Actress Nina Wadia has said she is creating different personas for each of her dances on Strictly Come Dancing.

The EastEnders star said creating characters for each of her routines helps her perform them to the best of her ability.

Last week’s episode saw her channel Valentina for the samba, while she will be Sasha to perform the tango on Saturday.

Strictly Come Dancing 2021
Nina Wadia (Ray Burmiston/PA)

Wadia, 52, told the PA news agency: “I did learn something last week, which is I think I need a story.

“As an actor I think if I have a story to tell, I think I somehow will just dance better.

“So I’m just telling the story. Instead of with lines, I will be telling it with dance. I find that easier.”

Wadia, who picked up a score of 24 from the judges last week, said her professional partner Neil Jones “came up with a story for this week which is really fun”.

“I’m just going to enjoy myself,” she said.

National Television Awards 2018 – Arrivals – London
Nina Wadia (Matt Crossick/PA)

“Hopefully if I’m relaxed, the audience will be relaxed and they will come along for the ride.”

Wadia said the gruelling training means that “everything hurts”.

“I don’t think there’s a part of my anatomy that doesn’t hurt,” she said.

“The worst is my feet. They have blistered, they are swollen. I have got blisters on my blisters.

“There’s nothing comfortable about Strictly. It’s just fun when you actually perform.”

The actress said she has lost weight since starting training.

“I have noticed that none of my clothes fit me any more,” she said. “Things are really loose on me.

“It feels nice to be a bit more toned. Especially after having kids you kind of go, ‘I don’t care any more’, and you suddenly get a body again and you go, ‘I quite like this’.”

Strictly Come Dancing continues at 6.45pm on Saturday on BBC One.