Strictly Come Dancing 2026 star Lacey Turner is “in pain” as she battles her way through rehearsals this week.
The EastEnders actress, 38, is suffering infected blisters on her feet after throwing herself into gruelling training with partner Vito Coppola.
Lacey has been spotted hobbling around near her training studios with large white dressings covering her feet.
Now her painful condition has been exposed on Strictly companion show Strictly: It Takes Two, raising questions over whether she will be able to dance through the injury this weekend.
Strictly Come Dancing: Lacey Turner’s injuries revealed
Lacey, who is famed for playing Walford’s Stacey Slater, is partnered with Vito Coppola on this year’s Strictly Come Dancing. The pair are currently third on the leaderboard following last Saturday’s Week 1 live show.
The pair performed a Cha Cha and picked up 27 points from judges Shirley Ballas, Anton Du Beke, Motsi Mabuse and Craig Revel Horwood.
They are now preparing to take on the other couples in this week’s Movie Week. However, Lacey’s painful foot problems could make training even tougher.
On Monday (September 28), Lacey was spotted arriving at rehearsals in flip flops. Large white dressings were clearly visible on her feet.
Abi Clarke and Tyler West, who are hosting Strictly: Lights Up on BBC iPlayer this year, have since shed more light on what is happening.
The pair appeared on Strictly: It Takes Two last night to discuss the celebrities’ Week 1 performances.
When the conversation turned to Lacey and Vito, Tyler admitted: “I’m worried about her toes.”
Abi then revealed the extent of Lacey’s problem, saying: “I only learned today that she’s got infected blisters. She’s in pain.”
Ellie looked visibly shocked before replying: “Oh god!”
‘The pain will pay off’
Lacey had already given fans a glimpse of her painful injuries on Instagram just days before her infected blisters were revealed.
Last Friday, Vito shared a video of himself and Lacey sitting on the rehearsal room floor.
Lacey suddenly let out a yelp, prompting Vito to ask: “What’s up with your blisters?” She pointed towards the red and sore patches on her toes.
She then showed him more painful looking red marks across the backs of her heels.
“Oooh, nice,” Vito exclaimed. He then tried to reassure his partner, saying: “It’s going to pay off, it’s going to pay off. All the pain is going to pay off. I promise.”
Vito went on to tell Lacey that she is ‘transforming herself into a dancer’. He shared the clip on Instagram alongside an emoji of a sticking plaster.
Despite the obvious pain, Lacey appeared to put it behind her when she took to the Strictly dancefloor on Saturday night.
But with the injuries now infected, the pressure is on for Lacey to pull off another performance this weekend.
Will she be able to dance through the pain when Movie Week arrives?
Wishing you a speedy recovery, Lacey!
- Strictly Come Dancing continues at 6.15pm on BBC One on Saturday October 3, 2026.
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