Danny Dyer has admitted he "got it wrong" when he told his daughter Dani not to appear on ‘Love Island’.
The ‘EastEnders’ actor advised his offspring not to take part of the reality show – which she went on to win with boyfriend Jack Fincham – but he’s proud she showed her "vulnerable" side and proved she was different to how people perceived.
He said: "She is a beautiful little soul. I did tell her not to do [‘Love Island’]… but I got it wrong… She did it with grace and dignity.
"She did find a geezer, but she didn’t do none of that [sex on the show]… I said to her, ‘If you’re going to do it, win it.’
"She is quite a vulnerable little thing and I think she showed that vulnerability, she is a normal kid. I think people because of me had a perception of her, but she was anything but that."
Despite his reputation as a hard man, the 41-year-old actor admitted he cried every night watching the 22-year-old star on the show.
He told talk show host Jonathan Ross: "I was bang in trouble… I said goodbye to her, they take her [phone] off her and I’m watching her on the telly like everyone else… It is hard work, mate. I was sobbing my heart out every night, I’m a sensitive soul."
Danny – who has three children, including Dani, with wife Joanne Mas – can understand why people are so fascinated by his daughter’s relationship but he’s urged them to step back out of the spotlight and focus on one another.
He said: "You’ve got to respect the fact they were on a TV show, they met on a TV show and the public voted for them… But actually they are real human beings now and they’ve had to parade themselves in front of cameras but now they need to start sitting back a little bit and concentrate on what is important which is their relationship. It’s hard enough as it is in a relationship, let alone with cameras [around you]…"
‘The Jonathan Ross Show’ airs December 15 from 10.05pm on ITV.
Danny Dyer ‘got it wrong’ over Love Island
