'I'M FROM THE EAST END SO IT'S SPECIAL TO ME'

Molly Rainford chats about life in Albert Square and finding love on last year's series of Strictly

- RIANNE ISON, JEN PHARO

She only waltzed into Walford three months ago but Molly Rainford is already at the heart of the action in EastEnders.

The Strictly Come Dancing 2022 finalist arrived in Walford as big-hearted Anna Knight, when her dad George (Colin Salmon) moved into the Queen Vic with his girlfriend Elaine Peacock (Harriet Thorpe).

A bombshell storyline saw her hire a private detective to find her long lost mum Rose, only to discover she’d started life as Cindy Beale (Michelle Collins) and met their dad in witness protection. Now her mum is living as Cindy again.

She’s also watched her sister Gina (Francesca Henry) suffer an overdose and is embroiled in a love triangle with Freddie Slater (Bobby Brazier) and Bobby Beale (Clay Milner Russell).

It’s heavy going, but as a born and bred east Londoner, it means the world to Molly, 22, to be on the show. “It’s pretty iconic, especially for me – I’m from the East End so it feels very special to me – and my family as well,” she says. “Walking out on that square for the first time and seeing it all in the flesh was very crazy.”

When she told her family she’d landed a role in EastEnders, they were thrilled and have become devoted watchers of the soap.

“Everyone was like, ‘EastEnders?! We’re going to catch up!’” says Molly. “It was really lovely.”