EastEnders stars wowed in last night’s Strictly Come Dancing special.
Last night saw four iconic Walford residents make their way all the way from Albert Square over to Strictly Come Dancing’s glitterball dance floor.
In honour of annual fundraising evening Children in Need, the soap stars strapped on their dancing shoes and took to the floor to raise money for the children’s charity.
Actors Maisie Smith, who plays Tiffany Butcher in the BBC One soap, Louisa Lytton, who plays Ruby Allen, Rudolph Walker OBE, who plays longtime character Patrick Trueman and Ricky Champ, who plays Stuart Highway all took part in the special charity edition of the competition.
We are cha-cha-chuffed that 4 of our wonderful cast members: @maisie_smith_ @louisalytton @RudolphWalkerDA and @RickyChamp1 will be taking to the dancefloor alongside the @bbcstrictly professionals for Strictly Ballroom as part of @BBCCiN. 📺@BBCOne | Friday 15th November. pic.twitter.com/EkmZ4qNdEr
— BBC EastEnders (@bbceastenders) October 29, 2019
The soap stars were teamed up with regular Strictly Come Dancing professionals Kevin Clifton, Gorka Marquez, Luba Mushtuk and newcomer Nancy Xu.
And while all four pairs wowed both TV and theatre audiences with their choreographed acts, especially Louisa Lytton who took part in the show back in 2006 with professional ballroom dancer Vincent Simone, it was Tiffany Butcher and partner Kevin Clifton who came out top.
Kevin is no stranger to the glitterball trophy, having won the TV competition last year with dancing partner and now-girlfriend journalist Stacey Dooley.
Your 2019 @bbceastenders meets @bbcstrictly winner is… 🥁🥁🥁@maisie_smith_ 💃🙌🎉
Watch live on @BBCOne & @BBCiPlayer #ChildrenInNeed pic.twitter.com/aRfPosT5Cb
— BBC Children in Need (@BBCCiN) November 15, 2019
But this is the first time that EastEnders actress Maisie Smith has taken to the Strictly dance floor, and now fans want the star to make it an official role.
Since the soap star danced her way to first place in last night’s charity special, fans have been appealing to the actress to take part in next year’s 12-week run of Strictly Come Dancing.
‘Just watching #ChildrenInNeed Strictly and i think @maisie_smith_is really good 👏👏,’ wrote one viewer, ‘she should totally do #Strictly next year! Wow! FAB-U-LOUS’.
‘Well. If @bbcstrictly don’t sign Maisie Smith up for next years series they’re seriously missing a trick,’ added another. ‘She was brillliant!!!!’, while another agreed, ‘if maisie smith isn’t in the main series next year they’ve really missed a trick, girl is gooood 👏🏻👏🏻’.
Well done @maisie_smith_ . What a superstar!!! @BBCCiN @bbcstrictly pic.twitter.com/X2nsAsIXsf
— Kevin Clifton (@keviclifton) November 15, 2019
Another fan wrote, ‘They are great together, Maisie should compete with Kevin on next years series!!’, as one agreed, ‘@maisie_smith for Strictly 2020.She was brilliant but she did have a fantastic partner @keviclifton’.
Others commented, ‘Oh my god get @maisie_smith_on strictly for real cause she was ridiculously good then 😳’, ‘Why has @maisie_smith_ not been on @bbcstrictly already? She was 🤩! #ChildrenInNeed’, ‘@maisie_smith_ do strictly next year please #ChildrenInNeed’, ‘Get @maisie_smith_ signed up for #StrictlyComeDancing2020’ and ‘Wow @maisie_smith_ needs to do a full series #Strictly’.
Wonder if we’ll see this Albert Square regular heading over to the dance floor for longer next year!