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Natalie Cassidy has said that she is feeling "competitive" now that Zoe Lucker has exited Strictly Come Dancing.
The EastEnders actress admitted that she was "still very sad" about Lucker's departure last week, but claimed that she would use her friend's exit as motivation in training.
"I love this programme, but I've lost my best friend," Cassidy told It Takes Two. "Zoe was my pal and mate from the show.
"The thing it's done is that it's made me more competitive. I wanted Zoe to win, but now she's gone - the gloves are off. I've got to go for it now."
She added: "Vincent [Simone, professional partner] has stepped it up this week. I cannot believe the difference in our training routine. Suddenly the conversation has stopped and it’s all about the training. Don't get me wrong, we have always trained really hard, but it has gone really full on.
"It is very difficult the choreography that he has given me, I think he's a madman."
Cassidy and Simone will perform a quick-step on this week's Strictly, which airs at 6.25pm on BBC One.
