Former Eastenders star Natalie Cassidy is rumoured to have signed up for this years series of Strictly Come Dancing.

However the portly actress isn’t doing it for the love of dance, but is planning to use the show as a way of losing some excess weight.

A source told The Sun: “Natalie’s thrilled. She is a huge fan of the show and it’s exactly what she needs to kickstart her career.

“Since leaving EastEnders she’s not done a huge amount of acting and this could really boost her profile. Natalie really wants to get fit too.”

The source added: “Natalie knows she can lose weight, she just needs the motivation. She could have a new DVD out by Christmas.

“She’s a big star and people really warm to her. Appearing on Strictly is a dream come true for her.”