‘We didn’t have a clue’: Danny Dyer on taking a risk with daughter Dani in caravan park show

EastEnders star Danny Dyer has long held a romantic view of caravan holidays, a staple of his childhood. However, when approached to spearhead the revival of a Kent holiday park for a new television series, his initial reaction was a firm refusal.

After some deliberation, the 48-year-old actor reconsidered, wondering if he had been too hasty. He subsequently enlisted his daughter, Love Island personality Dani Dyer, 2929, to help transform the fortunes of Priory Hill in Leysdown. Their mission: to restore it to the kind of vibrant destination he fondly remembered from the 1980s.

The resulting six-part Sky One series, The Dyers’ Caravan Park, sees the father-daughter duo working diligently to win over sceptical residents and staff. Their efforts focus on improving the business and revamping the park, aiming to revitalise the cherished British holiday tradition.

Ahead of the series’ release, Danny and Dani reflected on their past caravan park experiences, their dynamic working relationship, and the personal significance of undertaking this project.

For Danny, caravan parks evoke profound memories. "That’s all I ever knew as a child; that was our holiday every year. It’s a very working-class holiday," he explained. "I would hang out with my nan, grandad, my aunts and uncles and cousins, it’s such a beautiful thing for me. And it wasn’t about money. It was just very simple."

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He contrasted these memories with a recent filming experience: "Weirdly, I went back to film in Canvey Island recently, and there was tarmac on the beach, how f****** depressing is that. So there’s tarmac and then the sea. But when I was a kid, it wasn’t all that. It was a bit pebbly. My brother and I used to walk along the sea wall because you could see the little arcade at the seafront, and we’d have a handful of change in our hands. They were very simple days that I really do miss. So I thought, with the might of Sky behind me, let’s see if we can make caravans interesting again to some people, with my firstborn child, of course."

Dani, who has collaborated with her father on several occasions, including travelling around Italy and appearing on Gogglebox, spoke about their easy working relationship. "We get on so well. The filming days can be really long sometimes, but we just make each other laugh, and we get each other through it. I think we both bring something so different to the show. And like I always say, he’s like, a bit naughty. We have to rein him in a little bit."

She added: "He’s very cheeky, but the residents love him, and I think it was so lovely for them to be around him and us, and bring something different to the caravan park. It’s just easy. It doesn’t feel like work when we’re together. He would say something different."

Danny concurred, acknowledging Dani's steadying influence. "No, we’re just two Danny Dyers trying to make the whole thing work. I needed her to calm me down a little bit because I struggle to run a business, trying to juggle a lot of jobs at once. So this was the only time we could do it. I was in Bristol most of the week, and then came back and did the lay-downs on Saturday and Sunday. So it was sometimes quite difficult to always be happy."

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Dani interjected, "We always knew when he was moody."

Danny admitted the challenges: "Well, it adds to the show somewhat, because I am slightly wacky about it, but I really want to do the right thing. It was a baptism of fire because we didn’t have a f****** clue what we were doing, and it comes across. But I think we got a few things right as well. It’s a comforting show to watch."

The project represented a significant investment, with high stakes. Danny, known for his impulsive nature, confessed, "If you want to get involved, get involved. I’m very frivolous. S*** with money. But I was spunky and ready, which is not a good motto to have. That’s why I needed Dani by my side to rein me in slightly. I didn’t know how much these things cost, but we do talk about it in the show, how expensive everything is now. Look at how much butter is, Lurpak is seven quid."

Dani playfully revealed, "But he has two open Lurpaks in his fridge." To which Danny quipped, "You can tell how much a man is earning by how many Lurpaks he has."

For Danny, showcasing this aspect of British culture was crucial. "I think not enough working-class voices are on television. And this is a very, very British show. People are also struggling with what being British is, at the moment. But these are real characters, and without them, this show doesn’t work. So you’ve got Dani and me trying to do the right thing."

He noted the residents' dedication: "But these characters, they take their caravans very, very seriously, as they should; they spend a lot of money on them. It’s four and a half grand a year for ground rent, but they want one of the best holidays they possibly can. So they got over having two famous people minting about pretty quickly."

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Dani recalled her own teenage caravan holidays: "Yeah, I went with my friends. That was my first teenage holiday, and my first bit of freedom, really, being able to just go up to the clubhouse and go over to the pier, and just be with my best friend. I felt like an adult at 12."

The Dyers’ Caravan Park premieres on Sky One and NOW on Tuesday, February 24.