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Danny Dyer says lockdown "changed" BBC gameshow The Wall

Photo credit: BBC
Photo credit: BBC

From Digital Spy

EastEnders star Danny Dyer has opened up about how lockdown has "changed" his BBC gameshow The Wall.

Digital Spy and other media spoke to Dyer about filming the show fresh out of lockdown ahead of The Wall returning for its second season this weekend, and he explained how the fundamentals of the game have changed.

"I think we're all still a bit fractured," he said. "We came out of lockdown – although some of us are still in lockdown – and I think we're still a bit freaked out about being allowed out and being in the company of people.

"It has changed the contestants slightly. You'll see when we start airing the show, the level of want because of the uncertainty, because people are being laid off and redundancies and all of that. This is an opportunity to add some funds, of course – to generate some money for their families.

Photo credit: BBC
Photo credit: BBC

"We're finding that we're getting some really odd behaviour, which is totally understandable. It makes for great telly, I'll give you that."

In spite of the intense backdrop of The Wall's return, Dyer was insistent that "the game speaks for itself" as a TV format.

"It's just such a good game. There's so much at stake and there's so many different elements to it that make it a good formula.

"To be straight with you, even when we had an audience in Poland [rather than series 2 in Wembley], I got nothing from them. They couldn't understand a word I was saying. I wasn't really feeding off them, so that's not really affected me.

"We were in Wembley Arena, it's such a beautiful place. It would have been great to get a London audience in but the game just brings tension, jeopardy and all the things that you need. It hasn't affected it at all, really."

Photo credit: BBC
Photo credit: BBC

Dyer is thrilled to be bringing this unique blend of strategy, general knowledge and pure luck to viewers, since he wasn't sure he'd have the chance to be back on The Wall stage at one point.

"Well, there's been so much uncertainty. I'm part of an industry that is being crushed, strangled, completely suffocated by this COVID thing. So I've got to say, I had no high hopes at all," he confessed.

"I was always aware that I was going to go back to EastEnders, but I was very, very grateful [about The Wall being recommissioned]. I think the show was a real success first time around and I was obviously excited about possibly doing a second series. It's given me an opportunity to at least work when many other people haven't got that opportunity."

The Wall returns on Saturday (October 3) on BBC One in the UK.


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