Strictly’s ‘dark horse’ is ‘set for the final’ after fans rush to bet £1,000s on her, say bookies

MIRANDA star Sarah Hadland has emerged as this year's Strictly Come Dancing 'dark horse', with bookies' already touting her to win.

The actress, 53, is partnered up with last year's champ, Vito Coppola, and the pair of them have been wowing on the dancefloor.

Sarah has enjoyed an incredible a career as an actress and is best known for BBC One's hit show Miranda, and the ITV sitcom The Job Lot.

But now she is wowing on the Strictly dancefloor, with both the judges and viewers at home singing her praises.

Bookies are now saying she is the "dark horse" who is set to run away with the Glitterball this series.

Betting shops are giving Sarah odds of 12/1 to win the show, after fans started to bet "thousand of pounds" on her to win.

It comes as the actress recently admitted to The Sun she "fancied" her pro-dance partner Vito the moment she clapped eyes on him.

When we asked her, she said: “What a ridiculous question to ask me.

"Yes, I fancied him. I’m alive, aren’t I?

"If you’re female and have a heartbeat, how could he NOT be anybody’s type?

“The paso doble we’re doing this week is very serious and sensual, and when we started learning it I was very, very giggly.

“I kept the eye to camera because there’s a lot of, I’m going to call ‘tuppence to thigh’.

"I’m being bold but I can because I’m talking to The Sun.

“There’s a lot of groin to thigh, and I have to look deep into his eyes — which make it ten times worse.”

Sarah said: “As an actor, you do get to be very up close with people, but with Strictly it’s another level.

"You have to be so close.

“I’m going to be honest, though — it’s not hard.

"Or rather, should we say, it’s not difficult. Let’s go with that.

“I’ve been a superfan of Strictly since it began. It’s incredible — everything, the costume . . .  then Vito is the cherry on the cake!”

When Sarah was first announced as the Strictly, it was revealed that she had trained as a ballet dancer.

Some fans said this gave her an "unfair advantage" on the dancefloor.

It came after her friend and EastEnders star Alex Kingston said in 2019:

"Sarah Hadland and I talked about how much we’d like to do Strictly Come Dancing.

“Then I discovered that she’s actually a trained ballet dancer.

"'Hang on a minute! That’s not fair!’ So, I can’t do it on a season when she is on it!

“It’s also a massive commitment and, as an actor, you never know whether you’re going to be available for that time or whether it means cutting out the possibility of an acting job."

•  Strictly Come Dancing continues on BBC One on Saturday at 6.20pm.