MAKING A MOVE - 'WE STILL GET NEGATIVE COMMENTS BUT WE'RE IN LOVE'

MAISIE SMITH ON HER 13-YEAR AGE GAP WITH BOYFRIEND MAX GEORGE, MOVING TO MANCHESTER WITH HIM AND HER EXCITING NEW VENTURE

- LISA BLAKE

Maisie Smith’s feet have barely touched the ground since she came runner-up on Strictly Come Dancing with her dance partner Gorka Márquez in 2020.

The former EastEnders actress appeared in the Strictly UK tours in 2021 and 2022, and last autumn she bagged the role of the lead female, Fran, in touring stage show Strictly Ballroom: The Musical, alongside former Strictly professional Kevin Clifton.

Her six-month contract finished in March and since then, the star has been enjoying a well-deserved rest with her boyfriend, The Wanted star Max George.

Maisie says, “Me and Max sat at home doing nothing for a month straight. I felt like I deserved it, I’ve had a physically intense job. We both agreed to chill and take our minds off everything and enjoy moving in together. It’s such a big chapter in a relationship and it was the first time that we’ve been together where I haven’t been on tour, so we barely left the house.”

The star has taken on the big project of renovating the house. “It’s never-ending. I’ve bitten off more than I can chew. I’m designing it all and I’m putting a lot of pressure on myself because we’ll paint a wall and then I’m like, ‘I don’t like it.’”

Maisie, 21, and Max, 34, confirmed their relationship last November, two years after first meeting on Strictly. In February, Max asked Maisie to move in by romantically planting house keys in a bag of pick’n’mix sweets. We can’t help but wonder if the romance is still going strong or whether any bad habits have crept in since they started living together...