Danny Dyer Breaks Down: “My Wife Was Right to Throw Me Out” — Emotional Confession on ITV’s The Assembly
EastEnders legend Danny Dyer is baring his soul like never before in ITV’s powerful new series The Assembly — a groundbreaking show where celebrities face deeply personal questions from a panel of autistic, neurodivergent, and learning-disabled interviewers.
In what he calls the most honest interview of his life, the former Mick Carter star opens up about the chaotic lows of his past, the fallout in his marriage, and the pain of losing father figures throughout his life.
In the raw and candid interview, Dyer recalls the moment his wife, Joanne Mas, took control of his finances and their household, after his substance-fueled lifestyle spiraled out of control.
“She controls everything now,” Danny admits.
“She did kick me out because I was a pr***, and she deserved better. I’d go out, take drugs, not come home for three days. I never wanted the party to end.”
With piercing honesty, he admits that Jo had every right to throw him out — not just for her sake, but for the sake of their family. It was a wake-up call he desperately needed.
Dyer also opens up about his traumatic upbringing, tracing many of his issues back to a pattern of loss and abandonment. Therapy, he says, helped him unpack a lifetime of pain and confusion.
“I needed to learn what was wrong with me. I had money, I was successful, but I still wasn’t happy,” he explains.
“Every strong male role model I had either left me or d.i.e.d.”
From his father walking out when he was just nine, to losing his beloved grandfather to cancer, and later, grieving the loss of Harold Pinter, the famed playwright who mentored him — Danny reveals how these repeated losses led him to emotionally shut down.
“Every time I got close to someone, I’d hit the f*** it button before they could d.i.e. It’s a weird way of thinking, but therapy gave me the tools to understand that.”
In an especially emotional moment, Danny is asked about his estranged father by an interviewer named Essen, who was also raised by a single mother. Dyer fights back tears as he shares:
“My dad wasn’t a very good dad. I don’t understand how a man can lay his head on the pillow knowing he has children out there he doesn’t care to know.”
Reflecting on his own role as a father, Danny doesn’t shy away from accountability.
“I caused a lot of pain to my kids — by being vacant, not engaged, not available. But it’s not about money. Kids don’t need riches; they need affection, stability, and to feel loved.”
He also reveals that his father had a secret family, a discovery that shook him — but in an unexpected twist, they are now reconnecting. Dyer believes in second chances, even for the people who hurt him the most.
Danny Dyer’s appearance on The Assembly marks a bold and moving step forward for a man once known for playing hard men — now showing that true strength lies in facing your demons and owning your past.
This is Danny Dyer like you’ve never seen him before: vulnerable, reflective, and determined to do better.
