Danny Dyer Backs Danny Hatchard in EastEnders Acting Feud

Danny Dyer has told Danny Hatchard "F*** him Dan. You're a proper actor. We keep moving" — the sharpest line in an EastEnders spat that ended, as these things now do, with an apology on social media.

The row started on X. A clip of Hatchard playing Lee Carter was shared on the platform. Michael Greco, who played Beppe di Marco on the BBC soap between 1998 and 2002, commented on the acting: "The art of playing drunk is to try and be as sober as you can. This is everything that is wrong."

How did Hatchard respond?

Hatchard, who recently returned to the show for his on-screen sister Nancy Carter's baby storyline, shared the post on Instagram. He called Greco's behaviour "disappointing and classless".

He said he had built a thick skin over more than 15 years in the industry. Even so, he struggled to see why someone he once respected would publicly criticise a fellow actor. Actors, he argued, should support one another rather than tear each other down for social media attention.

He admitted that this kind of comment could have seriously damaged his confidence earlier in his career. His closing note was upbeat. He would take the experience as another lesson and keep growing.

Who lined up behind him?

Several former EastEnders cast members did. Shona McGarty, who played Whitney Dean — and was Lee Carter's on-screen girlfriend — praised the performance directly. She wrote: "You are fantastic!! Always have been!"

McGarty also expressed disbelief at Greco's remark. Her argument was simple: someone who had been part of the show should understand why supporting fellow actors matters.

Then came Dyer, who played Lee's father Mick Carter. His message needed no paraphrasing: "F*** him Dan. You're a proper actor. We keep moving." In a feud fought in comment sections, that's the equivalent of a closed fist.

What happened to Greco?

Greco has apologised. He admitted there was no need for his original remark. His explanation: he hadn't watched EastEnders for many years, didn't know who Hatchard was, and didn't understand what he was commenting on.

That's an odd defence — posting a public critique of a performance while, by his own account, unaware of the actor or the context. Still, the apology stands, and the row appears closed.

The episode is a small case study in how soap fandoms and social platforms now referee acting debates that once stayed inside rehearsal rooms. Hatchard returns to the Carter storyline with his peers' endorsement on record; Greco returns to the sidelines, presumably scrolling more carefully.