Danny & Dani Dyer reveal what running Priory Hill really involved
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Where is The Dyers Caravan Park filmed and why has Danny Dyer invested in Priory Hill & Nutts Farm?
Sky’s The Dyers’ Caravan Park follows Danny and Dani Dyer as they invest time and money into Priory Hill & Nutts Farm Holiday Park in Leysdown, on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent. With exclusive access to the cast and the on-site team, we hear from those at the heart of the project about what it’s really like running a British holiday park, from winning over residents to juggling entertainment, bingo nights and the challenge of selling holiday homes.
Macaulay Nichol Content Editor: Caravans
Macaulay Nichol Content Editor: Caravans
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Why Danny Dyer Invested in a Kent Caravan Park
For Danny Dyer, caravanning has always been personal.
He explains how the show began,
“I’ve spoken about caravan holidays over the years; I’ve sort of romanticised going down to Canvey Island with my nan and granddad and my cousins. It was a real family thing in the 80s. I was approached because I love caravans so much, and so was asked if I fancied investing in a caravan site and try help run it.”
At first, he admits his reaction was blunt,
“I was like, ‘F**k no.’ And then I sat back and thought: ‘maybe there’s something in this.’”
He quickly knew he wanted Dani involved,
“I said, ‘if I do it, I’d like to get my daughter, Dani, involved because I think we have a real chemistry, and I love being around her.’ It was a wonderful opportunity for me and her to spend the summer together, so I just thought: ‘F**k it, let’s do it and see if there’s still something in a caravan holiday.’”
I had to get my hands dirty to prove to them and Dani that we're fully committed.
Danny was determined to prove he wasn’t there just for the cameras.
When asked if he was hands-on at the site, he said,
“Oh yeah! Jimi and Alex who are brother and sister had this caravan site passed down to them – it’s been in their family for 50 years so, they take it very, very seriously and it’s struggled since Covid. There’s management there – Darren, Paul and Mark – and this is their livelihoods, so you’ve got to win them over. We turn up with TV cameras and obviously with me and Dani being famous, they had a perception of us, so we were like, ‘Listen, we’re not just here to make a TV show, we’ve come here to really try and make a difference.’ I had to get my hands dirty to prove to them and Dani that we’re fully committed.”
The bingo nerves and the muddy lawn mower
Paul Shaw, Site Director, saw it all first-hand.
On the tasks Danny attempted, he said,
“I mean, they were fantastic. They threw themselves into everything and tried almost everything. I’d probably say manual labour is not their thing. They had a little go at riding on lawn mowers, which wasn’t very successful. Danny got the mower stuck, he drove it into a swampy area and got it completely stuck, covered in mud – then he got off and left it.”
Danny also tried his hand at bingo calling and found it more nerve-wracking than expected,
“I’ve got to say reading out these bingo numbers was more nerve-wracking than doing Pinter at The National. I just about got away with it.”
Paul added,
“Yeah, he did. That’s the only time when he had the microphone that he wasn’t sure of himself. He was very worried because we made it pretty clear to him that we’re playing for money, so you can’t mess up. The whole thing has got to be serious. So, he was very nervous going into that. He didn’t like selling the tickets either, because of having to add up the prices in his head. He did not like the mental arithmetic at all.”
Dani Dyer on running a business with her dad
Dani is honest about their business experience,
“I think you can tell by watching, we don’t really know how to run a business. We’re just trying our best and giving it a go.”
She admits their strengths are different,
“I think my dad’s weakness is money. He will spend and spend and spend that man, whereas me, I do like to have a little bit of a look… So, I think we just balance each other out by me being a little bit more sensible when it comes to the money side of things.”
On their bond, she says simply,
“He’s just my best mate; I just adore him.”
The community
A central theme of the series is community.
Danny describes the residents,
“The residents are incredibly working class; they have so much charisma and can tell a story. I love the old girls on there – there’s two women called Lyn and Pat that have been going there for 30-40 years… So, yeah, we had some real characters.”
Dani echoes that affection,
“We adored the residents. I loved Sheila and Lynn! They were just so up for a laugh. They remind me of my nan’s generation; they’re just so laid-back. But, yeah, I loved all the old girls. We took my nan down the caravan park, and we couldn’t get her out of the bloody clubhouse!”
Jimi Butcher, co-owner of the park, saw the impact up close,
“I spent a lot of time with Danny and every five minutes he had to do a selfie or an autograph and he never said no. He did hundreds of them.”
Sports day
One standout moment of the series is the revival of the site’s sports day.
Danny reflected,
“Your sports day was a huge success with genius events like the Granny Prix and Grandad National… I was very touched when they said I brought that energy back and I just thought, he loved the inaugural sports day, so let’s bring it back but let’s do it my style.”
Jimi added,
“So, the sports day is quite an undertaking, and I think my dad would be proud that Danny and Dani arranged that, and we did it again. It was a fun day, and it was carnage, but everyone really enjoyed it.”
“IT’S SO SURREAL LOOKING BACK ON WHAT WE’VE DONE THIS YEAR. IT’S JUST CRAZY, AND IT WAS SO MUCH FUN.”
A boost for the Great British caravan holiday?
At its core, The Dyers’ Caravan Park is about more than celebrity involvement. It is about reinvigorating the British caravan holiday, shining a light on Isle of Sheppey tourism and celebrating the resilience of family-run caravan parks.
Danny put it best when reflecting on the show’s purpose,
“What I will say about this caravan site is you do hear kids playing and laughing. There’s a sense of community.”
For viewers and for the caravan industry more widely, that may be the real takeaway.
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