"It was a very profound moment."
Balvinder Sopal is gearing up to dazzle and impress as she prepares to tackle the Strictly Come Dancing ballroom for the first time.
Along with her dance partner, Julian Caillon, the EastEnders actress will debut her dancing shoes on Saturday, September 27, 2025.
In light of this, Balvinder revealed her memorable moments from the history of Strictly Come Dancing.
2021 saw her EastEnders colleague, Rose Ayling-Ellis (Frankie Carter), become the first deaf contestant to win the show.
Rose won the Glitter Ball alongside dance partner, Giovanni Pernice.
Balvinder Sopal reflected: “It was a very profound moment when we were plunged into silence, and the floor was alive with vibration as Rose and Giovanni danced.
“I also loved Mark Ramprakash and Karen Hardy’s Salsa. It was fun and fiery.
“I also loved Johannes and John Whaite’s Rumba to ‘Shape of My Heart’.
“I just loved the colours of their outfits and the ballroom lights – the colour blue was emotive alongside the movement and music.
“The band were also just sublime.”
Balvinder highlighted her dream of participating in the BBC’s flagship dancing competition, which has been entertaining viewers since 2004.
She continued: “It’s been a lifelong dream from the moment I saw the show 21 years ago.
“I just love the idea of learning to dance.
“The music, the dances and the show inspired a generation of wannabe ballroom dancers.”
Explaining what the show meant to her, Balvinder said: “Saturday night entertainment!
“A moment for the family to be together surrounded around the telly – being taken on a beautiful musical journey.
“But also, a place where contestants can explore another side to them, and find a new confidence in themselves that they perhaps had no idea existed.”
Balvinder also noted that she adores the Argentine Tango.
She said: “The leg kicks, the drama, passion, the music!
“I ADORE the sound of the violin.
“I really wanted to learn to play the violin as I find it to be such a heart-achingly beautiful sound and the Argentine Tango encapsulates that ache.
“It is a stunning dance to watch.”
As Suki Panesar-Unwin in EastEnders, Balvinder has won the hearts of the audience since January 2020.
The formidable matriarch of the Panesar family, Suki has been central to the some of the show’s most ground-breaking storylines in recent years.
These include her resilience in escaping her abusive ex-husband, Nish Panesar (Navin Chowdhry), her lesbian relationship with Eve Panesar-Unwin (Heather Peace), and her part in The Six storyline during Christmas 2023.
As Balvinder Sopal prepares to enter the Strictly Come Dancing ballroom for the first time, DESIblitz wishes her all the best.
You can catch Balvinder’s performance on Saturday, September 27, 2025, at 6:55 pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
Following the departure of Dani Dyer due to injury, the Love Island star and actress Amber Davies will also be seen in the ballroom.
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