Strictly Come Dancing's Balvinder Sopal's unrecognisable in forgotten BBC drama role

BBC audiences were thrilled this week when it was revealed that actress Balvinder Sopal has been confirmed for this year's Strictly Come Dancing lineup. The 46-year-old star, best known for playing Suki Panesar in EastEnders, became the fifth celebrity to be confirmed, joining fellow famous faces including Dani Dyer, Harry Aikines-Aryeetey and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink.

Whilst soap fans are used to seeing Balvinder roaming the streets of Walford, the actress previously starred in another beloved BBC programme. Back in 2018, the actress made an appearance in the hit period drama Call The Midwife during an episode from the seventh series. The actress portrayed Mumtaz Gani - a woman struggling with her own infertility when her world is turned upside down. When her husband Saddiq (Simon Rivers) brings home a second wife who is eight months pregnant, Mumtaz is left stunned. This prompts Sister Julienne (Jenny Agutter) to help Mumtaz accept this shocking new member of her household.

Although Balvinder only featured in a single episode, her brief appearance clearly thrilled viewers, with numerous fans taking to social media to share their delight at spotting the EastEnders favourite in Poplar.

One fan posted on X: "Omg the Suki actress is in this episode of Call The Midwife." Another gushed: "@BalvinderSopal, beautiful performance."

A Reddit user noted: "Watching an old episode of Call the Midwife and Suki (Balvinder Sopal) is in it!" Sharing this enthusiasm, another fan replied: "She's so iconic, honestly." One more added: "She really is, such a fantastic actress."

Whilst the Strictly professionals have been hard at work in rehearsal studios over recent weeks, with one dancer needing hospital attention after a severe fall, they remain in the dark about which celebrity they'll be paired with.

However, this hasn't stopped the confirmed celebrities from sharing their excitement about participating in the forthcoming series.

Speaking about her involvement in the show, Balvinder was bubbling with excitement as she told Richard Arnold on Good Morning Britain: "I can't believe it! I'm really, really excited, I can't stop the butterflies! Every time I think about it, they just go. I'm hoping I'll be able to contain them on the floor."