EastEnders star Danny Dyer has ruled out a return to the BBC soap after a fan theorised how he could make a surprise return following his character’s exit on Christmas Day.
On Sunday viewers watched as the 45-year-old’s character Mick Carter seemingly drowned in the English Channel, while trying to rescue his wife Janine Butcher and ex-wife Linda Carter from the waves.
However, fans noted how Carter’s body is never found. As a result, it’s led some suggesting that Dyer could make a return to Albert Square in the future.
But the beloved British actor has squashed speculation he could return following his character’s death airing, insisting that he doesn’t “want to come back” to Walford.
Appearing on The Lateish Show with Mo Gilligan, he said: “I don’t want to come back.”
The comedian then compared the possibility of a return to that of Leslie Grantham, who made a shock comeback to the square following his “death” as Dirty Den.
Dyer added: “He [Grantham] was skint, he needed to come back. The geezer was on his arse. I don’t fancy it, Mo. I’ve done over 1,000 episodes.”
Following his character’s exit, Dyer took to Instagram on Boxing Day ito say how “grateful” he was for his years working on the show and would “relish those moments for the rest of my life”.
“Don’t worry I know it was emotional last night, it was a very, very nutty episode, but don’t be concerned, because I f****** made it,” he joked – in reference to his character’s exit.
“It was a c*** of a swim but let me tell you now, it was worth it. Mick needed a rest, it was time for him to move on – a new chapter.”
Becoming more serious, Dyer went on: “I want to take this opportunity to thank all my castmates, every single one of you, I love you all very dearly.
“I’m honoured to have worked with you for as long as I have and I’ll relish those moments for the rest of my life.
“I’m not going to name names, there’s too many of you – of course my Carter family that mean everything to me.
“It’s the end of an era and, like I said, I really appreciate and am very grateful for the years that I had running the Queen Vic.
“So again, don’t stress – especially the fans that have voted for me, invested in Mick and made him the character that he is. He had to get away.”
Christmas, Happy New Year and don’t worry about Mick, because he’s sweet as a f****** nut.”
Dyer’s dramatic departure from EastEnders comes exactly nine years after his debut as Mick Carter on Christmas Day 2013.
He went on to appear in a total of 1,150 episodes.
