EastEnders has reportedly cast Strictly Come Dancing runner-up Molly Rainford for a new role in the soap.
Molly has already taken the TV world by storm as she shot to stardom after becoming a finalist on Britain's Got Talent in 2012 and then went on to become a presenter for hit CBBC show Friday Download.
She then landed the titular role in the musical series Nova Jones in 2021 and has since competed in Strictly Come Dancing 2022 getting all the way to the final.
Now, she's allegedly set to make her soap debut in EastEnders where she will play the daughter of a new family moving into the Queen Vic after the presumed death of landlord Mick Carter (Danny Dyer) over Christmas.
A TV insider reportedly told The Sun: “Molly joins a long line of former finalists who’ve gone on to bigger things than the competitors who’ve ultimately triumphed. But anyone who saw her on Strictly could see the entertainment world was her oyster.”
Molly finished as a runner-up in last year's Strictly alongside her professional partner Carlos Gu, after Hamza Yassin won the glitterball trophy. She has also achieved music success as she released two EPs in 2019 and 2020.
The Sun also noted that it's been rumoured that movie star Ray Winstone is in the running to replace Danny on EastEnders, which could possibly make him the father of Molly's character.
The East End movie legend nearly joined EastEnders in 2008 as Billy Mitchell's (Perry Fenwick) brother, but turned down the role after accepting to play Colonel George "Mac" McHale in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
Last year, Ray's daughter Jaime Winstone played a young Peggy Mitchell (Barbara Windsor) in a special flashback episode.
EastEnders airs Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings at 7.30 pm on BBC One — see our TV Guide for full listings. You can also catch up on episodes on BBC iPlayer now.
