Balvinder Sopal has admitted that viewers know 'very little' about her as she faced her fifth dance-off on Strictly Come Dancing. The EastEnders actress and her professional partner Julian Caillon survived again on Sunday (November 30), setting a record for the most dance-off appearances saved.
Limited rehearsal time due to filming commitments on the BBC soap left the couple with only one full day to prepare for Saturday's jive. They scored 28 points, placing fifth on the leaderboard. Judge Anton Du Beke noted mistakes but praised her enthusiasm and vivacity.
In the dance-off, Sopal and Caillon faced Alex Kingston and Johannes Radebe. Judges Craig Revel Horwood and Motsi Mabuse saved Sopal, with head judge Shirley Ballas casting the deciding vote in her favour.
On Instagram, Sopal reflected on the lack of screen time in the 'Clauditorium', saying: 'Unless you know me from EastEnders... you know very little about me, and you know even less about my partnership with Julian because we haven't been in the Clauditorium much.' She added that she hopes viewers connect with their storytelling through dance.
Fans have defended her survival, with one writing: 'Surviving a dance-off isn’t luck — it’s effort, improvement, and judges’ decisions.' Sopal, whose birthday is on Thursday, described reaching the quarter-final as 'the best gift'.
