EXCLUSIVE: Strictly co-stars Balvinder Sopal make FOUR-WORD request as they plead ‘HONESTLY’

Strictly Come Dancing star Balvinder Sopal’s on-screen family have issued a plea for tickets to the show, saying they “want to see her smash it”. Away from the dancefloor, the star plays Panesar family matriarch Suki Panesar-Unwin in BBC’s EastEnders. Speaking exclusively to Express.co.uk at the Inside Soap Awards in London on Monday, September 29, her on-screen son Shiv Jalota, who plays Vinny Panesar, and Aaliyah James, who plays her step-grandaughter Avani Nabdra-Hart, admitted they are still waiting on her to give them an invite to watch her perform on the BBC’s flagship Saturday night show.

“We’re loving her. Honestly. We’re waiting until she invites us to go see the show,” Aaliyah enthused. Shiv chimed in, “We want an invite, right?” Aaliyah agreed, adding, “We want an invite. We want to see her smashing it. She’s doing so well. We’re so proud of her. She’s been wanting to do this for ages.”

Aaliyah also admitted that Balvinder, 46, has started practising her steps on set while they set up scenes, laughing as she recalled a recent moment when they had just finished filming and her feet started moving as she spontaneously rehearsed.

The Panesar family first arrived in Albert Square in 2019 and have quickly become a fundamental part of life in Walford. Along with the Mitchells and the Slaters, they are one of the most iconic families on the show and Shiv says that is because they aren’t stereotypical.

“Over the six years the reaction from the audience has been amazing. And what the family represent – we’re not the stereotypical family that you see on screen elsewhere,” he said. “We’re a family that bring conflict and drama and the audience reactions, fans’ reactions show what that means to them. It’s amazing.”

Balvinder, who is teamed with new Strictly pro Julian Caillon, made her dancing debut in the first live show on Saturday, 27 September, scoring an impressive 27 points for their samba to (Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty. Judges Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Shirley Ballas, and Anton Du Beke gave them scores of 6, 7, 7, and 7, respectively.

Prior to taking to the floor for the first live show, Balvinder admitted she is finding it one of the hardest things she has done in her life.

Giving fans an Instagram update when she sustained a training injury, she wrote: “I can’t tell you, this is the hardest I think I’ve ever worked.

“The pros are incredible, superhuman, literal gods honestly. The way they move, the way they teach you it’s just brilliant and I’m loving every single second of it.”