
Strictly Come Dancing 2025 set to sign huge EastEnders star after dramatic Six murder
Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
STRICTLY Come Dancing is set to sign a big EastEnders star for this year's series, The Sun can exclusively reveal.
The soap actress joins a long list of Albert Square residents who have competed on the BBC1 dance series - and done sensationally well.
Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter
Sign up
4
Balvinder Sopal is set to sign up for this year's Strictly Come Dancing
Credit: Getty
4
Balvinder has played Suki Panesar for five years in EastEnders
Credit: BBC
The lucky star gearing up for the dance floor is Balvinder Sopal, 46, plays Walford matriarch Suki Panesar.
Her hard-nosed character was one of the infamous 'Six' who covered up the murder of mechanic Keanu Taylor.
A source said: 'EastEnders has been a happy hunting ground for Strictly bosses since the show first aired and they believe Balvinder will be a huge hit with fans.
'She's excited by the prospect, too, as she feels viewers will see a different side to her.'
Balvinder made appearances in rival soaps Emmerdale, Coronation Street and Hollyoaks before bagging her breakthrough role on EastEnders.
Her character Suki initially joined as a villain, faking cancer to win over her family who had all turned against her.
But over the years she finally won them over, managing to escape the clutches of her abusive husband Nish who tried to kill her after discovering she had a secret lesbian affair with Eve Unwin.
Suki finally married her lover having spent her entire adult life hiding her true sexuality and the couple now live with her son Vinny and stepson Ravi, and his children Davinder and Avani, and front various local businesses.
In 2024 she was recognised for her work on Albert Square by winning the Soap Superstar gong at the Inside Soap Awards for her part in Keanu's death cover up - and bloody battles with husband Nish.
Strictly has featured at least one current EastEnders star in the show's line-up in nearly every series since the dancing show first aired in 2004.
EastEnders reveals New Year's Day bloodbath survivors - and who DIES
Last year, Jamie Borthwick got the call up, following on from Bobby Brazier (2023), James Bye (2022), Rose Ayling-Ellis (2021), Maisie Smith (2020) and Emma Barton (2019).
Previous Albert Square dancers have also included Brian Conley (2017), Tameka Empson (2016), Kellie Bright (2015), Jake Wood (2014), Sid Owen (2012), Scott Maslen (2010), Ricky Groves (2009), Gillian Taylforth (2008), Letitia Dean (2007), Louisa Lytton (2006) Patsy Palmer (2005) and Christopher Parker (2004).
A BBC spokesman said: "We don't comment on speculation."
4
Jamie Borthwick appeared on the show last year
Credit: PA
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Metro
a few seconds ago
- Metro
Gregg Wallace announces charity role after claim he 'used autism as an excuse'
Gregg Wallace is being lined up as a patron for an autism charity after it was claimed he used the disability 'as an excuse'. The MasterChef judge, 60, was first hit with misconduct allegations last autumn, which resulted in him stepping back from the cooking programme. After Grace Dent stepped in to replace him to record the final episodes, Wallace was then officially sacked after the bombshell Silkins review was published. Commissioned by MasterChef production company Banijay UK, 45 out of 83 allegations were upheld against him, including a case of 'unwelcome physical contact', but he has insisted the most serious allegations were unproven. Before the report was published Wallace said he was considering legal action against the BBC and MasterChef production team, claiming he was discriminated against due to his autism following his dismissal from the long-running series. Now, following his exit, he has caught the attention of charity boss Annie Sands, who approached him to see if Disability Advice and Welfare Network (DAWN) could help him to better understand the condition. Last year, the charity Ambitious About Autism dropped Wallace as an ambassador in the wake of the original claims made against him. A spokesman for the charity Neurodiversity in Business also told the BBC earlier this month that autism is 'not a free pass for bad behaviour'. But, speaking to the Mirror, Sands said: 'People were attacking him and saying he was using his autism as an excuse. 'I heard someone say 'autistic people don't make inappropriate remarks'. Well, that's a ridiculous thing to say. Come and work with us for a week, you'll hear a lot worse than that. Each autistic person presents differently. 'This is about what's appropriate in the workplace. It comes down to education, and the ability to make reasonable adjustments.' The boss, who was diagnosed with the condition herself later in life, went on to explain that Wallace's autism report 'screams neurodiversity'. 'We help all those who come to us, everybody deserves support. For me it's about putting Gregg Wallace the celebrity to one side and working with Gregg Wallace the autistic person. 'As an organisation we are not afraid to stick our head above the parapet – he deserves our help just as much as the next person. We hate injustice, whoever comes to us, we will never turn them away.' Speaking to the publication, Gregg said that the charity has been a 'pillar of strength at a very dark time'. 'I've learned so much about autism and my issues in the two weeks that I've been talking to Annie,' he said. 'So much of what she's told me has helped me make sense of my condition – she's made me understand that the persona I learned in Covent Garden fruit and veg market is the same one that I took into the television studios. Everybody loved that version of me. What I've learned is that I still have a lot to learn.' More Trending The former MasterChef star added that he wants to continue working with the charity and he wants to support them in the future. This comes after Wallace recently responded to singer Sir Rod Stewart, who branded him a 'tubby, bald-headed, ill mannered bully'. In an interview with The Sun, Gregg responded to the hitmaker's remarks, stating: 'I'm actually a Rod Stewart fan. 'I've been to see him twice. So that hurt me. Somebody like that carries a lot of weight. But there was no bullying and no harassing.' Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. View More » MORE: BBC legend claims government banned 'shocking' TV show for 20 years MORE: Lisa Faulkner makes first public statement since John Torode's MasterChef firing MORE: David Attenborough's new BBC series reveals spectacularly tender moment with baby gorilla

Western Telegraph
a few seconds ago
- Western Telegraph
TV couple Cat Deeley and Patrick Kielty announce separation
They wed in September 2012 at a ceremony in Rome and have two children together. They said in a joint statement to the PA news agency: 'We have taken the decision to end our marriage and are now separated. There is no other party involved. Patrick Kielty and Cat Deeley, pictured in 2017, said they remain 'united as loving parents' (Ian West/PA) 'We will continue to be united as loving parents to our children and would therefore kindly ask for our family privacy to be respected. 'There will be no further comment.' Deeley, 48, has hosted ITV's This Morning alongside Ben Shephard since early last year, and previously lived in Los Angeles for more than 10 years. She hosted the US series So You Think You Can Dance, also appearing on SM:TV Live with TV duo Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly from 1998 to 2002. She also previously co-hosted BBC singing contest Fame Academy, alongside Kielty, and took over ITV's Stars In Their Eyes from Matthew Kelly. Northern Irish presenter Kielty, 54, is the host of RTE talk show The Late Late Show, having taken over from Ryan Tubridy in 2023. He made his feature film debut the year prior when he starred as a budding comedian going through a marriage break-up in Ballywalter, a movie that takes its title from the Northern Irish town in County Down. The comedian and presenter began his stand-up career as host of Northern Ireland's first comedy club, The Empire Laughs Back, in pre-ceasefire Belfast and graduated to presenting programmes such as Channel 4's Last Chance Lottery and BBC One chat show Patrick Kielty Almost Live. He also presented the documentary My Dad, The Peace Deal And Me, about his father's death at the hands of paramilitary gunmen. Kielty and Deeley's first child, a son called Milo, was born in 2016 and their second son, James, was born in 2018.


Scottish Sun
a few seconds ago
- Scottish Sun
Sky TV expert reveals three little-known buttons to instantly skip ads, unlock secret ‘night mode' and lost remote trick
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A SKY insider has shared some of his little-known tricks to get the best out of your TV. Sky Glass and Sky Stream hide a number of handy hacks, including ways to instantly skip ads faster than ever and a secret "night mode" that may come in very useful. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Sky's Matt Rye reveals his top tips 2 Never lose your remote again Credit: Sky Faster ad skipping So let's start with the ads first of all. If you pay for ad skip, you can bypass any breaks but some viewers go through the long process of manually fast forwarding. "Don't fancy watching the ads?" Matt Rye, Sky's Director of Product Management told The Sun. "Upgrade to the ad skip feature for the option to skip through them all using the 'skip ads' button that pops up on screen as soon as the break begins." This button will take you straight to the show content with needing to work out when to hit stop after fast fowarding. Night Mode Night Mode is a special feature that prevents you from waking up the entire household. This can come in especially useful for loud booms during a movie. "If you're a late-night TV watcher like I am, especially when watching movies until the early hours of the morning, you might not want to disturb everyone's sleep with loud volume," Matt says. "For this, we have night mode. "An optional setting, which reduces the volume level of dramatic sounds. "Press the three dots button on your remote to bring up the menu and select." Discover new features on Sky TV that make it even easier to find favourite shows Lost your remote? Losing your remote can be a right pain, leading to endless searches around the house or down the side of the sofa. Fortunately, there's an easy way people forget to use to instantly retrieve their controller. "If you've lost your remote down the back of the sofa, or the kids have hidden it somewhere, you can ask Glass to find it for you," Matt explains. "Say 'Hello Sky, Find my remote' and the remote will start beeping until you find it and pick it up."