"You deserve at least a cameo."
In September 2025, the comedian and content creator Shabaz Ali claimed that he would be joining the BBC’s EastEnders.
However, the soap never addressed this suggestion itself, neither denying nor confirming it.
Shabaz posted a picture of himself on the Albert Square set and said he would be joining the show for an “explosive Christmas storyline”.
The comedian returned to Instagram on September 5 to clarify his claim.
Posting a clip, he said: “Hi, everyone. I’m not going to be in EastEnders.
“It started off as a joke. I went to the set and took a little funny picture, put it on the Internet, and then it just imploded.
“It got so out-of-hand. The thing is, if you know me, you know I love a gag, and technically, I was in EastEnders.
“But then, I felt so bad because there were so many nice comments and thank you to everyone who has been so lovely.
“I felt awful because one lie spiralled into 100 lies. It’s been a very interesting social experiment.”
Shabaz went on to show the contrast between the messages of support he received and the trolling he got for the alleged news.
He continued: “To be one of the very few Pakistani people on EastEnders, interestingly, the most amount of abuse I’ve received was from other South Asian people.
“All jokes aside, I am very sorry. I don’t think anyone’s going to believe anything I announce now!”
Shabaz Ali received interesting comments for his clarification.
One fan said: “I think you deserve at least a cameo on EastEnders just for the sheer audacity of this prank.”
Another added: “I’m still excited because I’m still convinced it’ll happen at some point.
View this post on Instagram
Shabaz also posted a clip of him on the set of the soap, showing fans in various studios. These included the Lot and in the chippy.
He also posed with Jacqueline Jossa (Lauren Branning) and stood outside the iconic Queen Vic pub.
Shabaz said: “For some reason, everyone seems to hang out here every day.”
Meanwhile, EastEnders is currently exploring the dramatic return of Zoe Slater (Michelle Ryan) and her connection to Max Branning (Jake Wood).
In its latest episode, Zoe answered a call from Max and told him to stay away from Albert Square, declaring she would “end [him]” if he came near her or told anyone about their relationship.
Max replied that he hated being told what to do.
EastEnders continues on Monday, September 8, 2025, on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
Loading ...