Danny Dyer lands HUGE new film role following Rivals success at Disney – but there’s a surprise twist

DANNY DYER spent a decade surrounded by people on screen as Mick Carter, the landlord of the Queen Vic in EastEnders.

But his next job will be far less social, as he has been cast in a film, in which he will be the only character.

Danny has revealed he will fly to Dublin this month to start work on the movie called Three Quick Breaths, which follows the huge success of his role in the Disney+ series Rivals.

Speaking about the role, Danny said: “I can’t talk too much about it. It’s a really mad concept. I’m trying to push myself now that I’m known as sort of Marlon Brando in the acting world because of Rivals, you know.

“Even though I’ve been acting for so long anyway, this is something that is going to be a real test for me. But I had to have a very, very in-depth medical [check] for insurance reasons.

“I’m the only one in this film. Its only one character. Just me. I won’t go too into it but it’s a bit like Phone Booth with Colin Farrell.

“It’s quite a clever idea. Because I’m the only actor, I had two doctors waiting at my door.”

He said that despite a scare during the test, he has a fine bill of health, but is still determined to finally quit smoking in 2025.

Although that New Year’s resolution hasn’t got off to the best start. Speaking on his podcast Live And Let Dyers, he admitted: “I do still have vices in my life, smoking being one of them. Now, New Year’s resolutions, I did say I should give up smoking.

“But obviously I was still chugging away at quarter past three, technically New Year’s Day, because I had a party.

“When I woke up and I saw the state of the house I needed a fag on New Year’s Day.”

SKIT’S HIT THE FAN FOR ZARA

MOST celeb break-ups are messy.

It can lead to squabbling over a vineyard like Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt or fighting about who gets custody of the dog, as happened with Ant McPartlin and ex-wife Lisa.

But while reality stars Zara McDermott and Sam Thompson’s split over Christmas was a relatively drama-free affair, I’m told there is a rather ­embarrassing headache looming.

Insiders confessed that Strictly star Zara and I’m A Celebrity winner Sam, who first started dating in 2019, secretly filmed Michael McIntyre’s Midnight Gameshow segment of his Big Show when they were happily coupled up.

And now the pair are waiting to find out whether BBC One will screen the skit when the new series starts later this month.

A source said: “Zara and Sam were really happy and in love when they agreed to take part in the Midnight Gameshow.

“But now they’ve broken up it’s going to be rather awkward if the BBC chooses to air it.

“Obviously Zara and Sam took part in a professional capacity so they’re not kicking up a stink but it is rather embarrassing to think they’re going to have to watch themselves back on telly when they were still together.

“Their skit was really funny and they had such a great time with Michael so it would be a shame for it to be canned.

“Plus the new series starts really soon so to cut it out would be a nightmare.

“Zara and Sam are having to sit tight and wait to find out now. If the BBC does air it, you can guarantee they won’t be tuning in.”

I’d be right with them.

The last thing you want to do when you’re going through the early days of a break-up is to be reminded how happy you used to be with your ex.

SIR ELTON JOHN is putting Premier League footballers in the shade after banking £170,000 a day over the past two years.

New accounts filed at Companies House revealed his firm J Bondi LLP, where Elton channels his live music earnings, took £51.7million last year and £71.1m in 2023.

The latest earnings span the last two years of his Farewell Yellow Bright Road world tour, which started in 2018 and ended in the summer of 2023.

The paperwork shows that £50million came from the UK alone, proving the Rocketman is more popular than ever here.

Elton is also sitting on £108million worth of assets in his investment company, Tekcor, so I think it’s fair to say he’ll be sitting pretty for the rest of his days.

And the superstar is on track to score his ninth No1 album this Friday.

His greatest hits collection Diamonds, which reached No2 when it first came out in 2017, has now spent 83 weeks in the Top Ten and is currently in the lead in this week’s chart.

Sabrina Carpenter’s Short N’ Sweet is only 1,100 copies behind, so it’s all still to play for.

SELENA CREAM OF CROP

THERE was no hint of a hangover for Selena Gomez as she got back to work the day after attending the Golden Globes.

She wore a cream mini-dress to a series of meetings in the day then changed into a white dress with a blazer to record an episode of the chat show Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Selena, who got engaged to her music producer fiancé Benny Blanco last month, has a busy few months ahead of her – wedding prep aside.

She stars in the Spanish-language Netflix musical Emilia Perez, which was the big winner at the Golden Globes and is on course to do well at the Oscars in March, too.

Undoubtedly, the Good For You singer will have plenty of events to go through during awards season and she will be keeping her fingers crossed that her name pops up when the Oscar nominations come out next week.

$20K IN THE POST FOR WAITRESS

POST MALONE changed a waitress’s life when he tipped her a whopping $20,000 on Christmas Eve.

The single mum from Texas, Renee Brown, said she was working in a bar called The Railyard when Post came in for a drink with pals – and she was feeling sad because she was missing quality time with her daughter to earn money.

But he gave her a belting gift when he tipped her $20k, which is the equivalent of £16,000.

She gushed: “This was truly a blessing that I can’t fully put into words.

“The visit alone was absolutely amazing and something I could talk about and remember for the rest of my life.”

What a lovely man.

CRADLE OF FILTH rocker Dani Filth has confirmed the British band have recorded a surprise collaboration with Ed Sheeran.

The frontman, who formed the extreme heavy metal act in Ed’s adopted home county of Suffolk in 1991, said: “It’s a new ­Cradle Of Filth song ­featuring Ed Sheeran.

“Ed really pushes himself in it as well. He does rock vocals. It’s a really good song.

“Only a handful of people [have heard it]. My mum hasn’t even heard it.”

SARA COX proved money can’t always buy happiness when her New Year’s getaway went wrong.

The DJ was speaking on Radio 2 about the family trip and recalled: “We went to Copenhagen, it was very rainy – sideways, icy rain. We got a taxi from the airport on December 30 and the lovely taxi driver was like, ‘What are you doing here?

“Everyone who lives here leaves at this time of year. It’s disgusting here – so cold and dark.’

“We could not get sorted for restaurants unless you wanted to do a 15-course tasting meal with matching wine, so instead I did a big shop at Lidl and then, or two days on the run, we had the same dinner.

“It was good enforced family time. It was lovely.”

You sure about that, Sara?

MARISA ABELA has bagged an EE Bafta Rising Star nomination for her portrayal of Amy Winehouse in the biopic about the singer’s life, Back To Black.

Speaking at The Savoy in London yesterday as the nominations were revealed, Marisa said: “Amy was a once in a lifetime talent and I knew that this would be a once in a lifetime job.

“Once I got the role I researched so much, I felt like I connected with Amy’s lifeblood, her breath and her tenacity and what I felt she wanted from the world. I felt there was a deep longing to belong, and to prove, and to be loved.”

She added: “I was most nervous about the live performances. The first one we did was at what we imagined was Shepherd’s Bush Empire. There were about 200 extras. I felt I had to nail it in one.”

Marisa, who also plays Yasmin Yazdani in BBC hit Industry, will go up against her former co-stars Nabhaan Rizwan and David Jonsson.

The 2025 EE Baftas will take place on February 16 at the Royal Festival Hall in London.