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Danny Dyerstars as tech tycoon Freddie Jones in the popular comedy series Rivals, but it’s clearly evident from the start of his new reality show The Dyers’ Caravan Park – which documents his efforts to manage a thriving holiday park – that the charming Londoner doesn’t possess Freddie’s entrepreneurial skills.

“Numbers aren’t really my strong suit,” says former EastEnders actor Danny, with a wry smile, as the sports day he arranged at Priory Hill Holiday Park on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent is shown to have totaled an astonishing £10,000.

I hadn’t realized how costly everything would turn out to be.

Such incidents are typical throughout the six-part series, but Danny, 48, believes it’s exactly his ability to handle disasters, whether financial or otherwise, that will make the show appealing to audiences.

“I’m engaging in an entirely new endeavor—investing money in a holiday park and assisting in its management—so naturally, there will be errors on my part, and that’s where the appeal of the show comes from,” says Danny, who is supported by his daughter Dani, the winner of Love Island in 2018.

“I messed something up,” the experienced staff at the park said, “Why don’t we do it this way?” and I responded, “Of course, you know better than me,” and we continued.

Danny stated, “However, I want to mention that I always give my full effort, and I believe I brought a great deal of enthusiasm. I truly aimed to provide people with the best summer vacation they had ever experienced, and I think I might have succeeded in that.”

The performer’s eagerness to fully commit to the £7 billion holiday park sector (despite not wanting to disclose the exact amount he invested in the venture) originated in the 1980s during his childhood in London’s East End.

The summer breaks were spent in a caravan on Canvey Island in Essex, and the excitement of those trips has always remained with him.

I used to go there with my grandmother and grandfather along with my cousins, and we would stay in ‘the van.’ It was the best time of my life, running around and breathing in some fresh sea air, and a major reason for investing in the holiday park was the wish to provide others with the same kind of experience.

Danny recognizes the role his daughter Dani has had in his ambitious endeavors. As the oldest of his three children, she serves as a calming force when her father comes up with one of his wild notions.

“She gently held me back and provided a new perspective; otherwise, I would have turned the park into Disneyland,” he laughs.

Dani, aged 29, usually remains accepting of her father’s over-the-top behavior. When he fills a promotional video designed to sell a high-end caravan in the first episode with swear words and suggestive remarks, she simply laughs it off.

“These advertisements are typically dull, so Dad opted for a humorous approach,” says Dani.

I believe we balance each other well. I would step back and consider what’s best for the caravan park as a whole, rather than jumping in and investing money into just one aspect, which is something Dad might have done. However, his biggest weakness is definitely money—he tends to spend and spend endlessly.

At minimum, the £10,000 sports day at Priory Hill, featuring a mobility scooter ‘Granny Prix’ and a family relay race with space hoppers, was popular among the visitors.

Not as successful were Danny’s efforts to mow the grass in the park – he got stuck in the mud while operating a ride-on lawnmower – and a large roadside advertisement where, strangely, Danny is shown with a massive static caravan coming out of his mouth.

“That concept was received as unpleasant as drinking a warm beer,” acknowledges Danny, who attempts to rectify his error by enhancing the entertainment at Priory Hill.

A bingo game is held, and Danny chooses to call out the numbers, which turns out to be a more difficult task than expected.

“He didn’t realize how intense it would be,” he says.

The elderly women who participate always prefer to occupy the same seats each week, and I made the error of taking someone’s seat. It almost caused a commotion!

As for announcing the bingo numbers, it was more stressful than performing a Harold Pinter play at the National Theatre.

The Dyer’s Campsite, Tuesday, 9 PM, Sky One and NOW.

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