Danny Dyer has pushed back on criticism over his appearances on advertisements for betting companies, saying that there is “other s*** to worry about”.
The London-born actor, 48, has appeared in advertisements for gambling giant Paddy Power.
Questioned on the topic in a new interview with The Guardian, Dyer responded: “I understand there’s morality around it, but let me tell you now, there’s other s*** to worry about than a f***ing gambling advert.”
“Look what’s going on with [US president Donald] Trump and his threat of nuclear war,” he continued. “All of our politicians, all of them, have f***ed us over and over again. And we just seem lost.”
Celebrities have often faced criticism for promoting betting companies, with research suggesting that the majority of people oppose celebrity gambling endorsements.
Research published by the charity GambleAware last September suggested that a two-thirds majority of people (67 per cent) think that celebrities should be prohibited from promoting gambling, “often because it potentially normalises gambling and increases appeal”.
In the Guardian interview, Dyer downplayed his own power as a role model, arguing that he had to prioritise his own life and family.
“All I can focus on is the people around me and my son,” he said. “That’s real life to me. I’m not on some f***ing mission to change society. I’ll speak out about stuff now and again, but I’m not on a crusade. I’m just looking after the young men around me and hopefully I’ll lead by example.”
Expanding on his worldview and comments about politicians, Dyer said: “Protest makes no difference, clearly. It’s very difficult to take on the elites. So it’s all just about loving people, loving life, getting good people around you. Enjoy your f***ing life, man. Enjoy it. Squeeze as much joy out of it as you possibly can.”
Dyer also spoke about his famous appearance on the genealogy programme Who Do You Think You Are?.
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The EastEnders actor appeared on the series in 2016, and was informed that he was distantly related to Thomas Cromwell and to royalty. Now, Dyer suggested that he was indifferent to learning about his heritage but was enticed by the payment.
“I got 18 grand for that,” he said. “I don’t really give a f*** about my distant relatives, but the money was good.
“I think the producers were more impressed that I was related to the king than me. I was more impressed with Cromwell, because he was working class.”
Dyer can next be seen in series two of the Jilly Cooper adaptation Rivals, out on Disney on 15 May.