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Danny Dyer wants Hugh Bonneville to join EastEnders cast

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Danny Dyer has said he would love to see Downton Abbey star Hugh Bonneville join the cast of EastEnders. "I don't think Downton is ready for me, but I want to get Hugh a part in EastEnders," Danny, 37, told the Mirror. "I think he'd be brilliant. He's a good guy." Hugh and Danny were introduced last year, and really hit it off. "I'm a big fan of Danny – he's a good giggle," said Hugh, who stars on the hit period show as the Earl of Grantham.

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EastEnders star Danny Dyer wants Downton's Hugh Bonneville on the BBC soap

It wouldn't be Hugh’s first appearance on EastEnders; the 51-year-old made a cameo on the BBC soap playing a headmaster back in 1995, and in 2013 said he would be open to making a return. "I am a jobbing actor, and I will take whatever comes along, thank you very much. I would never say never," the star said. "The actors who work in soaps are the hardest working actors. The amount of material they have to learn is phenomenal." Danny's comments came in the same week that he was named best Soap Personality at the TRIC Awards in London. In the 14 months since he joined the show, Danny has become a firm favourite with EastEnders viewers, and also received the Serial Drama Performance trophy at the National Television Awards earlier in the year.

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Danny Dyer recently revealed his engagement to Joanne Mas

The star is riding high in his personal life too. He recently announced his engagement to his partner of 25 years, Joanne Mas, in an exclusive interview with HELLO! magazine. The EastEnders star admitted he had been taken completely by surprise when childhood sweetheart Jo popped the question. "It was a complete bolt out of the blue, but I'm so glad she did it because I don't think I could have taken the rejection," Danny admitted. "I love that fact that Jo proposed." Mum-of-three Jo added, "I've always wanted to marry Danny and I decided that if I didn't get things moving it would never happen. I never wanted to get married when the children were babies because I wanted to let my hair down and enjoy the day. But we have had our little boy now and we're not going to have any more, so the time is right."