BBC Strictly Come Dancing's Sarah Hadland had 'bad reputation' on set

Sarah Hadland might be leading the pack on Strictly's leaderboard, but whispers of her off-screen antics could mar her sparkling reputation. Best known for her role as Stevie Sutton in the hit series Miranda on BBC, she dazzled the judges last time with a fiery Argentine Tango to the beats of Ready or Not by Fugees / Scala.

Together with her professional dance partner Vito Coppola, they bagged a whopping 38 points from the panel, placing them at the top alongside Eastenders' Jamie Borthwick and Michelle Tsiakkas.

The pair have been practicing tirelessly ahead of their next performance - the Cha Cha to Madonna's classic tune Like a Prayer. Yet, despite her on-stage success, 53 year old Sarah may not be winning as many fans behind the scenes.

Back in a 2015 chat with the British Comedy Guide, the actress owned up to earning a 'bad reputation' on set of The Job Lot which featured stars like Russel Tovey, Jo Enright, Laura Aikman, Angela Curran, and Nick Mohammed. She confessed, "We're all in little dressing room cabins, and I'm known for not knocking, just kicking the door open and going 'what're you doing, what's going on?'” adding candidly “Generally, people don't like [it] but I still do it!"

She continued: "But Nick became quickly quite accepting that any moment his dressing room door might be kicked open and I'd be standing there going 'what you doing, what's happening?"

Earlier in the year, Sarah swiftly dismissed speculation about the 'Strictly curse' after being pressed on whether she was attracted to her dance partner Vito, reports the Mirror. She responded with candour: "What a ridiculous question to ask me," and went on to declare, "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?"

Yet, she voiced that pursuing an on-screen romance is not in the cards if she’s focused on winning the Glitterball Trophy, saying: "I'll be honest - I can either do the dance or have an affair, but I can't do both. I'm committed to the dance now."

Although she has rebuffed the idea of a showmance, Sarah is not shy about practising some risqué routines with Vito.

Describing their paso doble performed during week two, she referred to it as "very serious and sensual," and mentioned the intimate nature of the dance: "I kept the eye to camera because there's a lot of, I'm going to call 'tuppence to thigh'... There's a lot of groin to thigh, and I have to look deep into his eyes - which makes it ten times worse."