As Strictly Come Dancing hurtles towards its 2025 quarter-finals, one contestant's journey stands out for its perceived injustice. Balvinder Sopal, the EastEnders star, is widely tipped for elimination this weekend, having survived an exhausting four dance-offs.
The Relentless Dance-Off Cycle
Balvinder's Strictly experience has been defined by the bottom two. Her first appearance came after Movie Week, where her Foxtrot to The Way You Look Tonight scored a respectable 26 points. While not as memorable as Lewis Cope's Paso Doble that earned the series' first 10, it was far from the weakest performance that evening.
The pattern continued relentlessly. The following week, she found herself in the middle of the leaderboard yet back in the dance-off, despite much weaker performances from other celebrities. Stefan Dennis delivered a painful Charleston to Dance Monkey, Harry Aikens-Aryeetey's Rumba lacked technical skill, La Voix earned the lowest Week 4 score in Strictly history, and Karen Carney had an uncharacteristically poor Quickstep.
The Visibility Problem and Public Perception
One theory suggests that being in the dance-off so frequently has denied Balvinder crucial airtime with Claudia Winkleman during results shows, limiting her visibility and preventing the public from properly connecting with her. Many viewers comment 'I like her... but she's not memorable,' yet all the routines mentioned above were equally forgettable and still outperformed her in the public vote.
What makes Balvinder's situation particularly frustrating is her remarkable improvement throughout the series. Her Blackpool Argentine Tango featured arguably the most difficult and spectacular lift of the night, with her launching into the air and spinning like a Catherine wheel. She proved herself sexy, ferocious, and capable of being a frontrunner.
Standout Moments and Unfair Consistency
Beyond the dance-offs, Balvinder has delivered some of the season's most moving moments. Her Couple's Choice routine brought authentic Bollywood magic to the dance floor, dedicated to her late mother. It earned 34 points - her highest score - and justly kept her out of the bottom two that week.
Despite her unfair consistency in the dance-off, Balvinder has reached the top six - a huge achievement that highlights her resilience. Had La Voix not withdrawn due to injury, she might have avoided the dance-off entirely during Blackpool week. If she lands there again this weekend, she'll tie singer Jamelia's unwanted record for most bottom two appearances.
The frequency with which she's faced elimination feels particularly cruel given the quality of her performances. Each week she's endured the mental strain of possible exit, regardless of how well she danced. When popular contestant Vicky Pattison was eliminated in Week 8, the public outcry was immense, overshadowing Balvinder's success in a way that felt unfairly dismissive.
While twice in the dance-off might have been understandable, the speed and frequency of her appearances there have often seemed undeserved and nonsensical. As the newly announced Instant Dance Challenge approaches this Saturday, where couples have just ten seconds to prepare a performance, this could be Balvinder's chance to go out in style and finally receive the public appreciation she deserves.
