EastEnders fans will remember the iconic character of Shabnam Masood who was played by Rakhee Thakrar for two years.
The actress, now 39, took over the role of Shabnam from Zahra Ahmadi, who played the daughter of Masood Ahmed and Zainab Masood from 2007 until 2008. Rakhee made her debut on the hit BBC soap in 2014 and her last scenes were aired in 2016.
Shabnam left Albert Square with her daughter Jade Green (Amaya Edwards), leaving Kush Kazemi (Davood Ghadami) behind after deciding he should stay with his son Arthur, whom he fathered with Stacey Slater. This followed the heartbreaking storyline where Shabnam delivered a stillborn son named Zaair.
In 2016, Rakhee shared the reason why she decided to leave the show and told the Daily Record: "It feels like the right time for both myself and Shabnam". She continued: "My experience on this show has been really special, and I'm so grateful for having the chance to have played Shabs, she's a real gift. A complicated character, who I've loved getting to know.
"Now, I feel like it's the time to try different projects and new people to play. It was a hard decision as I really love this character and this show. I can't thank [the producers] enough for trusting me with Shabnam and particularly her story."
After leaving EastEnders, Rakhee worked in a clothes shop for several years to make ends meet. The TV star shared that she found it tough to get new acting gigs and switched to retail temporarily.
Rakhee previously told Radio Times: "I didn't think 'other projects' meant working in a boutique clothing shop for two years.
"I left EastEnders and didn't get any work. I couldn't bear not doing anything, so I worked in a couple of shops."
"It was a massive risk to leave a full-time salary [on EastEnders] and it took a while for that risk to pay off."
Since then, Rakhee has made a triumphant return to acting and has starred in a string of popular TV shows. One of her most well-known roles was in Netflix’s Sex Education as teacher Emily Sands from 2019 to 2023.
She also bagged herself a role in BBC One's drama The Girl Before as Mia in 2021 and as Maya Benshaw in BBC's thriller Rules Of The Game in 2022. The actress also lent her voice to the Eighth Doctor's mate Bliss in Big Finish's Doctor Who: The Time War audio drama.
Rakhee's latest venture sees her star in the new Wonka movie as Lottie Bell, alongside actor Timothee Chalamet. The musical fantasy film starring the EastEnders star was released in cinemas in the UK on 8 December.
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