Maisie Smith is now reaching new heights on Strictly and Eastenders - but the starlet began her journey is Southend.

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

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

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.

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Last night on BBC One's Strictly Come Dancing, Maisie Smith and dance partner Gorka Marquez performed a salsa after being in the dance-off last weekend.

“I thought that was absolutely brilliant,” Anton Du Beke, who is standing in for Motsi Mabuse on the judging panel, said.

“What a way to come back from that dreaded dance-off,” Ballas said and the couple received 27 points.

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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.

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