BBC Strictly star Maisie Smith open to BBC EastEnders return

The 21-year-old actress, who is from Westcliff, is currently on hiatus from the BBC One soap, but she claims the door is always open for her to reprise her role as Tiffany Butcher.

Tiffany is currently residing in Germany with her brother Liam.

The former Chalkwell Hall Junior School pupil told OK!: "You never leave EastEnders. I’ve got a family on there that will be there for the next 50 years. I’ll always have a place there. The next time someone gets married or dies, I’m sure I’ll be back.

"They’ve watched me grow up and have never treated me any differently.”

Gorka Marquez and Maisie Smith during the dress rehearsal for Strictly Come Dancing (Image: PA/BBC)

The BBC Strictly contestant’s career has been given a major boost after signing up to appear in Bermondsey Tales: Fall Of The Roman Empire.

She is playing the part of Chloe, a leading player in a mobster family opposite Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels actor Alan Ford and Kidulthood star Adam Deacon.

A source told The Sun: "Maisie has secured her first big film role and shooting will begin later this year. It is an exciting new venture for Maisie and she can’t wait to dip her toe into a big new project.

"Since Strictly and EastEnders she has kept her eyes open for her next on-screen job and the people behind Bermondsey Tales thought Maisie was the perfect fit."

Maisie is filming the movie after her stint in the stage show Strictly Ballroom: The Musical.

Maisie previously made her feature film debut at the age of four when she appeared as a young Elizabeth I in the 2008 film The Other Boleyn Girl opposite Eddie Redmayne, Benedict Cumberbatch and Scarlett Johansson.

She went on to land the role of Tiffany in EastEnders when she was just six - staying with the show for more than a decade before stepping back last year.