Teenage dad, affair scandals and EastEnders legend: Danny Dyer’s life in pics

In April 2009, Danny Dyer turned down a role in EastEnders, claiming that although he thought the role sounded good, he did not think he could cope with the pressure.

In late December 2007, he became the chairman of Kent League's Greenwich Borough in South East London, appointed by fellow actor Tamer Hassan, president of the football club, stating: "I just love football and the chance of being involved with a club is like a dream come true."

When Danny was eight or nine, he has revealed he started smoking weed and nicking things.He said in his autobiography Straight Up: "We'd nip in and nick what we could. Or we'd take the train to Barking and wait outside a newsagent's until someone leaned their mountain bike in the window and then nick it."I never got a thrill from it, though. I got more of a buzz out of the fact that I'd be getting some puff later on. All we wanted was puff money, twenty Benson, and Rizlas."

Dani Dyer was born in 1996, forcing Joanne and Danny to move into a little flat in Custom House. He said: "Your whole motivation in life changes to looking after this defenceless little thing in a crib that has to be clothed and fed and nurtured and loved." When the baby arrived, Danny worked with his dad as a painter and decorator and signed up to a temping agency, to ensure they had enough money to look after the baby.

Danny was spotted by a talent scout at Star Lane drama school, which led to him auditioning for the part of Martin Fletcher in the Granada Television series Prime Suspect 3 (1993). he bagged the role and found himself working alongside Helen Mirren at the tender age of 14.He said: "My mum was over the f**king moon but she was quite confused about where this acting talent had come from!"

While filming a documentary on UFOs, Danny Dyer spotted one for himself! He revealed: "It was like a massive star in the sky. You're looking at it and it starts to move. It changes direction and goes past another thing that looks like a star and that starts to move too." They said sometimes the UFOs like to play with each other. That was not an aeroplane or a helicopter or a shooting star, definitely not." It absolutely did my nut in."

West Ham fan Danny was born in Canning Town on 24th July 1977, to Antony and Christine Dyer. Danny's dad left when he was just nine years old and, although the actor still loves his dad, he admits that he's "never felt as close to him as I did my mum".

When Danny Dyer went to Ibiza to film his first lead role in Is Harry On The Boat? he began to struggle with drugs and alcohol. And he was exposed as having an affair in The Sun with an ex-soap star. He said: I wanted to explain things to Joanne, or at least offer some excuses, but I couldn't contact her. She changed her number on me. We had a joint account at that time and she took all the money out of it, which I totally agreed with and understood."

Danny Dyer went on to score a role in The Trench, a film about the First World War, starring alongside Paul Nicholls, Julian Rhind-Tutt and Daniel Craig.He then went on to star in several other plays and films - making a name for himself in the industry. But, as he admitted himself, he was "on a slippery slope with drugs".

In 2007, Joanne and Danny welcomed another baby girl, whom they named Sunnie.

"The way I got back with Joanne was a strange thing, because both of us were seeing someone else. I was picking Dani up every Sunday from Joanne's house and bit by bit, we started to flirt with each other again." One thing led to another and we started to have an affair behind the backs of the people we were seeing… it was all my dreams come true." We elbowed the other two and I moved back in with her. It was like a whole new relationship again; we really appreciated each other [and] realised how much we love each other." It's only ever been her for me, really."

Danny Dyer used to write a column for Zoo - by which we mean that a journalist from Zoo would call him up once a week, ask him for advice to readers letters and edit his words into a column. Danny explains: "Someone had written in asking me for advice on what to do with his girlfriend. She'd dumped him and he couldn't bear to think of her going out with other blokes. "Me and the journalist were trying to come up with something funny to say - it's not a serious column and the answers are supposed to be funny. "While joking with the journalist, Danny - referring to the movie Thieftakers - said "cut her face so that no one will want you", and the line was mistakenly printed in the column, causing a scandal in the press and Twitter trolls to send death threats to Danny. He said: "I would never support violence against women. You've got to remember that my daughters are going to have boyfriends; am I going to be advising them to cut their faces?"

Danny met Joanne Mas, his childhood sweetheart, when he was 14-years-old. He said: "We had our first snog in the rubbish room at the Shipman Youth Centre… it was the best day of my life because I met the girl who would become my lifelong friend and mother to my kids."She was so much a part of me that I just couldn't imagine life without her."

In 2013, Joanne and Danny Dyer welcomed a beautiful baby boy, named Arty.

In June 2014, a newspaper claimed the EastEnders bad boy had been pictured naked by a 21-year-old woman he fell for in a nightclub. But Danny and Joanne have dismissed rumours, dubbing them lies. He said: "My family want to thank the Sunday Mirror for making this the best day ever #lies." Jo added furiously: "As for today's kiss and tell… Kiss my a*** #skank."

Danny Dyer scored a role on Severance, which was a big success in the box office and in the DVD charts.

On 1 October 2013 the BBC announced that Danny Dyer had been cast in EastEnders from Christmas 2013 as Mick Carter, Shirley Carter's brother and would be the new landlord of The Queen Victoria pub - alongside wife Linda Carter (Kellie Bright). He said: "He's the closest character I've ever played to myself." Mick's a man with a heart who's still the alpha male, and what's wrong with that?' he asked." I'm a man's man, but I will cry, I'll tell my kids I love them and I'll cuddle them when they need it." He added: "I'm here for the 20-stretch. As long as they want to keep me, I'll stay."

In September 2012, Dyer courted controversy by saying "Can't believe it's been nearly 11 years since them slags smashed into the twin towers it still freaks my nut out to this day" in reference to the September 11 attacks.

When Danny was eighteen, he discovered he was going to become a dad for the first time. He said: "For about ten seconds I thought I should walk away. And then I looked at her and realised how much I loved her. How could I leave her?"After the initial shock I thought, 'Stand up and be counted.' So I said 'F**k it, OK, let's do it."

Danny Dyer began working with Harold Pinter on a series of plays in London's West End and on the Broadway in New York. But, due to his dependence on crack cocaine, Danny was beginning to struggle. He said: "My mind went blank [on stage]. I was right on the verge of crying on the stage… I finished my speech, got offstage and sobbed my heart out."

Nick Love wrote The Football Factory with Danny Dyer in mind for the lead role, but, when it came to it, Danny was forced to audition - just like everyone else. Why? Because Danny's drug problem had made him a liability - the producers didn't want him in it. It was the wake up call he needed. He said: "I ditched the drink and drugs and I totally embraced this job… it was the start of me sorting myself out." The film proved to be a phenomenal success and really put Danny Dyer on the map.

After months of failed auditions, Danny Dyer was approached with a role in Human Traffic, a film he described as "brutally honest". He said: "When I got the part I was so pleased I nearly hit the f**king ceiling. The money wasn't great - we were all on five hundred quid a week - but it didn't matter… this was exactly where I wanted to be."

Danny was romantically linked to socialite and heiress Davinia Taylor. However Danny has since admitted that he was unhappy in himself without Joanne, revealing: "I wasn't myself, I had no direction, drugs were controlling my life. But I [moved in with] a girl who was a multimillionaire, so money was no object."

Danny Dyer auditioned for a role in Peter Gill's play, Certain Young Men, playing "a [gay] wide boy who knows how to manipulate older men".