Danny Dyer, best known for his tough guy roles in film Mean Machine and The Business, and Kellie Bright, star of Nineties sticom The Upper Hand and the film Ali G Indahouse, are to take their positions behind the bar of The Queen Vic as its new managers.
Couple Mick (Dyer) and Linda (Bright) will be the first family to arrive and immediately take over the pub since the start of the BBC One soap. But expect Dyer to drop his bad boy image as Mick is really a bit of a softie who loves his wife, his children, his dog, and the monarchy and thinks nothing of throwing on Linda's pink dressing gown and cooking the family breakfast. The couple have been together since they were teenagers and are a tight family unit - Linda appears to follow in the footsteps of former landlady Peggy Mitchell (Barbara Windsor) and despite a fluffy exterior has a core of steel.
Executive Producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins said: "I'm so excited to have actors of Danny and Kellie's calibre joining what is an already strong and talented company. Mick and Linda love each other, no matter what life throws at them. And moving from Watford to Walford, life's about to throw them a few curve balls…"
Dyer's character is the estranged brother of Shirley Carter (Linda Henry). They haven't seen each other for years due to animosity between Shirley and Mick's wife, Linda. Former Holby City star Luisa Bradshaw-White was recently recruited to EastEnders to play Tina Carter, Shirley's younger sister.
Speaking of joining EastEnders Dyer said: "I'm so excited about starting a new chapter in my career and I cannot wait to become part of the East End family."
Bright added: "I'm very excited about joining the show. Not only am I looking forward to working with Danny but becoming Landlady of The Vic is a real honour."
The news comes following the recent announcement that new exec Treadwell-Collins is shaking up the storylines and cast of EastEnders, in which four stars have been axed including Kierston Wareing's Kirsty Branning, in order to boost the show's flagging ratings.
Dyer and Bright will start filming at EastEnders at the end of October and they will appear on screen at the end of the year.
