Inside the glam life of EastEnders’ Balvinder Sopal which is worlds away from the struggles of Suki Panesar
EASTENDERS star Balvinder Sopal, who plays the role of Suki Panesar, has had an exciting journey so far on the BBC soap, but little is known about her life away from the show.
The actress joined Walford as a sassy and stern businesswoman turned villain in 2020 and has steadily become a fan favourite.
The EastEnders Suki star arrived in Albert Square like a hurricane, ready to cause a stir and a force not to be messed with.
Her arrival on the soap also introduced viewers to the matriarch's family, which included her four children, Kheerat, Jags, Ash, and Vinny, along with her conniving husband, Nishandeep Singh "Nish" Panesar.
Over the past three years, there's been plenty of chaos within the family, and most recently, Suki has found herself in deep trouble after witnessing Denise hitting Nish over the head with a champagne bottle and Linda killing Keanu with a knife on Christmas Day.
Nonetheless, she has stayed level-headed throughout the ordeal and has become the voice of reasoning between the six women who have murder on their hands.
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However, Balvinder's world completely differs from her stubborn character, who has fallen in love with another woman on the soap and is ready to risk it all for the greater good.
Let's dive in and unravel the Kent native's acting career so far, her actual age, and the glamorous lifestyle she shares on social media.
Acting career and Rival soaps
In 2001, Balvinder made her acting debut in theatres when she played Bhelua in The Beautiful Violin at Oldham Coliseum Theatre.
She then performed in Absent Friends, Relatively Speaking, and The Tales of the Harrow.
In the same year, she made her on-screen debut as Reena in the BBC series Kidhaar! and then was cast as Fatima in the TV film White Girl before returning to the BBC in 2008.
Since then, the TV star has toured the soap world before getting a role in EastEnders.
She is not leaving any British soap off her resumé after she has been seen starring in Emmerdale, Coronation Street, Doctors, and Hollyoaks.
In December 2019, Balvinder finally got the regular soap break she had yearned for when she was cast as Suki, with her first scenes airing in January 2020.
Real age
In EastEnders, viewers are unclear how old Balvinder's character Suki really is, but in real life, she is 45 years old, which means she isn’t that much older than her on-screen son Kheerat.
Balvinder and Jaz Deol, who play the Kheerat role, have a 12-year gap between them, which means that in real life, they are more like brother and sister instead of mother and son.
Glamorous life away from Eastenders
Away from the beloved soap, Balvinder resides in Medway, Kent and lives a humble life in the Gillingham/Chatham area of the county.
She often uploads snaps on Instagram of her daily life and snippets of herself at home.
In a social media post of herself, the star shared her love for her hometown.
She wrote: "I love where I come from. It's taken me a while to really appreciate how creatively diverse Medway and surrounding areas in Kent are.
"Sure, some places aren't as beautiful, affluent, or full of rows of quaint little coffee shops, but it is full of heart, and it's where I grew up. It's where I come from."
The Suki actress also takes time to indulge in some glamorous activities and often shares stunning snaps and selfies on her instagram account @leesopal.
She was seen enjoying a lavish holiday abroad in Turkey, where she let down her hair during the summer holidays.
In the snaps posted on her Instagram, she is holding a drink under the sun while looking worlds away from her Suki role.
In the caption, she penned: "Take me back to Turkish Tea, buzzing bazaars, and the Salty sea.
“To curious stray cats, and bats, and late night chats // To opulent doors, and hammams and crazy boat tours. To the Turkish hospitality, so full of love and divine beauty. Take me back to Turkiye."
Advocating for women
Balvinder has made it known over the years that she is a big fan of inspiring and empowering women.
Speaking to KentLive last year about why International Women's Day is essential, she said: “ I think we need it because we’re still having conversations where women still don’t feel comfortable in specific spaces or feel that they’re being heard or seen.
“Speaking up and speaking about your own story is very important, and we’re all equal and valued as human beings."
The Suki star spends her spare time working for Kent Refugee Action Network, where she recalled meeting a young refugee once who told her that they had learned to speak English by watching British soap operas.
Touched by the encounter, Balvinder took to Instagram and revisited the moment, saying: “She told me she learned to speak English (the way the English do) by listening to us on the telly.
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“I was amused, and yet this way of learning language and culture resonated with me. Watching Bollywood movies and Indian soaps was also one of the ways I learned to speak Hindi, Punjabi and Urdu."
EastEnders airs Monday to Thursday on BBC One at 7.30pm
