Danny Dyer says council estate where he grew up ‘petrified’ his kids
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To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video. Up Next. Danny Dyer has said it’s a ‘real shame’ his children were afraid of the council estate where he was raised.
The Rivals star, 47, was raised by his mother at Custom House, east London, before beginning his career after being spotted by an agent at school. He had his breakthrough role in indie film Human Traffic and was later cast in movies Mean Machine and The Football Factory but, despite his glittering career, he said he has ‘tried to not lose’ his roots.
![[Danny Dyer with his daughters Sunnie and Dani in front of a Christmas tree]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/SEI_235440800-a650-e1736420098533.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
However, Danny, who shares three children daughters Dani Dyer, 28, and Sunnie, 17, and son Arty, 11, with wife Joanne Mas, 48, said his kids were ‘petrified’ of his former home during a recent visit. The EastEnders actor told Sky News: ‘I’m very proud of my roots. I’ve tried not to lose that. Unfortunately, I’ve got kids that are quite privileged, so they don’t really understand.
![[Mandatory Credit: Photo by Anthony Harvey/REX/Shutterstock (14025792y) Danny Dyer and Joanne Mas #TheMikeGala, Stormzy's 30th Birthday, London, UK - 28 Jul 2023]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/SEI_235440702-aa05.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
‘Sometimes I drive back to Custom House, where I was brought up, and the kids [are] in the back and they’re petrified of getting out of the car, which is a real shame. They can’t believe that their dad lived on a council estate. ‘But I think it gives you a good work ethic. And I think the classism thing is … there’s a lot of isms in the world, and I think everybody has to deal with it at some point in their life. And it just made me a lot more determined and ambitious really.’.
