Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)

Strictly Tam Dancing

» Daughters beg her to take other Ender stars’ lead » She says it’s now or never, before I hit 50s

- BY JANINE YAQOOB TV Editor janine.yaqoob@mirror.co.uk

SHE once played EastEnders’ nightclub queen Mel Owen, who famously sent customers running for their lives after setting fire to the E20.

But now Tamzin Outhwaite aims to set a very different dancefloor ablaze – as she’s poised to land a place on Strictly.

The 49-year-old actress is reportedly close to signing up for the BBC contest after saying in 2019 it was “next year or never”. The mum of two told how her daughters Florence, 12, and Marnie, seven, were “desperate” for her to be on the show.

“But I think I’m a bit old,” she said. “I’m not sure my body could take it.

“Part of me thinks I should just do it next year as a last hurrah before my fifties.” She’s set to follow the glitterbal­l lead of other EastEnders stars including Emma Barton, Jake Wood, Kellie Bright, Kara Tointon, who won in 2010, and Jill Halfpenny who lifted the trophy in 2004. Tamzin – who was trained at the world-famous Sylvia Young Theatre School – got her big break as fiery Mel in Albert Square in 1998, working for local businessma­n Ian Beale.

COMEDY

She left in 2002, returning as the manager of the E20 nightclub in 2018. Mel was killed off in a road crash last year.

Londoner Tamzin has also starred in the BBC crime drama New Tricks.

She is currently appearing in online menopause comedy Dun Breedin’ with pals Julie Graham and Angela Griffin.

The star has been dating documentar­y maker Tom Child for almost three years following her divorce from fellow actor Tom Ellis, the father of her two children.

She recently told how she and Tom had become like the Queen Vic’s fiery publicans Dirty Den and Angie Watts in lockdown – bickering as they worked on her YouTube series.

Her Dun Breedin’ co-star Denise Welch made the revelation on Kate Thornton’s podcast White Wine Question Time. She said: “We have a WhatsApp group and Tam said, ‘In all the time me and Tom have been together we haven’t argued. But this has turned us into Den and Ange’.”

 ??  ?? WOOD YOU DANCE? Jake with Janette Manrara in 2014 show
SO NEAR EastEnder Emma and Anton du Beke reached the final last year
WINNER Ex-EastEnder Jill Halfpenny with Darren Bennett in 2004
FIREBRAND As Walford club boss Mel
WOOD YOU DANCE? Jake with Janette Manrara in 2014 show SO NEAR EastEnder Emma and Anton du Beke reached the final last year WINNER Ex-EastEnder Jill Halfpenny with Darren Bennett in 2004 FIREBRAND As Walford club boss Mel

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