An EastEnders star is said to be in the process of joining the next series of Strictly Come Dancing.
Lacey Turner, 38, has played Stacey Slater on the BBC soap for a whopping 22 years.
However, after taking an extended break from Albert Square, the actress could be swapping The Vic for the ballroom in the newest series of Strictly.
‘Strictly bosses are delighted to snap Lacey up for the series, especially as she has such a huge fan base from her time on the soap,’ a TV source told The Sun.
‘She’s down to earth and viewers will be excited to get to know her personality away from Albert Square.
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‘She has loved having some quality time off screen to focus on parenting, but feels like now is the perfect time to learn to dance and try something different before she reprises her role in EastEnders.’
Stacey, who has three young children – Dusty Violet, six, Trilby Fox, four, and Gipsy Olive, one – has been spending time away from EastEnders.
As well as featuring in EastEnders, the 38-year-old is also known for starring in the BBC drama Our Girl.
Speaking in 2017, she previously turned down Strictly saying: ‘I have been asked to go on Strictly but I’m rubbish at dancing and I don’t really have the guts.
‘I think it’s a great show to do, though, as you learn a new skill.’
In the past, numerous soap stars have taken part in the dance competition, including fellow EastEnders actress Rose Ayling-Ellis.
Jamie Borthwick, who played Jay Brown on EastEnders for 19 years, was also in the competition.
However, he was axed from the soap last year after he was filmed on the set of Strictly using a disability slur.
This comes after it was revealed that Dani Dyer is poised to return to Strictly afterr she was forced to bow out in 2025 due to an injury.
The former Love Island star was left ‘heartbroken’ after suffering a bad fall during her rehearsals with professional partner Nikita Kuzmin.
Dyer, 29, sustained an ankle fracture that ruled her out of all the shows, but it is now being rumoured that she will be available for the newest series.
The 29-year-old previously hinted that she wanted to make a return to the BBC series one day.
Following the exit of Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly last year, the new-look series will feature Johannes Radebe, Emma Willis and Josh Widdicombe as hosts.
Speaking ahead of the start, Johannes reassured worried fans that he will still be dancing in some capacity, although he was sparse on the details.
Strictly Come Dancing returns to BBC One this September.
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