"This is a lifelong dream come true!"
Laila Rouass is set to make a guest appearance in EastEnders, as Ayesha.
Ayesha is an old acquaintance of Nish Panesar (Navin Chowdhry) and Suki Panesar (Balvinder Sopal).
Her scenes in the show are set to air in August 2024.
Announcing the news on their Instagram profile, EastEnders said:
“Ayesha arrives in Walford following an invitation from Nish, and it’s quickly apparent she has a history with him, Suki and the Panesar family.
“Laila, who is best known for her roles in Holby City, Primeval and Footballers’ Wives, will take on the role.
“It will transpire that Ayesha knew Suki and Nish a long time ago, but they haven’t been in touch for many years.”
Laila expressed excitement upon starring in the show.
She enthused: “I cannot tell you how excited I am to be in EastEnders!
“I was born in the East End and grew up there, and there was such a buzz when the show started.
“Even though I was little at the time, I can clearly remember the first episode and Doctor Legg arriving at the flat where Reg Cox had been murdered.
“I’ve also known Navin Chowdhry for many years, so it was great to work with him again, do scenes with Balvinder Sopal and the rest of the Panesars as Ayesha reunites with them.
“This is a lifelong dream come true!”
The announcement elicited interesting responses from curious EastEnders fans.
Some viewers will remember that Nish served 20 years in prison for murdering a man whom he thought was having an affair with Suki.
In reality, Suki was close to the man’s wife.
Fans wondered whether Ayesha was the woman who developed a closeness with Suki.
One user commented: “I wonder if this is the woman Suki had the affair with and the wife of the man Nish killed! I feel like it is!”
Another wondered: “Could this be the neighbour? The one Suki slept with?!”
A third person said: “Oh wow, she must be the neighbour! Excited to see Laila join the square!”
Nish is currently estranged from Suki in EastEnders. He was at the centre of ‘The Six’ storyline in 2023 which saw the death of one male character.
Fans were initially led to believe that this was Nish after Denise Fox (Diane Parish) smashed a bottle over his head.
However, Nish survived while Linda Carter (Kellie Bright) fatally stabbed Keanu Taylor (Danny Walters) after he tried to strangle Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean).
Meanwhile, in July 2024, Laila Rouass was in the headlines after she complained about Strictly Come Dancing judge Anton Du Beke.
Laila was paired with Anton while he was still a professional dancer in 2009.
It was alleged that Anton said Laila looked like a “p***” following her spray tan.
Although Laila had accepted an apology from Anton, she later approached a law firm.
In his apology, Anton denied that he was a racist but said he regretted “any offence [my] actions might have caused”.
EastEnders continues on Monday, July 29, 2024.
Loading ...