Maisie Smith, 19, has wowed judges from the get-go on Strictly Come Dancing as she and her pro dancer partner Gorka Marquez take the ballroom by storm. But it hasn’t been an easy ride for the EastEnders actress, who found herself being critiqued by viewers who mistook her confidence for “cockiness”.
Maisie has been in the public eye since she joined the long-running BBC soap as Tiffany Bucther in 2001 at just six-years-old.
Since then, viewers and fans have watched her grow up on-screen and become a social media sensation, but taking on the dancing competition has thrust her into a more prominent spotlight than ever before.
One where she’s learnt a valuable lesson about being true to herself and ignore “cruel people”.
In a recent interview, Maisie opened up on being a woman in show-business: “It’s certainly not one of the perks of being in the public eye,” she said.
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“It’s hard not to let it affect you,” she admitted.
“I do have to genuinely remind myself to just trust myself and be me.
“I won’t sit here and say I don’t care what people say about me. I’m a human being after all and I do,” she told OK! Magazine.
Ahead of Week 6, Maisie and Gorka vowed to give it their all after a small set-back on Saturday almost saw the pro dancer drop his partner on her head during a backflip.