Danny Dyer: 'Why Doesn't Cumberbatch Get Mocked?'

Danny Dyer has spoken out against what he believes is class bias in the world of showbusiness - comparing the way he is treated to Benedict Cumberbatch.

Speaking to Woman magazine, he explained that he thinks middle and upper class actors are treated more seriously than him - despite his acting background.

He said: "You've got actors like Benedict Cumberbatch - a great actor, but he's a posh boy playing posh boys. He does it well, and he doesn't get mocked for that.

"I play working class people, and I get mocked for it. I'm stereotyped, he's not. I've done plays at the National Theatre, come off stage and gone into the bar and I ain't got nothing in common with those people.

"When it comes to playing the game, I'm rubbish. The middle-class actors are better prepped at working the system, because they've got more in common with the decision makers."

And he also revealed that bosses at the BBC had asked him to tone down his Twitter account after he joined their flagship soap.

"I sat down with the producers of EastEnders and the Twitter thing was one of their main worries. But they have to understand that they've brought me into the show for my brand and there's a side effect of that.

"They're taking a risk with me and that's what's going to make it exciting. It's tough landing as high profile (a job) as EastEnders because I have to be me but dumbed down, and I don't do that very well."