‘Terrified’! Lacey Turner is planning to do one thing to cope with Strictly pressure
Strictly Come Dancing contestant Lacey Turner has admitted she is “absolutely terrified” ahead of making her debut on the BBC dancefloor.
The 38-year-old actress, best known for playing Stacey Slater in EastEnders, will appear when the new series launches on Saturday, September 19.
Lacey has been part of the BBC soap since 2004, but taking on Strictly will put her firmly outside her usual comfort zone.
Despite being excited about learning to dance, the mother-of-three confessed that several parts of the experience are already making her nervous — including the live Saturday night shows and the amount of time she will have to spend getting ready.
“I’m actually most looking forward to the training,” she said.
“I think that I will enjoy that bit of it the most, and meeting everybody else.”
Lacey Reveals Her Biggest Strictly Fear
Although Lacey is looking forward to rehearsals, she admitted the live broadcasts are a very different matter.
“I’m obviously most terrified about the live Saturday nights and sitting in the makeup chair for that long,” she explained.
“I’m not very good at that. I’m going to try my best and work on my patience.”
The actress also revealed the unusual method she plans to use to help cope with the pressure once the competition begins.
Rather than approaching each routine purely as herself, Lacey intends to use her acting experience.
“I’m excited to learn something new and to be a part of this whole glittery shenanigan,” she said.
“But I am absolutely terrified and hoping that will go once I’m in the training room and I can get into it.”
She added: “I’m going to create a character.”
For an actress who has spent more than two decades playing one of EastEnders’ most recognisable characters, slipping into another persona could help her manage the nerves of performing live.
‘I’ve Never Been Brave Enough’
Lacey revealed that joining Strictly is something she has considered for years.
However, until now she had never felt confident enough to finally say yes.
“I’ve always wanted to do it, but I’ve just never been brave enough,” she admitted.
The actress also knows exactly how demanding the competition can become because several of her friends have already experienced it.
“I’ve had a friend do it every year, so I know how hard it is,” she said.
“A lot of my friends are physically fit, and they have been exhausted.”
EastEnders Break Gave Lacey Her Chance
Timing ultimately helped convince Lacey that 2026 was the right year to take part.
She explained that because she is not currently working on EastEnders, she can give the competition more of her attention.
“So, while I’m not working on EastEnders this year, I thought it might be a good time to do it,” she said.
Lacey joked that attempting to balance both shows alongside family life might simply have been too much.
She added that she was unsure she would be “physically or mentally fit enough” to do both jobs while also running a household with her “three feral children”.
Her comments underline just how demanding she expects the competition to be before training has even fully begun.
Lacey Has Plenty of Strictly Connections
Lacey will not be the first EastEnders star to swap Albert Square for the ballroom.
Her former on-screen husband James Bye, who played Martin Fowler, competed in the 2022 series alongside professional Amy Dowden.
The pair became the fifth couple to leave the competition.
Another former EastEnders star, Rose Ayling-Ellis, enjoyed considerably more success.
Rose, who played Frankie Lewis, won the 2021 series with Giovanni Pernice and became the first deaf contestant to take part in the programme.
Those experiences have given Lacey a close-up view of both the pressure and potential rewards that come with joining Strictly.
Major Changes for Strictly 2026
Lacey will also be joining the competition during a major shake-up for the BBC show.
Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe have stepped in as the new presenting team, replacing long-standing hosts Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly.
The celebrity line-up also includes fellow soap actor Lawrence Robb, known for playing Mackenzie Boyd in Emmerdale.
For Lacey, however, the biggest challenge will simply be overcoming the nerves once the cameras start rolling.
She may have spent years performing in front of millions of television viewers, but dancing live is an entirely different experience.
Her plan is to throw herself into rehearsals, use her acting instincts and hope the fear disappears once she starts training.
And despite admitting she is “absolutely terrified”, Lacey has finally found the courage to take on the show she has wanted to do for years.
