Dressed as an ethereal underwater siren on Saturday night’s Strictly Come Dancing, Balvinder Sopal appeared poised and defiant as she danced with partner Julian Caillon. The EastEnders actress, known for her role as Suki Panesar since 2020, earned praise from the judges for her progress and technique, garnering cheers on social media. Yet, despite her consistent and steadily improving performances, she found herself in the dance-off for the third time in five weeks, a surprising fate for someone so highly regarded by viewers and critics alike.
Balvinder’s journey on this year’s Strictly has been marked by a puzzling disconnect between her dance performances, the judges’ comments, and the public vote. Each week, she has managed to deliver solid routines that showcase her growth as a dancer. However, the scores from the judges have remained curiously stagnant, with Balvinder receiving the same total score of 28 points, comprised of four sevens, three weeks running. This plateau of scores doesn’t appear to match the warmth of judges’ feedback, such as Shirley Ballas praising her as having done “very, very well indeed,” and noting her clear progress. Balvinder herself voiced her confusion on the show’s spin-off It Takes Two, saying she had tried to understand why improvement wasn’t reflected in higher scores and resolved to keep dancing “to my heart’s content” regardless.
This stagnant scoring, paired with a lack of public votes, has led to Balvinder being in the dance-off repeatedly. Her resilience has been tested emotionally, as she confessed to moments of self-doubt and tears during the contest. Observers have argued that the judges’ middling scores might be undermining her confidence, which complicates her standing in the competition. Despite praise from judges, including descriptors such as “a powerhouse” from Motsi Mabuse after a strong paso doble, Balvinder's repeated presence in the bottom two has sparked widespread viewer frustration and questioning of the voting dynamics.
Part of the difficulty Balvinder faces may stem from her professional circumstances on the show. While celebrities are the intended focus of votes, fans often have strong attachments to the professional dancers themselves. Balvinder’s partner, Julian Caillon, is one of this year’s new professionals, relatively unknown to British viewers despite his prior experience on Australia’s Dancing With the Stars. Unlike well-established Strictly professionals who bring along devoted fanbases, newcomers like Julian do not benefit from this added layer of viewer loyalty, which can impact the popularity and thus voting of their celebrity partners.
Another element affecting Balvinder’s public appeal is how closely she is associated with her EastEnders character, Suki Panesar, a role that has become a fan favourite but may overshadow her own persona. Fans often find it challenging to separate long-term soap actors from their fictional characters, especially on reality competitions where personality outside the role can influence votes. Balvinder identified herself as more reserved compared to Suki, and critics and fans have highlighted that because viewers primarily know her as Suki, they may not feel as personally connected to her as an individual performer. Moreover, unlike many Strictly contestants with open social media profiles who share aspects of their personal lives, Balvinder maintains a more private stance. Her 83,000 Instagram followers mostly see her professional work with few glimpses into her personal life, unlike contemporaries who have cultivated broader public profiles, such as Vicky Pattison or George Clarke. This limited public familiarity might also hinder the extent of viewer engagement and support.
In addition to these challenges, Balvinder occupies an ambiguous position in the competition’s dance experience spectrum. Though she has performed in stage productions and soap operas, which involve a degree of performance training, she is not a formally trained dancer, unlike some contestants with West End or musical theatre backgrounds. This status often invites debate among viewers about fairness and expectations in judging and voting, with some seeing actors as neither complete novices nor trained dancers, complicating the way they are perceived in such shows.
Despite being at risk of elimination in the coming weeks, there is a groundswell of support rallying around Balvinder. Fans have openly criticised the voting process, feeling it has been unfair to her and many have called for more public backing to reflect her skill and dedication. The combination of her improving performances, emotional honesty, and steady progress on the dancefloor could yet shift momentum. Though the public vote remains unpredictable, the warmth from the judging panel and an engaged fanbase might still give her the chance to stay longer and prove her capabilities on Strictly Come Dancing.
📌 Reference Map:
- [1] (Daily Mail) - Paragraphs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
- [2] (The Independent) - Paragraphs 3, 4
- [3] (The Independent) - Paragraph 3
- [4] (Magzter) - Paragraph 5
- [6] (TV Guide) - Paragraph 7
- [7] (GB News) - Paragraph 4
Source: Noah Wire Services