"I get to explore how soaps launched their careers."
Lacey Turner recently started hosting a new podcast titled We Started Here.
The actress is best known for her role as Stacey Slater in BBC’s EastEnders.
We Started Here features Lacey interviewing various celebrities who began their careers in soap.
These guests will include some of Lacey’s current and former colleagues from EastEnders.
It has now been confirmed that Rakhee Thakrar, who played Shabnam Masood in EastEnders, will be one of these co-stars.
Taking over the role from original actress Zahra Ahmadi, Rakhee debuted as Shabnam in 2014 and played the role for two years.
She ultimately departed the soap to pursue new ventures in 2016.
While played by Rakhee, Shabnam was involved in key storylines including her friendship with Stacey and her relationship with Kush Kazemi (Davood Ghadami).
In 2015, Shabnam and Kush sadly had a stillborn baby boy named Zaair.
Shabnam and Kush’s marriage broke down when it emerged that Kush had fathered a son named Arthur with Stacey.
After Shabnam left him, Kush embarked on relationships with the likes of Denise Fox (Diane Parish), Kat Slater (Jessie Wallace), and Whitney Dean (Shona McGarty).
In 2021, Kush was killed off when he was pushed under a train by Gray Atkins (Toby-Alexander Smith).
As well as Rakhee, Davood will also appear on Lacey Turner’s podcast.
We Started Here launched on Tuesday, January 28, 2025, and featured Jessie Wallace as the first guest.
The podcast was confirmed in August 2024. Speaking about it, Lacey said:
“EastEnders holds a very special place in my heart.
“It was my very first acting job, and although I have been fortunate enough to explore other roles, for me nothing compares to working on a soap.
‘With this podcast I get the opportunity to talk to some incredibly talented people in the industry that also started their career on a soap, including writers, actors and many more.
“I get to explore how soaps launched their careers and where they are now, which is very exciting.”
In February 2024, Rakhee Thakrar addressed the possibility of a return to EastEnders.
She explained: “It’s so sweet that people are talking about it and I’m very touched that viewers want Shabnam back.
“I was so proud of what we did on the show and to have been part of it, and the fact that people still talk about Shabnam is amazing.
“What’s nice is that even without Shabnam, this legacy of what happened with her character is continuing.
“No, there’s no talk of [a return] at the moment.
“My experience on this show has been really special.
“I’m grateful for having the chance to have played Shabs. She’s a real gift.”
Rakhee was last seen in September Says (2024), while Lacey Turner debuted on EastEnders in 2004.
After leaving the soap in 2010, Lacey appeared in numerous shows including Our Girl, Call The Midwife, and Switch.
She returned to EastEnders in 2014, and has since been a firm fixture of the show.
Lacey Turner’s podcast, We Started Here, is available to stream on a variety of platforms.
Other than EastEnders stars, the podcast will also feature celebrities including Ricky Whittle, Mandip Gill, and Jimmy McGovern.
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