As is often the case with Strictly Come Dancing alumni, EastEnders actor Maisie Smith has seen her career explode since she was a finalist in the 2020. Despite losing out on the top spot to wild card comedian Bill Bailey, Maisie was inundated with so many opportunities following her stint in the ballroom that the following year she announced she was stepping back from her role as Tiffany Butcher on EastEnders after 13 years.
As well as new exciting acting jobs in the pipeline, Maisie has been busy maximising on her young fan base by becoming a bonafide social media star - specifically, her TikTok is LIT.
She regularly uploads videos of herself performing the latest TikTok dance trends and routines, proving to her 2.4 million followers that she's still got the mad skills that she picked up during her time on Strictly and the Strictly live tour.
We also get to see snippets of her home life with her gorgeous mum (seriously, if you don't TikTok with your mum are you even on TikTok?) and dog, as well as honest but funny insights into her mental health and, when we're lucky, throwback BTS clips of her time on EastEnders.
She even gave followers a peep at her natural curly hair and she looks SO different.
Maisie Smith TikTok
You can follow Maisie at @maisielousmith.
Who is Maisie Smith?
Maisie is a UK actress but best known for her role on EastEnders.
How old is Maisie Smith?
Maisie is 20 years old. She was born on 9 July 2001.
Who did Maisie Smith play on EastEnders?
Why the iconic Tiffany Butcher, of course. After joining the cast as a whipper-snapper, Maisie left the show in 2021 to focus on new projects.
Did Maisie Smith quit EastEnders?
It was a sad day when we saw Maisie wave goodbye to the role in 2014 and Albert Square. She quit again in 2021 but this doesn't mean she won't ever be back on the square.
When did Maisie Smith return to EastEnders?
After leaving the square in 2014, Maisie reprised her role in November 2016 when she made a previously unannounced temporary return. She then returned full time in January 2018 as a much more grown up Tiff!
In the soap, she's currently married to Keegan Baker and in the midst of some major storylines, more recently Rainie Highway's surrogacy request.
Has Maisie Smith quit EastEnders?
According to reports Maisie has quit EastEnders and will not renew her contract with the BBC show.
A source has said, "Maisie is hugely ambitious and wants to test herself away from soaps.
"Starring in movies is a personal goal and seeing how well Ben and Himesh have done, it's given her hope she could be the next box office star from EastEnders.
"But the intention is to leave in October," they told The Daily Mail.
Which means Maisie's exit could be part of the EastEnders Christmas 2021 storyline.
Does Maisie Smith have a boyfriend?
Maisie is pretty private with her personal life but that hasn't stopped rumours of her dating co-star Zack Morris who plays her onscreen hubby Keegan Taylor.
Following the speculation, Maisie spoke out and said, "I film most of my scenes with Zack, naturally we've built a great friendship. [We're] nothing but mates."
There were also rumours surrounding her relationship with her Strictly co-star HRVY however in March (during the UK's third lockdown) reports came to surface that their spark 'fizzled out'.
Can Maisie Smith sing?
She sure can. In fact, back in 2017, Maisie released her song, Good Thing, and it sent the Internet into a frenzy.
No one could quite believe that the tiny EastEnder was all grown up and trying to crack the music industry.
Maisie has even posted videos on YouTube of her fabulous covers, which include everything from The Jackson’s Who’s Loving You, to Justin Bieber’s Let Me Love You.
The starlet has shown off her impressive talent on Instagram, and her fans were in awe, with some calling her ‘a triple threat’.
"All your hard work has paid off!" one said.
"Your voice is amazing," said another.
CHECK OUT: Maisie Smith's transformation
EastEnders Maisie Smith Then and Now
1 of 6Maisie Smith 2008
Maisie's first ever EastEnders appearance in 2008, she sure arrived with a bang (along with her siblings including Whitney Dean).
2 of 6Maisie Smith 2009
Pretty in pink Maisie makes an entrance at the 2009 British Soap Awards in London.
3 of 6Maisie Smith 2012
She loves a premiere, here's Maisie at the premiere of Sam & Cat in 2013.
4 of 6Masie Smith 2018
The start of Maisie's glow up! She headed back to EastEnders in 2018 - the puff jacket came too obviously.
5 of 6Maisie Smith
Maisie glowed at the NTAs in 2020.
6 of 6Maisie Smith 2021
All smiles at the premiere of A Quiet Place II in London in 2021.
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Was Maisie Smith on Strictly Come Dancing?
In September 2020, in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, Maisie competed in the eighteenth series of BBC's Strictly Come Dancing and was partnered with the one and only Gorka Marquez.
They finished in second place alongside HRVY and Janette Manrara and Jamie Laing and Karen Hauer, losing out to Bill Bailey and Oti Mabuse.
During the series, Maisie expressed her love for dancing and what the show did for her confidence. As she hit the gym to get ready for the intense training sessions, Maisie admitted in a candid Instagram post that she was "insecure of her legs" but she was is working on her "flaws" and working on "loving her body".
Following her honest post Khloe Kardashian reached out to the EastEnders star.
Does Maisie Smith have Instagram?
You can follow Maisie on Instagram @maisiesmithofficial.
Does Maisie Smith have Twitter?
Maisie also has Twitter and you can follow her @maisie_smith_