Strictly Come Dancing's youngest-ever contestant teases 'all stars comeback'

Former EastEnders actress Louisa Lytton has called for a Strictly Come Dancing all stars series, almost two decades after she first appeared on the hit BBC show as its youngest-ever contestant.

The actress, now 35, was just 17 when she joined the fourth series of the competition in 2006. She was paired with professional dancer Vincent Simone.

Despite her young age, she made it all the way to the quarter-finals before being eliminated in a tense dance-off against Spice Girl Emma Bunton and her partner Darren Bennett.

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Louisa penned a nostalgic Instagram post today, writing: “Did you know I was the youngest standing contestant on the show? Every week was a mix of nerves, glitter, and the pure adrenaline of performing live.

“Being the youngest meant I had a lot to prove — but it also meant I got to embrace the whole experience with wide-eyed excitement and fearless energy. Strictly wasn’t just about the dance steps — it taught me discipline, resilience, and the magic of storytelling through performance.

“I’ll never forget the friendships, the sequins, and the feeling of hearing that music start… Forever grateful for that chapter. All stars comeback please?? @bbcstrictly Good luck to everyone about to start the Strictly journey.”

Louisa accompanied the post with a series of throwback photos from her time on the show. Fans flocked to the comments to reminisce about her Strictly run, with one writing: “Obsessed with your Jive to this day.”

Another added: “You were amazing.” In the 2006 quarter-final, Louisa and Vincent performed the American Smooth, scoring 31 out of 40.

Len Goodman told her: “I was not expecting Louisa to pull off such a lovely performance. It lacked a bit of the wow factor. I thought you did a great job.”

Bruno Tonioli praised her potential but said the dance was “a bit safe,” while Craig Revel Horwood was less impressed, calling it “mediocre” and “boring”.

Their Rumba only nabbed the duo 28 points. Bruno critiqued her, saying: “Of all the Latin dances this is the one that really tells a story. I didn’t see a story, I saw tricks and you lost balance a few times as well.”

Craig also felt it was “a little bit jagged and not enough Rumba”. Despite these shortcomings, Louisa left the show with her head held high, saying: “I loved every minute of it. I’ve lived every little girl’s dream out there.”

Her partnership with Vincent blossomed into a close friendship, and at the time Louisa told the BBC : “We’re going on holiday together to Italy. I love him and we’ll continue with the lessons.”

Since Strictly, Louisa has enjoyed a varied acting career. She returned to EastEnders as Ruby Allen after her time in the ballroom, and also went on to play PC Beth Green in The Bill. She even represented the UK at the Eurovision Dance Contest in 2008, where she finished ninth.

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