Maisie Smith’s feet have barely touched the ground since she came runner-up on Strictly Come Dancing with her dance partner Gorka Márquez in 2020.
The former EastEnders actress appeared in the Strictly UK tours in 2021 and 2022, and last autumn she bagged the role of the lead female, Fran, in touring stage show Strictly Ballroom: The Musical, alongside former Strictly professional Kevin Clifton.
Her six-month contract finished in March and since then, the star has been enjoying a well-deserved rest with her boyfriend, The Wanted star Max George.
Maisie says, “Me and Max sat at home doing nothing for a month straight. I felt like I deserved it, I’ve had a physically intense job. We both agreed to chill and take our mind off everything and enjoy moving in together. It’s such a big chapter in a relationship and it was the first time we’ve been together where I haven’t been on tour, so we barely left the house.”
The star has taken on the big project of renovating the house. “It’s never-ending. I’ve bitten off more than I can chew. I’m designing it all and I’m putting a lot of pressure on myself because we’ll paint a wall and then I’m like, ‘I don’t like it.’”
Maisie, 21, and Max, 34, confirmed their relationship last November, two years after first meeting on Strictly. In February, Max asked Maisie to move in by romantically planting house keys in a bag of pick’n’mix sweets. We can’t help but wonder if the romance is still going strong or whether any bad habits have crept in since they started living together...
“Me and Max are basically the same person,” Maisie explains. “We’ll both see a bit of tissue on the floor, I won’t pick it up, he won’t pick it up and eventually it’s been a week and neither of us have picked it up. We laugh about it all the time. But because we’re both the same we can’t get angry with each other, which is why it works.”
She adds, “Once or twice a week, we’ll both clean and then let the house slowly deteriorate to the point where it’s like, ‘We should clean up again.’ Considering he’s older, I thought he’d be more knowledgeable in the kitchen, but he’s not. He knows less than me! We’re both happy and that’s what matters.”
With the two of them being happily complacent, who will be the driving force when it comes to discussing the next big relationship chapters, such as marriage and children?
Maisie says, “We’re both strong-minded. We do have disagreements but we don’t hold grudges. We might have a little bicker but ultimately, we make decisions together.
“Who knows what the future holds, but I know whatever happens, we’ll always be quite respectful in making the decisions.”
Maisie grew up in Essex and ahead of moving in with Max, she joked she’d be on the train “every weekend” to visit her family. But it turns out she’s settled in quickly.
“I’ve not been home at all and I feel so bad. I didn’t realise how many jobs I’d been putting off since being on tour,” she reveals. “My mum keeps calling, going, ‘Are we seeing you this weekend?’ And I’m like, ‘Maybe next weekend.’ Once this busy spell is over, I’ll probably go down for a week.”
She adds, “I am missing my family and dog, but Max’s dog Albert fills the gap. If me and Max are having a cuddle, he’ll start crying because we’re not giving him attention!
“It’s nice I have my home with Max and then seeing my family is something to look forward to. It feels like I’m an adult now.”
Maisie and Max’s 13-year age gap has come under scrutiny. Opening up on the criticism, Maisie says, “When you’re in a new relationship, people have a lot to say. But we’ve been together a while now and we’ve proven our love isn’t just for the cameras. We’re genuinely two best friends, in love and we’re so happy. We still get negative comments. Family and friends are so supportive and have never seen either of us so happy. I’ve never been in such a happy position. I’ve got the boyfriend of my dreams, I’ve created a new jewellery range, so I’m living on cloud nine.”
Maisie has recently teamed up with jewellers Abbott Lyon and created a new collection called Unique. “I’ve always expressed myself through style and these pieces are personalised, colourful and couldn’t be more me.”
She adds, “I love the bangles. As a kid, I would wear 100 bangles on my wrist and then they went out of style, but I’ve decided they’re back in! So I’ve got 30 with my name, my boyfriend’s name and my dogs ’ names.”
Next month, Maisie will start shooting a new film. “It’s a gangster film, that’s all I can say at the moment, but it will be a nice change for me as an actress,” she says.
So would she ever make a return to the hit soap? “You never leave EastEnders. I’ve got a family on there that will be there for the next 50 years. I’ll always have a place there. The next time someone gets married or dies, I’m sure I’ll be back. They’ve watched me grow up and have never treated me any differently.”
The Full ‘Unique’ Collection is available at abbottlyon.com
