Danny Dyer has revealed he had to ditch his party lifestyle to keep his EastEnders job.
The actor has played Mick Carter in the BBC soap since 2013 but at times has struggled to balance his showbiz lifestyle with the hard work required for the show.
He had a well publicised break a year ago after the strains of it all left him exhausted.
And now he has revealed how he managed to pull himself back together and remain in the show.
He told the Daily Star Sunday: “A few years ago it wasn’t going so well. If you break it all down, you’ve got to work hard.
Read more: EastEnders shock as Mick Carter faces years in prison after Stuart Highway shooting
“And you’ve got to take your job seriously and all that.
“You’ve got to keep your eye on the ball. Sometimes it’s easy to take your eye off it.”
He has gone on to star in some of the show’s most high-profile storylines of the past year.
Mick was shot in the heist storyline, and then had to face down gangster Aidan Maguire to save the pub.
Most recently he has been jailed under suspicion of attempted murder.
His childhood friend, the unhinged Stuart Highway framed Mick for shooting him earlier this month.
Viewers watched in horror as it was revealed the police had found gunshot residue and even legendary Walford lawyer Ritchie Scott couldn’t get him out.
Ritchie broke the news to Linda, Shirley and Tina as they were hosting a fundraiser to raise money to pay for his legal defence.
She told them: “As forensic evidence goes, this is as strong as it gets.
“We need to prepare for trial and we’ve got a fight on our hands. With the evidence they’ve got, Mick is going down for a long time.”
Actor Danny Dyer will soon be taking a break from the BBC One soap to appear on stage in a series of Harold Pinter productions.
But with his performances not scheduled until January next year, what does it all mean for Mick?