South Essex has created many top stars and plenty have flocked to join the cast of Eastenders.

Southend and south Essex have produced many actors starring in EastEnders over the years.

Not forgetting of course one of our latest rising stars - Maisie Smith better known at Tiffany Dean.

Echo:

Former Chalkwell Junior School pupil Maisie Smith, from Westcliff, shot to fame as a six-year-old playing cheeky EastEnders character Tiffany Dean - the youngest daughter of Bianca Jackson, played by Patsy Palmer.

She played the role of Tiffany from 2008 to 2014 and then in November 2016, she temporarily returned to the show in the role for a guest stint, before making a full-time return in January 2018.

Echo:

In January 2017 she signed up to take part in an online fitness programme called Results 4 Teens to inspire youngsters aged 13 to 17 to get healthy.

Smith attended Belfairs Academy in Leigh and the Sandra Singer Stage School and also attended South Essex College, to study musical theatre.

Echo:

In October 2016, it was announced Smith would be releasing her first single, "Good Thing". The Essex youngster shot a music video accompanying the song at the Belt Craft studios and the song and video was uploaded to her YouTube channel in November 2016. The young actress also released her second single, "Where My Heart Is", in March 2017.

Echo:

Now the starlet is putting on her dancing shoes to join Strictly Come Dancing. Maisie won the Pudsey version of the Glitterball Trophy two years ago when she triumphed against some of her cast mates in the Children in Need and Strictly Come Dancing special, with professional dancer Kevin Clifton.