Strictly Come Dancing’s Balvinder Sopal shares health update after suffering injury days before launch
By Ellie Muir
Copyright independent
Strictly Come Dancing contestant Balvinder Sopal has shared a health update after sustaining an injury during rehearsals for the BBC dance show, just days before its launch.
The EastEnders star, best known for playing Suki Panesar on the soap since 2019, revealed earlier this week that she was hurt after she heard “something pop” during practice for the programme.
Sopal told fans on Tuesday that she was “all good” after a physio assessed her left glute and hip during her second day of rehearsals.
“Day three training done!” she said. “Hip/glute all good – just tight. Thank you for all your messages of love and support. We kept dancing.”
She told fans the day prior: “So it’s the second day of training and I’m at physio. Something popped and I’m here to find out what exactly.”
“I’m fine, everything is okay. I can still walk and still move but my left glute, my left hip is feeling a little tight and uneasy, so I’m going to get someone to look at it.”
Sopal will compete in this year’s Strictly series alongside the likes of presenter Vicky Pattison, Dutch football legend Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, former England footballer Karen Carney and former British GB athlete Harry Aikines-Aryeetey.
Other contestants include Doctor Who star Alex Kingston, controversial Apprentice contestant Thomas Skinner, Emmerdale actor Lewis Cope and Ru Paul’s Drag Race star La Voix.
After her announcement on this year’s Strictly, Sopal said being on the programme is a dream she has long strived for.
“I’m far too excited to put into words how I feel but I’m incredibly excited at the prospect of dancing across the ballroom!” she said in August.
As Suki, Sopal has been at the heart of EastEnders’ most gripping storylines, from escaping her abusive husband Nish (Navin Chowdhry) to her on-off affair with Eve Unwin (Heather Peace).
The new series will kick off on Saturday 20 September with the usual pre-recorded launch programme, which will see the new cohort of celebrities paired up with professional dance partners.
