Danny Dyer is to present a new history series.
The ‘EastEnders’ actor was revealed to be related to former kings of England, Edward III and William The Conqueror, after a 2016 appearance on ‘Who Do You Think You Are?’, and as a result he has now landed his own programme, ‘Danny Dyer’s Right Royal Family’, on BBC One.
He said: "I’m still in shock at the fact that I’m related to such important people. I’ve had a ball getting to know them. It was a nutty experience."
Danny will head back 800 years in time to live how some of his ancestors did, which will include him eating sheep’s tongue, and learning how to hunt.
BBC history commissioner Simon Young is hoping Danny’s show will "inject fun" into the subject of royal history.
He said: "Danny is just an incredible talent and he has an amazing history in his family tree. What better way to get people to look at and understand that royal history than through his eyes?
"It injects fun and I think we need that."
After discovering his royal connections, Danny – who plays pub landlord Mick Carter in the BBC One soap – then joked he would challenge Queen Elizabeth for the top spot in Buckingham Palace.
He said: "If I iron out about 150 people, yeah I’ll be f***ing King. If Trump can run America I can be f***ing king surely?"
During Danny’s ‘Who Do You Think You Are?’ episode, researchers also discovered he had a blood link to Thomas Cromwell, who was King Henry VIII’s chief minister – much to the star’s delight.
Speaking previously about the connection, he said: "He came from a slum, I come from a slum.
"Cromwell left the country at 14, I started acting at 14.
"He was a self-taught lawyer. I’m a self-taught actor.
"Cromwell had two daughters and a son. I’ve got two daughters and a son.
"Cromwell wrote his last letter to Henry VIII begging for his life, on July 24, which is my birthday."
Danny Dyer to front new history series
