Balvinder Sopal, the EastEnders actress best known for her portrayal of Suki Panesar, has revealed a thigh injury on the second day of Strictly Come Dancing rehearsals. The news arrives as the BBC ballroom competition intensifies its preparations ahead of the launch, with professional dancers and new celebrity contestants gearing up for the first live routines.
On her Instagram Story, Sopal wrote that she heard something pop during a routine and headed to the show’s medical team for assessment. “So it's the second day of training and I'm at physio. Something popped and I'm here to find out what exactly,” she said, adding that she could still walk and move but that her left glute and hip were tight and uneasy, prompting her to seek medical advice.
Image: Balvinder Sopal training
Despite the setback, Sopal returned to work after the initial assessment, and by day three she indicated that she was back in training. In a subsequent update she wrote: “All good. Day three training done! Hip/glute all good – just tight. Thank you for all your messages of love and support. We kept dancing.” She also praised the show’s professional dancers, saying they are “incredible, superhuman, literal gods,” and that she loves every moment of the experience.
The incident arrives in a context that has seen other contestants confronting demanding training. Fellow participant Vicky Pattison has publicly shared the toll of rehearsals, posting a collection of photos showing injuries to her feet and describing how the process has taken a harsh physical toll. Pattison told her listeners on Get A Grip that the injuries appeared quickly and that her feet had become “butchered,” underscoring the high physical stakes of the competition.
Meanwhile, anticipation is high for this year’s launch episode. Last year’s champions, professional dancer Dianne Buswell and comedian Chris McCausland, will reprise their memorable waltz in Saturday’s launch. The performance will occur between the announcements of the 15 new couples for the series. The episode, set to air on BBC One and iPlayer from 6:40 pm, will also feature the partner reveals filmed in surprise-filled sequences, along with dazzling group numbers from Strictly’s professional lineup and the debut performances from the new celebrity contestants.
Buswell and McCausland’s waltz — performed to You’ll Never Walk Alone — earned the BAFTA TV Memorable Moment Award earlier this year, highlighting the show’s capacity to blend spectacle with emotional resonance. The launch episode is expected to set the tone for the season, offering a mix of drama, dance, and festive glitz as fans await the full lineup and first-week performances.
As rehearsals continue, organizers are balancing the show’s high-energy routines with the health and safety of participants. Producers have long emphasized that onscreen success relies on rigorous preparation and professional support behind the scenes. For Sopal, the early setback appears to have been managed alongside staff clinicians, with the actor returning to practice and expressing optimism about moving forward with the competition.
In summary, Strictly Come Dancing enters its new cycle with notable early challenges from cast members as they train for a marathon of routines, while the broader cast and production team press ahead with the anticipated launch, buoyed by the show’s history of memorable moments and high-stakes performances.