Sarah Hadland may be at the top of the Strictly leaderboard, but she could be developing a 'bad reputation'.
The actress, best known for playing Stevie Sutton in BBC's Miranda, wowed judges last week with her Argentine Tango to Ready or Not by Fugees / Scala. Along with her pro dancing partner Vito Coppola, the dynamic duo scored an impressive 38 points from the panel, ranking joint first with Eastenders star Jamie Borthwick and Michelle Tsiakkas.
The couple have been rehearsing hard this week ahead of their next performance: the Cha Cha to Madonna's hit Like a Prayer. But, behind-the-scenes, Sarah, 53, might not be so popular...
In a 2015 interview with the British Comedy Guide, the actress admitted that she'd developed a 'bad reputation' while filming the TV sitcom The Job Lot, starring Russel Tovey, Jo Enright, Laura Aikman, Angela Curran, and Nick Mohammed. "We're all in little dressing room cabins, and I'm known for not knocking, just kicking the door open and going 'what're you doing, what's going on?'," she said.
"Generally, people don't like [it] but I still do it! But Nick became quickly quite accepting that any moment his dressing room door might be kicked open and I'd be standing there going 'what you doing, what's happening?'"
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Earlier this year, Sarah was quick to quell the 'Strictly curse' rumours that circulate every year, after being asked whether she 'fancied' her dancing partner Vito. "What a ridiculous question to ask me," she replied candidly. "Yes, I fancied him. I'm alive, aren't I? If you're female and have a heartbeat, how could he NOT be anybody's type?"
However, the star says she doesn't have the 'energy' for an on-screen fling if she's serious about winning the Glitterball Trophy. "I'll be honest - I can either do the dance or have an affair, but I can't do both. I'm committed to the dance now," she added.
Despite ruling out a ballroom romance, Sarah isn't afraid to rehearse some steamy routine with Vito. In week two, she described their paso doble as 'very serious and sensual' - adding: "I kept the eye to camera because there’s a lot of, I’m going to call 'tuppence to thigh'... There's a lot of groin to thigh, and I have to look deep into his eyes - which makes it ten times worse."
Strictly Come Dancing airs every Saturday on BBC One.
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