Inside Danny Dyer and Mark Wright’s bitter feud amid report they will ‘never get on’

Former EastEnders star Danny Dyer and former The Only Way Is Essex cast member Mark Wright have never seen eye to eye and have a rivalry that dates back more than a decade

Danny Dyer and Mark Wright have a bitter feud that has existed for over a decade(Image: Formula 1 via Getty Images)
Danny Dyer and Mark Wright might seem to have similar personalities – with both boasting confidence and cheekiness that is reflective of each other.

But the pair are far from friends – and a new report has suggested the boys will never see eye to eye due to an explosive secret feud. Former EastEnders star Danny, 47, has been in t he spotlight since the early 1990s as he made his acting debut in ITV’s Prime Suspect in 1993.

Reality star Mark, 38, is famous for starring in ITV’s The Only Way Is Essex having joined the cast in 2010 and appearing on the show for three years – however, in 2022 he sparked reports he had been banned from future ITV shows after reportedly dropping out of a project at the last minute. And it seems overstepping boundaries may be the reason that the reality star has an irreparable friendship with Danny.

The pair are said to live reasonably close to each other – with Danny living with childhood sweetheart wife Joanne Mas, who he has been married to since 2016, while Mark lives with Coronation Street star Michelle Keegan, 37, who he has been married to since 2015. Mark and Michelle recently welcomed their first child, while Danny and Joanne are parents to three kids – including Love Island star Dani Dyer.

Danny lashed out over Mark way back in 2013(Image: Alan Chapman/Dave Benett/Getty I)

The feud between the boys has escalated in the years since(Image: Getty Images)

Instant dislike

Danny and Mark’s rivalry can be traced back to over a decade ago – with the actor slamming the reality star in an interview. He told DigitalSpy in 2013: “I got mistaken for him once. In a cafe. It put me right off my beans. Again, I don’t know him, but he’s everything I hate about this whole celebrity world.

“It’s mainly because of some of his quotes saying he wants to be the next James Bond. If he’s the next James Bond, it’s over for me. It’s the arrogance of it all – it irritates me. Mark’s not up my street, he’ll never be a mate of mine. Good luck to him, just stay away from me.”

Mark has been married to Michelle Keegan since 2013 and hosts radio shows on Heart(Image: Dave J Hogan/Getty Images)

Mark’s brother, Josh, has also been embroiled in arguments with Danny(Image: Instagram)

Switching off

As well as taking aim at Mark’s reality star fame, Danny also blasted his ability to host a radio show. He wrote on X: “My worst nightmare would be listening to Heart FM while eating an Oykos yoghurt. It would be like p***ing razor blades.”

Fans were able to deduce Mark was the target of the barb – as he was a host on Heart FM and starring in yoghurt adverts at the time. The Towie star was defended by his footballer brother Joshua, who hit back: “Malcolm you must still be hurting from when Mark gave you a slap in the changing room that day.get over it you melt @MrDDyer.”

Danny then responded: “At a charity football match 4 Terminally ill children then run behind his dad. What a geezer. My bird hits harder.” But Joshua replied: “@MrDDyer Not sure it happened like that mate you ran your mouth as always and pushed him into corner so he protected himself by slapping you.”

Getting the final word at the time, Danny added: “Hardly a dig. The fact I suffered it was there was kids waiting outside with months to live. He’s a disgrace.”

Not so good neighbours

The duo are said to live near each other, but are also said to be bitter rivals. A source told The Sun: “The Dyers and the Wrights will never get on. Both families have a real dislike for each other, and the tension is unlikely to ever thaw.

“There’s only a 45-minute drive between them, but even if they lived next door, they certainly wouldn’t be popping round for a cuppa.” The source of the tension is down to an incident that took place at a music festival in 2016. The source claimed: “He [Danny] thinks he crossed the line when his mates jumped him at V Festival, especially as he was with his wife and daughter at the time. In his world, he thinks that’s unforgivable.”

Reports at the time of the alleged incident suggested Danny had a bust up with five of Mark’s friends. The Towie star responded to the reports, saying online: “Seen some stories online today about v festival [sic]. I would like to confirm that I personally wasn’t involved in any physical confrontation.”