Strictly Come Dancing star La Voix has broken her silence on joining EastEnders for the BBC soap's upcoming Pride storyline. The drag queen, whose real name is Chris Dennis, will make her Walford debut on Thursday, July 17, in a special episode centred around the annual celebration.
From Strictly to Albert Square
La Voix made a big impression last year when she took part in the 23rd series of Strictly Come Dancing, partnered with professional dancer Aljaz Skorjanec. She became the first drag queen ever to compete on the main series of the BBC One dancing competition. However, her journey was cut short after she picked up an injury and had to withdraw just before the iconic Blackpool edition of the show. She was one of three contestants whose exits occurred due to injury during the 2025 series.
During her time on Strictly, La Voix left Claudia Winkleman in hysterics by setting her sights on the show's hosting job just days after Claudia and Tess Daly announced they were leaving. In the Clauditorium, she cheekily asked Claudia where to send CVs to the BBC 'just in case there's any new jobs coming up'.
More recently, La Voix was seen reading the UK Jury's Eurovision results. Now, she is turning her attention to Walford.
A Surprise Pride Performance
In the EastEnders episode, La Voix will appear for a surprise Pride performance in The Queen Vic. However, it soon becomes clear that she is entangled in a battle between the famous pub and The Prince Albert, two rival businesses on the square.
Speaking about her appearance, La Voix told the BBC: "EastEnders is a British institution, so bringing a touch of La Voix glamour to Albert Square was an absolute joy. It was like putting two great British institutions together – EastEnders and me. Between us, we’ve amassed a remarkable amount of history!"
Fangirling on Set
La Voix admitted to feeling like a tourist when she first arrived on set. "When I first stepped foot on Albert Square, of course, I’ve watched it all my life, I felt like a tourist being shown around a studio. Then I realised I actually had to come to work and do something! But it was amazing, it was everything I wanted it to be, it’s truly magical! It’s very hard to put into words what it’s like."
Performing in The Vic was a highlight. She described it as "amazing" to be in the "iconic pub", adding that it was "up there with performing for The Royal Family" – a reference to her appearances at New Year's Eve parties hosted by Prince William and Prince Harry.
La Voix joked about the challenge of playing a stranger in a room full of familiar faces. "I’m not supposed to know anybody, as in I’m just turning up to do a gig, like I’ve done for many years and you walk into a room and won’t know anyone, but the thing is I knew all of them from seeing them on TV, so it was really hard not to reference them by name or quote a line at them! I tried to play it cool, but really, I was just fangirling that I was on EastEnders, working with these amazing icons."
Improvisation and Spontaneity
La Voix also praised the improvisational aspects of the role. "It was great fun, actually. Improvisation gives you the freedom to really play in the moment and react naturally to what the other actors are doing. Of course, it can be a little nerve-racking because you don’t have a script to fall back on, some of my favourite moments came from those spontaneous exchanges that you simply couldn’t have planned!"
