Danny Dyer says ‘EastEnders’ have taken soaps "to a new level" this week, and he wishes the show could "stay at this level every episode".
The 42-year-old star – who plays Mick Carter – is "very proud" of the BBC One programme’s thrilling episodes this week to mark the show’s 35th anniversary, and he admits it is a "real shock" who dies during this week’s epic River Thames-set episodes.
He said: "It’s real shock who goes, I’m telling you.
"I think we’ve taken the soap thing to a new level. Every ep starts at the disaster and we jump back seven hours earlier and then it’s four different characters and their routes to being on the boat, and why they’re there and what their storyline is.
"It’s very clever. We’re very proud of it.
"We knew we were doing something special. It’s really inspiring. I wish we could stay at this level every ep."
Last night’s (17.02.20) episode kicked the week off in style with the Carters’ boat party on the River Thames thrown into chaos when the vessel started to sink, and Mick’s drunk wife Linda Carter (Kellie Bright) is trapped on the boat.
Mick hurried to try to rescue her but as the doof doofs sounded the pair were up to their necks in water and left fearing for their lives.
Danny revealed the tense scenes were shot in a water tank with crew members spraying "pea juice" to make the water look like the colour of the Thames, and he joked he ended up "looking like Dot Cotton" after filming 10-hour days in murky-looking liquid.
He said: "It took six weeks to film it. Usually to film four episodes it takes about 10 days, so we spread it out over Christmas.
"We did it in a water tank. We thought we were all going to Pinewood and we ended up in Basildon.
"The tank was OK, it was nice and warm. They were squirting pea juice in it to make it look like the Thames.
"But a 10-hour working day in the water you come out all wrinkled, I came out looking like Dot Cotton. In a good way, obviously."
While Mick declared to Linda that he would go down with her if she couldn’t be saved, Danny joked his alter-ego may slip off and leave her to die.
The ‘Football Factory’ star said: "He might change his mind and go, ‘You know what, I love you, but I’m going to have to do the slips.’
"No, of course. He loves his wife."
It has been confirmed that one character will die this week – and Danny even joked Mick would meet his maker.
Speaking on ‘This Morning’, he quipped: "It’s me, I die. I was gutted. They called me upstairs, I go out strong and I’m happy about it … no, listen.
"You know I can’t declare it."
Danny Dyer: EastEnders have taken soaps to ‘a new level’ with anniversary eps
