Strictly’s Maisie Smith branded ‘utterly beautiful’ in make-up-free selfie

Strictly Come Dancing recruit Maisie Smith has floored fans with her latest Instagram offering.

The 19-year-old star, who’s put her name down for the autumn’s Strictly, was branded “natural and utterly beautiful” as she stared moodily at the camera.

Maisie had tied her hair back in a messy ponytail, letting the camera capture her fresh-faced features.

“The bigger the hoop the bigger the heart,” she captioned the picture.

The EastEnders actress recently made headlines when her name was announced for Strictly 2020, having won the Children in Need special just last year.

EastEnders co-star Patsy Palmer was the first to weigh in on the snap, remarking: “Love you with no makeup.”

One fans shared a string of heart eyes emojis, while another gushed: “This is my favourite look of yours….au natural and utterly beautiful.”

“Genuinely beautiful,” a third penned.

A fourth applauded: “Yes to the caption and you iz beaut.”

Since Maisie’s name was dropped for Strictly, reports have emerged that the show’s pros are scrambling to be paired up with her.

“All the male pros really want to partner with her,” an insider told The Sun on Sunday, “not just because she’s young and fit, but she’s also proven herself to be a brilliant dancer.

“She has a massive fan following, which often ensures contestants get far in the competition.”

Fans breathed a sigh of relief when the BBC confirmed Strictly would be going ahead after the Covid disruption had raised doubts.

And the line-up, which you can check out here, looks to be one of the most star-studded yet.

The Wanted’s Max George, actress Caroline Quentin and GMB’s Ranvir Singh are among the other big names that will be putting on their dancing shoes.

Jamie Laing will be there too, having sat out last year’s show due to injury.

And Olympic champ boxer Nicola Adams is set to make history as she takes to the floor in the show’s first same-sex partnership.

This means she will be dancing with another woman, professional Katya Jones reportedly already throwing her name into the ring.

Last year saw pros Johannes Radebe and Graziano di Prima perform a routine together, while Dancing on Ice welcomed their own same-sex couple in the shape of Ian “H” Watkins and Matt Evers.

Nicola’s told in recent weeks about how she agreed to put her name down for the show if she could dance with another woman.

“They wanted to know if I wanted to be on the show,” she said, “and I said, ‘Yeah, I’ll do it, but I want to dance with another female.’

“It’s really important, and it’s a big step for the show as well.

“It’s nice to see that we’re able to move on. I just can’t wait to get some dancing done.”