The Strictly Come Dancing line-up announcements are coming thick and fast and now EastEnders actress Maisie Smith has been confirmed to be stepping into her dancing shoes when the series gets underway later this year.

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The actress, who plays Tiffany Butcher in the BBC One soap, was confirmed to be the ninth Strictly Come Dancing 2020 celebrity on This Morning today (3rd September). They were unveiled alongside Jamie Laing.

The pair will join actress Caroline Quentin, sports star Jason Bell, The Wanted musician Max George, ITV journalist Ranvir Singh, DJ Clara Amfo, boxer Nicola Adams, comedian Bill Bailey, presenter JJ Chalmers and singer HRVY.

“Get me in those sequins, I can’t wait to dive into the Strictly fancy dress box this winter! This is a dream come true,” Maisie said.

Maisie, 19, has shown plenty of form on the dance floor. In November 2018 she won the Pudsey version of the Glitterball Trophy when she triumphed against some of her castmates in the Children in Need/Strictly special.

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Speaking to This Morning hosts Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby about the win, Maisie said: "It was an absolute fluke! I've got dancing experience – a bit of hip hop – but I've got no technical ability at all! [But] who knows? I could be the dark horse!"

She made no secret of the fact she wanted to appear on the hit BBC One celebrity dance competition.

After her win on Children in Need she told Inside Soap magazine: "I would love to! Honestly, I don't know where [my sassy moves] came from, but I pulled it out the bag at the last minute."

She added that she was delighted with the Strictly Come Dancing experience, and was keen to see how she could improve with more than "a week of training".

She added: "Children In Need was the most fun ever, and that was after only a week of training. So, yeah, to do it week after week, I'd definitely be up for that!"

Some of the fans who wanted to see her in the main Strictly Come Dancing show have now got their wish.

Maisie has become something of social media star during the COVID-19 lockdown via the app TikTok.

She originally joined EastEnders at the tender age of six and stayed in Albert Square until 2014. She made a full-time return to the soap in 2018.

It's not yet been confirmed when Strictly Come Dancing 2020 will premiere, but it's thought that it will kick off in late October with the season reduced from its usual 13-week run to nine weeks.

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