ITV’s bold new entertainment series The Assembly promises to rip up the celebrity interview rulebook – and who better to take the first seat than Danny Dyer?
The EastEnders icon and Rivals star is the first celebrity to step into the hotseat for ITV’s new series. Interviewed by a panel made up entirely of neurodivergent, autistic and learning disabled individuals, the show promises raw honesty, unscripted chaos and the kind of emotional depth daytime chat shows can only dream of.
‘I feel like this was probably the most open and honest interview that I’ve ever given,’ Danny says. ‘I trusted everybody in the room, and it took a little while to win everybody over, but I think I did that. It was very emotional for me. It was like three hours, so it took a while for everybody to trust me in the room, and I think they did. Again, it was very emotional, and it was very refreshing, really, to be able to open up about my feelings in front of such a beautiful, intelligent, and honest group of people.’
‘I think I’m quite naturally an emotional person anyway; I’m very sensitive. I’d been doing a lot of press because it was around the time of the release of my film, Marching Powder, so I was getting really bored of my own voice, but this revitalised me somewhat. It got me excited about being interviewed again.’
‘I think the great thing about the cast of The Assembly is that they’re very, very authentic. There are no masks as such, so I do have slight concerns about fame for some of them. The perks are great, but there’s also a cruelty that comes with it – especially online. That concerns me slightly, because I really do think this show is going to blow up, and I hope they’re treated with the respect that they deserve.’
And if the show gets picked up for a second series? Danny has some very specific ideas for who should be next in the hotseat.
‘Any fucking politician,’ he says. ‘Because I would like to see them squirming in their seat trying to answer the beautiful questions that The Assembly have.’
