# Molly Rainford
**Molly Rainford** (born 2000) is an English actress, singer and television presenter best known for playing Anna Knight in the BBC soap opera *EastEnders*, for the title role in the CBBC series *Nova Jones*, and for reaching the final of the twentieth series of *Strictly Come Dancing* in 2022.[1](https://www.intertalentgroup.com/client/molly-rainford/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 2000, Havering, London, England[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5030363/) |
| Breakthrough | Finalist on *Britain's Got Talent* at age 11 in 2012, finishing sixth[1](https://www.intertalentgroup.com/client/molly-rainford/) • [3](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/molly-rainford-strictly-finalist-b2247111.html) • [18](https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/britains-got-talents-music-stars-where-are-they-now__14511/) |
| Children's TV | Co-host of CBBC's *Friday Download* from 2014; title role in *Nova Jones* (2021–2023, 30 episodes over three series)[3](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/molly-rainford-strictly-finalist-b2247111.html) • [4](https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/nova-jones/interviews/molly-rainford/) |
| *Strictly Come Dancing* | Series 20 (2022), partnered with Carlos Gu; finalist and runner-up to Hamza Yassin after surviving four dance-offs[5](https://www.irishnews.com/magazine/entertainment/2022/12/17/news/molly_rainford_reflects_on_how_her_rocky_journey_has_motivated_her_on_strictly-2948851/) |
| *EastEnders* | Anna Knight from June 2023 to December 2025, a series regular for roughly two and a half years[6](https://mediamole.co.uk/eastenders/molly-rainford-to-leave-eastenders-after-two-years/552/) • [7](https://www.aol.co.uk/news/eastenders-molly-rainford-shares-real-094200346.html) |
| Stage debut | Vivian Ward in the 2027 UK tour of *Pretty Woman: The Musical*, opening at the New Wimbledon Theatre in March 2027[8](https://curtaincallbway.com/2026/10/20/casting-announced-for-the-uk-tour-of-pretty-woman-the-musical/) |
## Britain's Got Talent and early career
Rainford came to public attention in 2012, when at the age of 11 she became a finalist on *Britain's Got Talent*.[1](https://www.intertalentgroup.com/client/molly-rainford/) • [19](https://www.connietalbot.com/bio) Her audition, a performance of "One Night Only" from *Dreamgirls*, impressed judges [Simon Cowell](https://www.edgepedia.org/simon-cowell), David Walliams, Alesha Dixon and [Carmen Electra](https://www.edgepedia.org/carmen-electra), and she reached the live final, where she sang Beyoncé's version of "Ave Maria".[9](https://www.tvguide.co.uk/articles/celebrity-race-across-the-world-when-molly-rainford-britains-got-talent-how-meet-tyler-west/) • [3](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/molly-rainford-strictly-finalist-b2247111.html) She finished sixth; the series was won by the dog act [Ashleigh and Pudsey](https://www.edgepedia.org/ashleigh-and-pudsey).[3](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/molly-rainford-strictly-finalist-b2247111.html)
After the show, Cowell and [Sony Music](https://www.edgepedia.org/sony-music) awarded her their first ever drama school scholarship, funding her studies at the [Sylvia Young Theatre School](https://www.edgepedia.org/sylvia-young-theatre-school).[1](https://www.intertalentgroup.com/client/molly-rainford/) She has said she was sitting her Year 6 SATs and performing in the *Britain's Got Talent* final the night before.[9](https://www.tvguide.co.uk/articles/celebrity-race-across-the-world-when-molly-rainford-britains-got-talent-how-meet-tyler-west/)
## Music and children's television
Rainford signed with Sony Music after the talent show and later moved into children's television, co-hosting CBBC's *Friday Download* from 2014.[3](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/molly-rainford-strictly-finalist-b2247111.html) As a singer she released the EP *Commitment* in 2019, followed by a [Christmas](https://www.edgepedia.org/christmas-baby-please-come-home) EP of covers released in 2020; her extended play was streamed more than two million times online.[10](https://www.londonworld.com/news/people/strictly-come-dancing-molly-rainford-3937593) • [3](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/molly-rainford-strictly-finalist-b2247111.html)
In 2021 she took the title role in *Nova Jones*, a CBBC comedy-adventure series about an 18-year-old intergalactic pop star touring the universe aboard her spaceship with her 12-year-old sister and manager.[4](https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/nova-jones/interviews/molly-rainford/) The role combined acting with singing, which she described as "the perfect role" for her, and the show ran for three series and 30 episodes between 2021 and 2023.[4](https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/nova-jones/interviews/molly-rainford/) She has said that music remains her main passion and first love.[11](https://www.wonderlandmagazine.com/2021/11/24/new-noise-molly-rainford/)
## Strictly Come Dancing
In 2022 Rainford competed in the twentieth series of *Strictly Come Dancing*, paired with professional dancer Carlos Gu.[5](https://www.irishnews.com/magazine/entertainment/2022/12/17/news/molly_rainford_reflects_on_how_her_rocky_journey_has_motivated_her_on_strictly-2948851/) Her series was marked by repeated dance-offs: she and Gu survived four of them on the way to the final, where they finished as runners-up to wildlife presenter [Hamza Yassin](https://www.edgepedia.org/hamza-yassin).[5](https://www.irishnews.com/magazine/entertainment/2022/12/17/news/molly_rainford_reflects_on_how_her_rocky_journey_has_motivated_her_on_strictly-2948851/) She topped the leaderboard at points during the series, including a quickstep to Beyoncé's "Love On Top" in October 2022, and scored 39 for both a foxtrot and a semi-final paso doble.[12](https://www.standard.co.uk/showbiz/celebrity-news/shirley-ballas-anton-du-beke-richie-anderson-bbc-will-mellor-b1029580.html) • [3](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/molly-rainford-strictly-finalist-b2247111.html)
Rainford suggested that her theater school background may have cost her public votes, since viewers may have assumed she was a trained dancer, although she said she did very little dancing at stage school.[5](https://www.irishnews.com/magazine/entertainment/2022/12/17/news/molly_rainford_reflects_on_how_her_rocky_journey_has_motivated_her_on_strictly-2948851/) In the final she and Gu performed a quickstep, their favorite rumba to [Whitney Houston](https://www.edgepedia.org/whitney-houston)'s "All The Man That I Need", and a showdance to a mix of Prince's "Kiss" and "1999".[5](https://www.irishnews.com/magazine/entertainment/2022/12/17/news/molly_rainford_reflects_on_how_her_rocky_journey_has_motivated_her_on_strictly-2948851/)
The series also changed her personal life: she met fellow contestant Tyler West, a KISS radio presenter, and the two began dating on the first night of the Strictly live tour.[13](https://www.hellorayo.co.uk/news/lifestyle/podcasts/molly-rainford-tyler-west-interview)
## EastEnders
Three months after the Strictly final, Rainford joined the cast of *EastEnders* as Anna Knight, daughter of George Knight ([Colin Salmon](https://www.edgepedia.org/colin-salmon)), when the Knight family arrived in Walford and took over the Queen Vic pub in June 2023.[9](https://www.tvguide.co.uk/articles/celebrity-race-across-the-world-when-molly-rainford-britains-got-talent-how-meet-tyler-west/) • [6](https://mediamole.co.uk/eastenders/molly-rainford-to-leave-eastenders-after-two-years/552/) Her storylines included a love triangle, a drink-spiking plot, a pregnancy, conversations about race and colourism with her sister Gina, and the return of her mother, revealed to be [Cindy Beale](https://www.edgepedia.org/cindy-beale).[7](https://www.aol.co.uk/news/eastenders-molly-rainford-shares-real-094200346.html) • [13](https://www.hellorayo.co.uk/news/lifestyle/podcasts/molly-rainford-tyler-west-interview)
In 2024 her character featured in *Spiked*, a five-part experimental mini-series released on the soap's social media channels showing what happens to Anna when her drink is spiked on a night out; Rainford said it was "important" for the soap to tackle spiking to raise awareness.[14](https://bbcbreakingnews.pages.dev/news/articles/c72v8rv3jp1o)
In August 2026 the BBC confirmed that Rainford would leave the soap, and her final episode aired on 2 December 2025, in which Anna left Walford to go traveling in Australia with Freddie Slater ([Bobby Brazier](https://www.edgepedia.org/bobby-brazier)).[6](https://mediamole.co.uk/eastenders/molly-rainford-to-leave-eastenders-after-two-years/552/) • [7](https://www.aol.co.uk/news/eastenders-molly-rainford-shares-real-094200346.html) Rainford described the exit as "really bittersweet", said she wanted to spread her wings and gain experience elsewhere, and hinted that the door might be open for a return.[7](https://www.aol.co.uk/news/eastenders-molly-rainford-shares-real-094200346.html) • [15](https://www.femalefirst.co.uk/tv/news/molly-rainford-open-eastenders-return-1434714.html)
## Later work
In late 2025 Rainford and her fiancé Tyler West competed in the third series of *Celebrity Race Across the World*, racing a 5,900 km route from [Isla Mujeres](https://www.edgepedia.org/isla-mujeres) in Mexico to the [Peninsula](https://www.edgepedia.org/peninsula) de La Guajira in Colombia on a £30 daily budget.[15](https://www.femalefirst.co.uk/tv/news/molly-rainford-open-eastenders-return-1434714.html) They finished second, beaten by [Roman Kemp](https://www.edgepedia.org/roman-kemp) and his sister Harleymoon Kemp by two minutes after a broken engine delayed them at the finish.[16](https://www.hellorayo.co.uk/news/entertainment/television/tyler-west-molly-rainford-hits-radio-breakfast)
In June 2026 the couple launched *The Prenup with Molly Rainford & Tyler West*, a Rayo Original podcast in which the engaged pair debate relationship topics and add clauses to a running "legally binding" prenup agreement; it is their first audio project together.[17](https://podcastingtoday.co.uk/molly-rainford-and-tyler-west-launch-relationship-podcast/)
Her next screen and stage step is musical theater: Rainford will make her stage debut as Vivian Ward in the UK tour of *Pretty Woman: The Musical*, opening at the New Wimbledon Theatre in March 2027 and touring 19 venues, opposite fellow *EastEnders* alumnus Danny Walters as Edward Lewis.[8](https://curtaincallbway.com/2026/10/20/casting-announced-for-the-uk-tour-of-pretty-woman-the-musical/)
## Recognition
Rainford was named "Hello Rising Star" and won the Best Newcomer award at the Variety Club Showbusiness Awards.[1](https://www.intertalentgroup.com/client/molly-rainford/)
## References
1. [Molly Rainford, InterTalent client profile](https://www.intertalentgroup.com/client/molly-rainford/)
2. [Molly Rainford, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5030363/)
3. [Molly Rainford: Who is Strictly Come Dancing 2022 finalist?, The Independent](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/molly-rainford-strictly-finalist-b2247111.html)
4. [Molly Rainford interview, Nova Jones, British Comedy Guide](https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/nova-jones/interviews/molly-rainford/)
5. [Molly Rainford reflects on how her 'rocky journey' has motivated her on Strictly, The Irish News](https://www.irishnews.com/magazine/entertainment/2022/12/17/news/molly_rainford_reflects_on_how_her_rocky_journey_has_motivated_her_on_strictly-2948851/)
6. [Molly Rainford to leave EastEnders after two years, Media Mole](https://mediamole.co.uk/eastenders/molly-rainford-to-leave-eastenders-after-two-years/552/)
7. [EastEnders' Molly Rainford shares real reason for leaving the soap, AOL/Radio Times](https://www.aol.co.uk/news/eastenders-molly-rainford-shares-real-094200346.html)
8. [Casting announced for the UK Tour of Pretty Woman: The Musical, Curtain Call](https://curtaincallbway.com/2026/10/20/casting-announced-for-the-uk-tour-of-pretty-woman-the-musical/)
9. [Celebrity Race Across the World: When was Molly Rainford on Britain's Got Talent?, TV Guide UK](https://www.tvguide.co.uk/articles/celebrity-race-across-the-world-when-molly-rainford-britains-got-talent-how-meet-tyler-west/)
10. [Molly Rainford: the BGT singer competing in BBC Strictly Come Dancing, LondonWorld](https://www.londonworld.com/news/people/strictly-come-dancing-molly-rainford-3937593)
11. [New Noise: Molly Rainford, Wonderland](https://www.wonderlandmagazine.com/2021/11/24/new-noise-molly-rainford/)
12. [Quickstep takes Molly Rainford to top of Strictly leaderboard, The Standard](https://www.standard.co.uk/showbiz/celebrity-news/shirley-ballas-anton-du-beke-richie-anderson-bbc-will-mellor-b1029580.html)
13. [Molly Rainford and Tyler West interview for new podcast The Prenup, Rayo](https://www.hellorayo.co.uk/news/lifestyle/podcasts/molly-rainford-tyler-west-interview)
14. [EastEnders spiking story 'important' to raise awareness, BBC News](https://bbcbreakingnews.pages.dev/news/articles/c72v8rv3jp1o)
15. [Molly Rainford open to EastEnders return, FemaleFirst](https://www.femalefirst.co.uk/tv/news/molly-rainford-open-eastenders-return-1434714.html)
16. [Tyler West admits he wanted to propose to Molly Rainford before Race Across The World, Rayo](https://www.hellorayo.co.uk/news/entertainment/television/tyler-west-molly-rainford-hits-radio-breakfast)
17. [Molly Rainford and Tyler West launch relationship podcast, Podcasting Today](https://podcastingtoday.co.uk/molly-rainford-and-tyler-west-launch-relationship-podcast/)
18. [Britain's Got Talent's music stars: Where are they now?](https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/britains-got-talents-music-stars-where-are-they-now__14511/)
19. [BIO, CONNIE TALBOT](https://www.connietalbot.com/bio)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › English actors: 2000s onward › Surnames Q to Se*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license