02 September 2023 , 20:53
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Molly Rainford is giving fellow EastEnder Bobby Brazier secret dance lessons ahead of his stint on Strictly.
Molly, 22, who took part in the BBC ballroom show last year, made her Albert Square debut in June alongside Colin Salmon, Harriet Thorpe and Francesca Henry. And in an exclusive interview, she says she is tipping the 20-year-old actor for Strictly Come Dancing glory – now that she’s taught him the correct frame for ballroom dancing.
Molly, who finished sixth with her pro partner Carlos Gu last year, said: “I had no idea Bobby was going for Strictly but when I found out, straight away I was showing him the frame. “I joked to him, ‘How about we practise together and then you say I taught you everything you know’. So that’s what’s happening – though of course his pro partner may say different.
Freddie Slater and Anna Knight have started a romance (BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron)“My advice to him was just to enjoy it and take it all in, and to expect it to be tougher than you thought. “The work that goes in is much more than I expected… the routine you perform on Saturday definitely doesn’t look like that on Monday. “So I said to him, ‘You will have to take it a bit seriously at times. If you want Shirley to notice the technique, you have to give it some welly.’
“But I’m sure he will work hard because he’ll want to get things right. He has the drive for it. “He can come across as very laid-back but on set at EastEnders, he’s so focused and wants to get the scenes right. “I’m going to have major FOMO ( fear of missing out) watching him perform though. “The show is so hard physically, but even with all the ice baths in the world, I would still do it every year if I could.”
Strictly's Molly Rainford and Tyler West fuel romance rumours while on tour
Molly said it was her dream to work on EastEnders (BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron)Bobby, the son of late reality TV star Jade Goody and TV presenter Jeff Brazier, and Molly are set to become even closer now their on-screen characters have coupled up. This week, fans saw Bobby’s character Freddie Slater seduce Molly’s Anna Knight. The pair’s liaison came after Anna was rocked by the reappearance of her absent mum Rose – and the news she is in fact Cindy Beale (Michelle Collins).
Walford legend Cindy, who was said to have died in childbirth, was actually put into the witness protection scheme and given a new identity. And as she comes to terms with the bombshell, Anna – who had unknowingly started dating her non-biological step-sibling Bobby Beale – sought comfort from Freddie. But the romantic scenes presented a new challenge for both Molly and Bobby as neither had filmed any sex scenes before.
Molly found fame on Britain's Got Talent (Ken McKay/Thames/REX/Shutterstock)
She finished sixth with her pro partner Carlos Gu last year (Humphrey Nemar)Molly, who found fame on Britain’s Got Talent before landing the lead role on CBBC’s Nova Jones, said: “I had my first on-screen kiss with Clay Milner Russell, who plays Bobby, then, in the same week, we’re filming the next one with Bobby. “We had an intimacy coach on set so you don’t have to wing it, but it was a little weird because I’ve known Bobby since we were little. “I don’t know if I’d rather have done it with a stranger.
“It was Bobby’s first intimate scene too so we were both nervous. We started off with me being more nervous and him telling me it would be OK but then when we got on the floor, he was the one saying, ‘Uh-oh, it’s time’. “In the end, it was as comfortable as it could be. Obviously it feels a bit like you shouldn’t be doing it, but that’s the job, isn’t it?”
Molly is gearing up for the British soap awards on Tuesday (Humphrey Nemar)One person who probably didn’t look forward to the episode is Molly’s boyfriend, Kiss DJ Tyler West. The pair , who met while competing on last year’s Strictly, got together on the live stage tour earlier this year. But Molly says Tyler doesn’t have a leg to stand on when it comes to jealousy – as he recently asked a stranger to marry him for a radio prank.
She said: “In the same week I was filming those scenes, Tyler had to propose to someone for a joke. He didn’t do it with millions of people watching, though of course it could always go viral. But Tyler is so cool and relaxed. “We’re lucky we’re in a similar industry, so we both get it – we know it’s work and that’s it. “Kissing someone on screen is just part of being an actor. “Ty understands… he’s the best.”
The couple’s relationship has gone from strength to strength since he asked her on a date to Nando’s during the tour. And she admitted there was a spark between them during the series – but she “put that in a box” until filming was over. “We really hit it off as pals, but both of us wanted to focus on the show and give it our best shot,” she said. “I’m not saying there was no spark but it was only really on tour that we explored the other side. “Now, I’m glad we got to have our own experiences on the show without it being all about that.”
Molly and her boyfriend Tyler West on holiday in Jamaica (INSTAGRAM /)
Molly is now giving tips to Bobby for Strictly (BBC/Guy Levy)The couple recently went on holiday to Jamaica after months of being “like ships in the night”. And after the trip, Molly said she would love to live with Tyler. “Because our schedules are so manic, hopefully in the future we’ll have a place we can come back to together,” she said. We still dance at home and when we go out with friends, we always end up doing the salsa. “It’s crazy to think Strictly brought us together.”
Molly, who recently released new single My Heart is a Broken Record, will be at the National TV Awards on Tuesday, where EastEnders is up for Best Serial Drama. And the cast will be hoping to add the gong to the British Soap Award they won for Best British Soap in June.
Molly said: “I’m really excited for the NTAs because I feel like I’m part of EastEnders now. I’m absolutely loving it. “It’s crazy that I grew up watching ‘Who Killed Lucy Beale?’ and now Lucy is my sister, and Cindy is my mum. “Where do I want to go next? Maybe the real job is owning The Queen Vic. I’m really excited about what the future holds.”
Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman 'sign deal' to host Strictly for two more years
■The National Television Awards will be shown on Tuesday, ITV, at 8pm