Strictly Come Dancing 2025: EastEnders star Balvinder Sopal revealed as the FIFTH contestant to join the line-up

EastEnders star Balvinder Sopal has been announced as the fifth contestant to join the Strictly Come Dancing 2025 line-up.

The actress, 46, who plays Suki Panesar on the BBC soap, was revealed to be taking part live on Good Morning Britain on Tuesday morning.  

Balvinder will join a Love Island winner, Doctor Who star and a footballing legend, all of whom were recently revealed as the latest three stars confirmed to take part in Strictly.

Sharing her joy at being part of the show, Balvinder said: ‘Being on Strictly is a dream that I held on to, with no proof that it would ever happen. 

‘Working on EastEnders and being a part of Strictly Come Dancing is the stuff that dreams are made of. I’m far too excited to put into words how I feel but I’m incredibly excited at the prospect of dancing across the ballroom.’

Meanwhile the actress, who was speaking to GMB’s Richard Arnold from the EastEnders set, told how she had ‘dabbled’ in dancing in the past but is unsure is she’d actually be ‘any good’ once on the dancefloor. 

She explained: ‘I can’t stop butterflies. Every time I think about it, they just go, so, yeah.

‘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 kind of inclined to enjoy it.

‘So I’ll definitely enjoy it. I don’t know if I’ll be any good!’

Balvinder, who has had a successful acting career spanning theatre, radio, film and television, first joined EastEnders back in 2019.

During her six years in Walford, she has been part of a number of gripping storylines including Suki’s affair with now-wife Eve Unwin, being part of ‘The Six’ and her turbulent relationship with villainous husband Nish. 

Prior to stepping foot on Albert Square, Balvinder made appearances in several huge dramas including Call The Midwife, Doctors, and Waterloo Road. 

Meanwhile, former Love Island winner Dani Dyer, 29, actress Alex Kingston, 62, and sportsman Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, 53, will also take to the dance floor this year, The One Show announced on Monday night.

They follow Olympian and Gladiators star Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, who was the first star announced. 

The daughter of acting legend Danny Dyer, who wed husband Jarrod Bowen this year, shot to fame in 2018 on the ITV2 dating show when she bagged the £50k prize with Jack Fincham.

Dani said: ‘Getting the opportunity to be on Strictly is the second most amazing thing I’ve done this year! 

‘I feel very very blessed and cannot wait to get my dancing shoes on.’

Doctor Who’s Alex notably appeared in US drama ER from 1997 to 2005 alongside George Clooney.

She also took on a recurring role in Doctor Who, playing River Song – the love interest of Matt Smith’s incarnation of the Doctor and the daughter of Amy (Karen Gillan) and Rory (Arthur Darvill).

Alex briefly reprised her role during Peter Capaldi’s stint on the BBC sci-fi show and has also leant her voice to a number of audio releases in the franchise.

Alex has previously spoken about her desire to sign up for Strictly, revealing she and her close friend Sarah Hadland – who competed last year – had discussed it.

‘Sarah Hadland and I talked about how much we’d like to do Strictly Come Dancing,’ she said in 2019.

‘Then I discovered she’s a trained ballet dancer. ”Hang on a minute! That’s not fair!” So, I can’t do it on a season when she is on it!’

Speaking to hosts Roman Kemp and Alex Scott about her upcoming stint, the actress teased: ‘My hips don’t lie’.

Meanwhile, former Chelsea and Netherlands striker and ex-England coach said he’s looking forward to the challenge.

He said: ‘Swapping the pitch for the ballroom is certainly not something I’ve done before but I’m looking forward to tackling a fun challenge!

‘Bring on a new type of footwork, with hopefully no own goals.’

The father-of-four was a professional player with Leeds and Middlebrough for two decades before he retied in 2008. 

Harry, known for his alter-ego Nitro, was the first celebrity revealed to taking part in the new series, after competing on the Christmas Special last year.

His involvement was revealed in a prank to CBBC Newsround viewers, after the BBC had previously said the first stars taking part would be revealed much later in the day.

Flexing his reputation as a star of Gladiators: Epic Pranks, Harry, 36, appeared live in the Newsround studio disguised as ‘world-famous choreographer Nicky Trott’, there to talk about his recent work on a scientific study into the benefits of dancing.

His disguise was not enough to fool Newsround presenter Jenny Lawrence though, who quickly rumbled who she was really talking to. 

Harry then gave the real reason he was there: to tell the world he’s taking part in the new series of Strictly Come Dancing!

Harry is an Olympian, multi gold medal-winning Team GB sprinter, and star of Gladiators. 

As a sprinter he has competed at the highest level in the UK since his youth, becoming the first athlete to win gold medals at both 100 and 200 metres at the World Youth Championships, and winning the 2005 BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year award aged 17. 

Harry has gone on to win gold in the 4x100m relay at the European Championships and at the Commonwealth Games. 

He has competed in two Olympic games and is a three-time European Champion and two-time Commonwealth Champion.

In 2023, Harry was unveiled as Nitro in the hit BBC series Gladiators, and he took part in last year’s Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special partnered with Nancy Xu.

On joining Strictly Come Dancing, Harry said: ‘After the Christmas Special, it was so nice I just had to do it twice! I’m so excited to be part of the Strictly family this series and I’m ready to give it all I’ve got. 

‘I’ll be bringing tons of energy to light up the dance floor. Let’s hope I’m as quick picking up the routines as I am on the track.’

On Sunday it was reported that Natalie Imbruglia and Delta Goodrem are ‘in negotiations’ to take part in the show. 

A new report suggested the two Australian stars are both in talks to appear while another former Neighbours star – Stefan Dennis – is also said to be in the running. 

A source told The Sun: ‘Talks are at a point where things could go in a number of different directions but if both celebrities signed up then that would be seen as quite a coup for the show.

‘Delta and Natalie would bring some glamour to the programme, and be some of this year’s most eagerly anticipated competitors.

‘If all three former Neighbours stars end up performing, the Strictly dance floor will end up looking more like Ramsay Street.’

Strictly’s new series has been hit by a string of scandals in the lead-up to its return, including revelations that the broadcaster had hired a law firm to probe allegations of drug taking by two individuals.

One of the stars involved in the drugs probe was also suspected of drinking while working on the show after crew smelt alcohol on their breath.

The Sun alleged that it was widely known that the pair, who have not been named, took the Class A substance, and that one of these Strictly performers was known for being a drinker.

The publication have now reported that junior members of the team were asked to keep an eye on them during last year’s show and to look for signs that they may have been boozing during work hours.

Over the weekend, a staffer also claimed they were offered cocaine by one of the show’s stars.

He told The Sun: ‘The main partying is on site at Elstree after filming of the live show has finished. Boozing and drug taking goes on until 3am, sometimes 4am. The smoking area outside is a hive of activity. Cocaine gets taken there’.

He went on to claim that drug use was so common on the show, that when he found a suspicious bag of white powder, an unfazed senior producer told him to ‘leave it on my desk’ as the incident failed to raise even an eyebrow. 

The staff member also said the show’s annual special filmed at the Blackpool Tower Ballroom was an especially ‘big party night’ full of debauchery. 

‘I was offered cocaine by a star at an after show party. Lots of people would go back to the hotel. It was a closed-off party, just for the cast and crew. It went on until 5am, even to 6am, it was insane. People were wired and you could see it in their eyes’. 

A BBC spokesperson told Daily Mail: ‘We have clear protocols and policies in place for dealing with any serious complaint raised with us. We would always encourage people to speak to us if they have concerns. It would not be appropriate for us to comment further.’

The shock allegations come amid a long period of controversy for the BBC and Strictly over the past year or so.

In July last year, more than six months after quitting the show citing ‘personal reasons’, actress Amanda Abbington accused pro dancer Giovanni Pernice of ‘unnecessary, cruel and mean behaviour’ during their time dancing together on Strictly .

Giovanni rejected the claims immediately, and a BBC investigation ruled in September that her claims of physical aggression and threatening behaviour were not upheld.

When BBC bosses published their report into Giovanni’s behaviour, it cleared him of the most serious allegations of physical aggression, but upheld verbal bullying and harassment.

Complaints of verbal bullying and harassment meant the BBC issued an apology to Amanda, but Giovanni said he was ‘pleased the report has not found any evidence of threatening or abusive behaviour‘.

Elsewhere, the show was plunged into crisis after Welsh opera singer Wynne Evans made a controversial joke during his time preparing for the Strictly tour in January.

He used a vile sexual innuendo and was also caught up in a ‘wandering hand’ incident with dance partner Katya Jones , who seemed to remove his arm from her lower waist on the show.

After the BBC launched an investigation into his conduct, bosses decided not to renew his radio contract for his show.

The TV star confirmed in May that they will not be renewing his one-year rolling contract following a four-month investigation after the inappropriate comments made during his time on Strictly.

Elsewhere, in further scandals for the BBC, Gregg Wallace was recently dismissed from MasterChef after more than 40 complaints against him were upheld following a BBC investigation.

While his co-star John Torode was also sacked after two decades over allegations that he used the N-word, which he claims to have ‘absolutely no recollection’ of.

In separate further controversy, it’s recently been reported that Naga Munchetty could face an investigation from BBC bosses after she was accused of bullying a junior colleague.

The BBC Breakfast host, 50, has been placed ‘under review’ while bosses consider escalating complaints to a formal investigation, The Sun reports.

A source said higher-ups had heard from several colleagues and logged concerns over her ‘hard’ and ‘bullying’ behaviour on the breakfast show, as well as her Radio 5 Live show.