Bobby Brazier has taken EastEnders by storm and shown off his salsa skills on Strictly – but now he’s following in his dad Jeff’s footsteps by trying out football. The 21-year-old is making his pitch debut for Soccer Aid on ITV1, which sees UK stars lace up their boots for a game of footie to support charity Unicef.

Joining the England side with the likes of Sam Thompson, Paddy McGuinness and Jill Scott, Bobby admits that he “couldn’t say no” when Soccer Aid asked him to play. “It’s an amazing opportunity for an amazing charity,” he says. “It is unlike anything I’ve ever done before. The scale of the event and the stadium is unbelievable.”

But Bobby isn’t the first Brazier to take to the pitch, with his TV presenter dad Jeff, 45, playing for West Ham United as a youngster as well as numerous teams throughout the 90s. “I think my dad is even more excited than I am,” Bobby grins. “He’s on me to get training and get into peak fitness for the match.”

The EastEnders star is making the most of his dad’s background, taking him on as an unofficial trainer. “We went to the gym recently and he put me through a tough session,” Bobby says.

“My dad is a good footballer, he always coached my teams growing up and we always developed as a team. I will definitely utilise training with him,” he adds. “He’ll be in the stands on the day and wouldn’t miss it! I think he’s living through me when it comes to Soccer Aid for Unicef.”

Bobby charmed the nation with his ballroom skills on Strictly Come Dancing last year, ending the show as a runner-up with professional Dianne Buswell. Could the quickstep help him secure victory for England? “I’m going to try my best,” he laughs. “My moves on Strictly are a little different to my moves on the football pitch. I played a game of five-a-side the other day to get my fitness up and I am definitely there to win.”

Although Bobby is playing alongside his former EastEnders colleague Danny Dyer, he wishes his soap co-star Clay Milner Russell – who plays Bobby Beale – was joining him on the team. “If I could pick an EastEnders star to play with me, I would have to go for my best friend Clay,” he says.

“He’s one of my best friends on and off screen,” adds Bobby, who has played Freddie Slater since 2022. “I would pick him purely because I think he’d be rubbish on the pitch and he’d make me look really good!”

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However, Bobby isn’t so cocky about going up against former Chelsea player Eden Hazard. “To play against Eden is going to be absolutely incredible but I can’t say I am excited about it because one-on-one, it’ll be a losing battle for me – every time,” he says. “To potentially take the ball off of Eden Hazard is really exciting.”