Strictly's Balvinder Sopal wants Gillingham votes

Strictly Come Dancing star Balvinder Sopal has urged people in her home town to back her as she attempts to make it through to the programme's final four this weekend.

The EastEnders actor, from Gillingham, Kent, posted a message on social media saying she was "a Gills girl through and through" and "let's do this for Medway".

Sopal and her dance partner Julian Caillon made history on Saturday on the popular dance show by becoming the first couple in the show's 21-year history to survive five dance-offs.

Ahead of this weekend's quarter-final, she said: "We're not too far off the end of the competition and I need all of you people of Medway to get behind this proud Medway girl and to get us as far as you can."

Sopal and Caillon won their fifth dance-off on Sunday, putting fellow actor Alex Kingston out of the competition.

The actor, who has played Suki Panesar in EastEnders since 2020, was born and bred in the Medway towns.

She said: "I love where I come from.

"I just want to be able to represent Gillingham and the Medway towns in this competition.

"I'm proud of where I come from. Let's do this for Medway."

Sopal added on Instagram that she had "come back fighting" after finishing in the bottom two so many times.

"Your investment in us means more than anything in the world," she said.

"Your gorgeous messages of support humbles my heart."

In musicals week on Saturday the pair will dance a Viennese Waltz to Never Enough from The Greatest Showman.

Sopal said: "We're not too far off the end of the competition and I need all of you people of Medway to get behind this proud Medway girl and to get us as far as you can.

"Let's put Medway on the map and celebrate what it means to come from the Medway towns.

"We love you. We're grateful for all the support you've given us so far.

"With your further support we can go really far in this competition - perhaps lift that glitterball trophy."

One of Sopal's biggest supporters is Naushabah Khan, her local MP.

Ms Khan, who described the actor as "my great friend" said: "Balvinder is doing an amazing job making all of us in Medway proud.

"She's been in the dance-offs a few times but she's got that Medway fighting spirit and comes back stronger every week.

"She needs to see that we're behind her and she needs our votes."

A local school where the EastEnders actor's niece is a pupil posted on Facebook: "We would like to wish Balvinder the very best of luck."

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