying to help the fraught star.
James wraps an arm around party-loving Dyer, who waves his hands as the debate turns increasingly heated.
His wife Joanne Mas, the mother of his three children, can also be seen attempting to get him to cool down.
The woman who took the film said: “You could tell Danny had been drinking.
It seemed like he was annoyed at someone else and ranting, and his cast mates were trying to calm him down.
“It went on for quite some time. At one stage he walked off in a strop and then came back.
“Then the guy who plays Martin Fowler was trying to reason with him and at one point Danny Dyer hugged him — in that way that drunk people do when they are having a bit of meltdown and going from anger to love.”
Do you want Danny back on Albert Square? #SAVEDANNY
A source recalled: “He was one of the last to leave. There was no one in their seats anymore.
“To be fair, prior to it happening Danny had been to some of the crowd and had been taking pictures with the fans.”
Friends of Danny, paid a reported £400,000 a year, insisted his frustration came from being held up in his bid to leave the event.
A pal added: “It had been a long day for him and he was obviously tired and eager to go home by that point.
“His friends and co-stars were assuring him he could be on his way soon.”
The “exhausted” star is expected to be away for around six weeks to tackle his personal problems amid claims there had also been fall outs at home.
In a statement show bosses confirmed he is on a “short break” but spelled out it was voluntary and that he will return to Albert Square.
HE'S FLED TO AFRICA
BY LAUREN PROBERT
DANNY Dyer flicks a v-sign as he poses with schoolkids after flying out of Britain.
The soap star was mobbed by the young fans on a school cricket tour when they landed at Cape Town international airport on February 11.
The lads later posted the snap online of the star flicking up two fingers while wearing a camouflage jacket and dark sunglasses.
The previous night he was spotted boarding a plane alone from London’s Heathrow on February 10. Sources say Danny has swapped his Essex home for the African sun to “sort his life out”.
It is thought he is planning to stay there, and out of the limelight, for around a month.
An eyewitness said: “Danny was travelling by himself on an evening flight. He had a porter dealing with his luggage but other than that he was flying solo.
“He kept his head down and was checking his phone.
"He was flying first class and sat in the lounge on his iPad drinking a couple of beers.”
The onlooker said a flight attendant kept Danny topped up on the long flight.
An EastEnders insider told the Daily Star on Sunday: “Danny knew the heat was on and didn’t want to bring his family into the media circus.
“So he got on a plane. He’s still in contact with the family and Jo, his wife, might join him later. He’s calling it his ‘gardening leave’.
“He’ll be away for at least a month. He wanted to disappear.”