Inside EastEnders and Strictly star Balvinder Sopal's life and prolific career
The news was confirmed on Good Morning Britain, with Richard Arnold heading to the EastEnders set to speak to Balvinder about her latest venture.
'I can't stop butterflies. Every time I think about it, they just go, so, yeah,' Balvinder said, before addressing her history with dance.
'I dabbled a little bit. I did ballroom and Latin as a kind of hobby, and I really love it. And I think when you've got a passion for something, you're naturally inclined to enjoy it. So I'll definitely enjoy it.
'I don't know if I'll be any good!,' she added, saying she loved the drama of Latin dancing.
Wake up to find news on your TV shows in your inbox every morning with Metro's TV Newsletter.
Sign up to our newsletter and then select your show in the link we'll send you so we can get TV news tailored to you.
The actress has played the role of matriarch Suki Panesar on the BBC soap since 2020, and will continue to appear on the show during her Strictly stint.
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
Suki has been involved in some enormous storylines over the past five years, with perhaps her biggest being the one that saw her fall in love with Eve Unwin (Heather Peace) as she struggled to accept her sexuality.
Things got more complicated when abusive husband Nish Panesar was released from prison and inserted himself back into Suki's life.
Over the next few months, Nish made Suki's life hell, until she found the courage to finally leave him and start fresh with Eve.
It was never going to be that simple, though, and Nish went out of his way to try and get Suki back. Things came to a head on her wedding day to Eve, when he poisoned his rival and pulled Suki over the edge of a balcony.
Thankfully, the newlyweds survived the ordeal and Nish's reign of terror was finally over.
So far, the celebrities announced for the 2025 series of Strictly are: EastEnders star Balvinder Sopal
Love Island star Dani Dyer
Actress Alex Kingston
Footballer Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink
Gladiator and Olympian Harry Aikines-Aryeetey
In more recent weeks, Suki and Eve have found themselves involved in a major disagreement, following Suki's decision to adopt Avani Nandra-Hart's (Aaliyah James) baby.
Eve didn't think this was the right thing to do for anyone involved, and supported Avani in her final decision to have a termination. How will Suki cope with Eve's betrayal?
Hailing from Kent, Balvinder was born on December 4, 1978 and is the eldest of four children.
She previously shared pictures alongside younger sister Manjeet, wowing fans with how alike they look. https://www.instagram.com/p/CYEYHozgJLD/?hl=en&img_index=1
'There is no bond like that of sisters!' She wrote alongside the post in celebration of Manjeet's birthday in 2021, revealing that she 'based 'some' parts of Suki Panesar' on her.
Last year, Balvinder opened up about the loss of her mother Nirmal in a moving tribute on Instagram.
She reflected on how 'fiercely supportive' Nirmal was of her children, adding that 'LOVE is Mum's legacy'.
The post was inundated with supportive messages from Balvinder's EastEnders co-stars, as well as family, friends and fans.
Speaking about how she thinks her mother would react to her appearance on Strictly, Balvinder said: 'This is her dream. Actually, I think she would have been extremely proud. So, yeah, hold mom's legacy.'
Balvinder has previously shared how she still lives in Kent, and makes the commute to Elstree Studios for work. https://www.instagram.com/p/C5Gy8QModEr/?hl=en&img_index=1
'I'm from Gillingham, just down the road from here. So I travel from Gillingham to Elstree,' she told KentLive in 2022.
'Unless I'm working early morning, which is a seven o'clock start, then I'll stay over because I'm not attacking the M25 at five in the morning!'
Before taking on the role of Suki, Balvinder was no stranger to soaps.
She has had several roles in Emmerdale, as solicitors and police officers, played a police woman across four episodes of Coronation Street and also appeared in Doctors and Waterloo Road. More Trending
In 2018, she starred in four episodes of Hollyoaks as social worker Liz.
She also appeared in an episode of BBC drama Call the Midwife as Mumtaz Gani.
Earlier this year, she also stepped into the role of guest editor on BBC Radio Kent, taking to the airwaves for an edition of The Wake Up Call, hosted by Anna Cookson.
View More »
MORE: Lisa Riley had the 'most wonderful' time recording new show away from Emmerdale
MORE: Emmerdale star gutted as second ITV show cancelled: 'I don't know what I did wrong'
MORE: Coronation Street star reveals 'stressful and crazy' time as she makes a major change
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Metro
an hour ago
- Metro
Cain is left reeling after unexpected new discovery in Emmerdale
Kammy Hadiq (Shebz Miah) is a man who takes risks in Emmerdale, always in the hope they'll be worth it. But pretending he's the manager of Cain Dingle's (Jeff Hordley) garage was a risk that was never, ever going to pay off. A few days ago, Belle Dingle (Eden Taylor-Draper) received confirmation that she was now officially divorced from Tom King (James Chase). Once Tom's relatives Nicola and Jimmy King (Nicola Wheeler and Nick Miles) discovered the development, they offered Belle some support, and Nicola wondered how long it would be until she started getting back into the dating scene. Belle set up a profile on an app and Nicola managed to grab her phone and swipe on a few accounts, one of them being Kammy's. Of course in the moment his phone pinged with the notification, Kammy didn't know that Nicola had swiped, which meant the next time he saw Belle, he was coy and giggly, wondering how long it would be until they went out on a date. Because of Belle's anxieties surrounding relationships, she quickly shut Kammy down and said she wasn't interested at all. In tonight's episode though, it was clear that wasn't entirely true. Belle arrived in the café and found Kammy. They joked about Kammy lying on his profile and pretending that he's the boss at Cain's garage. And then he arrived. Cain questioned Kammy about this and it left him fearful, but it was clear he wasn't being totally serious. As he approached the counter for a drink, Cain glanced back at Belle and Kammy. They were laughing together and Cain realised that his sister was very much enjoying Kammy's company. A while later, Cain found Kammy in the village. He apologised again about the profile lie, but then found himself feeling even more awkward when Cain wondered if there was something going on between him and Belle. Kammy reassured Cain and said they're just mates. Cain can clearly sense something is going on though as if not, he wouldn't have felt the need to remind Kammy that Belle has been through an awful lot, and doesn't need someone messing her around. More Trending In the pub, Belle discovered what Cain had said to Kammy, and reiterated that they were just friends. Want to be the first to hear shocking EastEnders spoilers? Who's leaving Coronation Street? The latest gossip from Emmerdale? Join 10,000 soaps fans on Metro's WhatsApp Soaps community and get access to spoiler galleries, must-watch videos, and exclusive interviews. Simply click on this link, select 'Join Chat' and you're in! Don't forget to turn on notifications so you can see when we've just dropped the latest spoilers! It certainly left Kammy feeling a little bit crushed, but he will find himself smiling in the coming days, as he spends more time with his new pal. Belle is encouraged by Lydia Dingle (Karen Blick) and decides to relish in the good vibes Kammy brings. If this is Belle's new romance storyline, overcoming her worries in her first relationship post-Tom will be a lot for her. View More » But will Kammy end up being the right match after all? MORE: Here's where you've seen Vinny's attacker Mike in Emmerdale before MORE: 31 Emmerdale spoiler pictures for next week confirm Mack's game-changing discovery MORE: Emmerdale favourite 'to get the blame' for devastating Vinny attack in ITVX release
Metro
an hour ago
- Metro
Kate Middleton releases new video celebrating the beauty of British summer
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The Princess of Wales has shared a new message with a professional video of the UK's beautiful landscapes that helped inspire her through her cancer journey. For 2025, Kate Middleton spoke of how she has been comforted by nature over the past year, during which she received treatment for cancer. Spreading a message of love, she has now released a second video through the Kensington Palace social media accounts highlighting the natural beauty of British summertime. She wrote a post on X, signed off with her initial: 'Our lives flourish when we cherish the bonds of love and friendship. It has never been more important to appreciate the value of one another, and of Mother Nature. Here's to Summer. C' Her voiceover is played over video shot by Will Warr, from TopJaw fame, depicting an idyllic vision of British summertime without the raging wildfires. It does include awe-inspiring moments from the UK's landscape, a pollinating bee, huge trees, crashing waves, towering cliffs and children playing in sand dunes. Catherine says: 'Summer is a season for abundance. Just as the flowers bloom and the fruits ripen, we too are reminded of our own potential for growth. It is the time to ignite our inner fire and explore our own creativity, passions, and dreams. 'As we bask in the sunlit hours, friends and families come together; playing, connecting, being present. Embracing the joy to be found in even the most fleeting of moments and shared experiences. 'Our lives flourish when we cherish the bonds of love and friendship. 'So open your hearts; sing, dance, play. 'The days are still long, so simply love, and be loved.' The glossy production includes shots from Sheffield, Bradford, North Wales and Anglesey and the south coast of England. It comes after a furore over her message, which led to her picture being pulled from news agencies, in a row over manipulation which dragged on for weeks and led to a public apology. She told how discrepancies seen in the family photo were not part of some big conspiracy, but her 'amateur' attempts at picture editing. The princess came under scrutiny following her Mother's Day message last year, which included a photo of her and her children said to have been taken by William in Windsor earlier in the week. Questions were raised that the image – the first of the princess to have been released after she underwent abdominal surgery a few weeks earlier – may have been manipulated before it was posted on social media. It was withdrawn by international picture agencies later the same day. Kate publicly took the blame for the manipulated photograph and issued a personal apology for the 'confusion'. She said: 'Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing. 'I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused. 'I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother's Day. C.' The princess underwent a course of preventative chemotherapy after her cancer diagnosis and announced in September last year that she had completed her treatment. More Trending In January, Kate confirmed she is 'now in remission' from cancer following a surprise visit to the Royal Marsden Hospital where she received her treatment. A message on social media, also signed 'C', said: 'I wanted to take the opportunity to say thank you to The Royal Marsden for looking after me so well during the past year. 'My heartfelt thanks goes to all those who have quietly walked alongside William and me as we have navigated everything. 'We couldn't have asked for more. The care and advice we have received throughout my time as a patient has been exceptional. Got a story? Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ Or you can submit your videos and pictures here. For more stories like this, check our news page. Follow on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news updates. You can now also get articles sent straight to your device. Sign up for our daily push alerts here. MORE: Fees for A&E: Could charging patients reduce 'time-wasters' and shorten waits? MORE: The Metro daily cartoon by Guy Venables MORE: Pet smell even after cleaning? This 'super powerful' vacuum removes odours to leave your home smelling fresh
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
EastEnders star sparks exit fears after announcement amid devastating 'split'
Suki Panesar looked like she had lost everything in tonight's EastEnders as the character was exposed for her request to pregnant granddaughter Avani Nandra-Hart It was an emotional night for the Panesar/Gulati family in tonight's EastEnders, as Suki was 'disowned' by her whole family after the truth about Avani's pregnancy was revealed. Now fans fear we could be seeing an exit for the character - especially after the actor's recent Strictly announcement. Last night, Eve took Avani to get a termination without Suki's knowledge. In previous scenes, we had seen Suki asking Avani to keep the baby for herself and Eve to bring up. Although Avani was up for the plan at first, she later disclosed to Eve that she had changed her mind. In tonight's episode, the aftermath of the revelation continued, with Ravi and Priya unleashing their fury onto Suki for her actions. An angry Priya even went as far as to slap Suki across the face, but that wasn't the least of her troubles. Later on in the episode, she took Avani to hospital after she was experiencing heavy bleeding, and once again met a furious Ravi and Priya in the hospital corridors. As she left them alone to make their way back home, Suki was left with even more panic when she found her grandson Nugget and son Vinny packing their things to move out the house. However, they weren't the only ones, as wife Eve also had the same idea. A tearful Eve then called out Suki for opening her up to the hurt of losing out on motherhood - something she had never been open to in the past. "I don't know what we've got left anymore," Eve said as she made her way out the door, leaving Suki in tears. Now, fans fear a split between one of their favourite couples - especially as it was recently announced actor Balvinder Sopal would be appearing on this year's Strictly Come Dancing. "Oh dear! Is Suki about to have a #strictly sized break after a massive argument with Eve?" said one fan on X, formerly known as Twitter, while another said: "Don't think #SukEve will survive this!" A third said: "I think the suki and avani storyline is a build up to suki temporary exit for strictly and also maybe the reveal of joel recording avani..." But is this the end of SukEve as we know it? With nothing left in Walford for Suki - will she be making a sharp exit? When Balvinder's Strictly announcement was made, many fans were convinced the character would be leaving for an extended period of time. Many believed she would go off to visit her daughter Ash in Canada to try and make amends after the rest of her family has ultimately disowned her. However, the actor revealed she'd still be working alongside Strictly rehearsals, as she said: "I'll still be working here so I'll be doing two jobs. I don't know how I'm going to handle it. I don't know what's gonna happen but I'm looking forward to it." EastEnders airs Mondays to Thursdays at 7:30pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
