Strictly's Sarah Hadland looks so different in TV roles years before Miranda fame

Strictly Come Dancing star Sarah Hadland has been a fan favourite on the dance floor this series, but she's also had a successful TV and film career for over 30 years

Sarah Hadland, the actress currently wowing the judges on Strictly Come Dancing with her professional dance partner Vito Coppola, is no stranger to the spotlight. The duo have secured second place on the leaderboard for three out of four weeks. But off the dance floor, 53 year old Sarah is best recognised for her role as Stevie, Miranda's best friend in the comedy series Miranda from 2009 to 2015. However, her career spans back to theatre roles at 19 and TV appearances in shows like Bad Girls and Dream Team in her twenties.

Born in Hertfordshire, Sarah has graced screens in popular series such as The Bill, Casualty, Peep Show and Green Wing. She also starred in the 2006 British rom-com Confetti alongside Martin Freeman, Olivia Colman and Jimmy Carr. Her brief appearance in Bond movie Quantum of Solace and voice work for children’s show Fireman Sam are notable, but she's most loved for her comedic roles in That Mitchell and Webb Look, Horrible Histories, W1A and Miranda.

Post-Miranda, Sarah has kept busy with recurring roles in The Job Lot, voicing characters in Bob the Builder, and appearing in sci-fi drama The Man Who Fell To Earth and Johnny Vegas' comedy series Murder, They Hope.

Announced as a Strictly contestant in August, paired with pro dancer Vito Coppola, she gushed: "I cannot believe I am part of Strictly! I feel particularly excited to be part of such an iconic show in its 20th year. I’m so ready for the glitz, glam and glitter and hopefully I can make everyone watching at home proud!"

In a recent Grazia interview, she confessed that this wasn't her first Strictly invitation, having been asked "at least ten" times before. "'A show like [Strictly] is a massive commitment and I always feel when I watch it, I don’t want to see people there who don’t really want to be there. I really wanted to do it this year. I turned it down quite a lot. I think I first got asked the year that Miranda went out which is a long time ago. My mum has also been badgering me and she was ecstatic."

She has also spoken about how much she loves dressing up for the show. "It’s amazing. The first time I saw my costume, it was literally three handkerchiefs of purple Lycra with six safety pins. I was like, "Wow, that’s really basic. How are they going to bougie this up?" she told Radio Times. "After my fitting, I turned around to look in the mirror and it was a bit of a moment. It really caught me off guard. I just burst into tears. I’ve never worn anything so beautiful."

"I want wheelbarrows of glitter to be chucked on me, and then Vito can be spinning me. He spins me so quickly though! The first day, I had motion sickness."