Aaliyah James | |
|---|---|
 James in 2024 | |
| Born | Aaliyah Laiqah James 26 June 2000 |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 2022–present |
| Television | Inside Man EastEnders |
Aaliyah Laiqah James (born 26 June 2000) is an English actress, known for portraying the role of Avani Nandra-Hart on the BBC soap opera EastEnders since 2023.
Aaliyah Laiqah James was born on 26 June 2000 in Greenwich, London. [1] [2] She studied drama for her GCSEs and was involved in productions with Old Vic New Voices and the Age Exchange Company. [3] In 2022, James made her television debut when she appeared in the BBC One crime drama Inside Man , portraying a train passenger in the programme's first episode. [4] [5]
In October 2023, James joined the cast of the BBC soap opera EastEnders as Avani Nandra-Hart. [6] Her character is introduced alongside mother Priya Nandra-Hart (Sophie Khan Levy) as the secret daughter of Ravi Gulati (Aaron Thiara) and sister of Davinder "Nugget" Gulati (Juhaim Rasul Choudhury). [7] [8] Her storylines have included her reconciliation with her long-lost father, as well as her involvement in an underage relationship. [9] [10] [11]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Inside Man | Train passenger | 1 episode | [4] |
| 2023–present | EastEnders | Avani Nandra-Hart | Regular role | [12] |
Lacey Amelia Turner is an English actress. With a career spanning two decades, she made her acting debut in the television soap opera EastEnders for her role of Stacey Slater, a character she initially played between 2004 and 2010 before returning in 2014.
Denise Fox is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Diane Parish. She made her first appearance on 11 May 2006 and temporarily left EastEnders in early 2008 to give birth to her second child. Her leave-taking had coincided with the departures of Matt Di Angelo, Phil Daniels and Kellie Shirley. She returned to Walford on 6 June 2008. This is Parish's second role in EastEnders, as she previously played singer Lola Christie in 1998.
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Natalie Ann Cassidy is an English actress and television personality. She is known for her role as Sonia Fowler in the BBC soap opera EastEnders. She has also appeared in the BBC Two sitcom-horror series Psychoville in 2009 and was a contestant on the reality shows Strictly Come Dancing (2009) and Celebrity Big Brother (2012).
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Nish Panesar is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Navin Chowdhry. After being mentioned multiple times beforehand, Nish made his first appearance in episode 6565, broadcast on 29 September 2022. It was confirmed that Chowdhry had begun filming before the announcement of his casting on 28 August 2022. Billed as "ice-cold" and "manipulative", Nish is introduced as the estranged mentally abusive and controlling husband of Suki Panesar and the father of Kheerat, Jags, Ash, and Vinny. He is later revealed to also be the father of Ravi Gulati in a twist. Since his introduction, Nish's storylines have focused on his attempts to rebuild relationships with his family, the crumbling of his marriage to Suki, a feud with Suki's lover Eve Unwin, being in a coma during "The Six" storyline, a fling with Kat Slater, suffering from viral myocarditis, learning the truth of The Six's murder and falsely confessing to the crime resulting in his arrest, and escaping from prison. In September 2024, it was announced that Chowdhry would exit the show ahead of the 40th anniversary celebrations, with the character departing in episode 7006, broadcast on 31 October 2024 after being arrested. Chowdhry made an unannounced return to the role in episode 7023, broadcast on 2 December. Nish's story sees him plot to ruin Eve and Suki's upcoming wedding. When the wedding arrives in episode 7041, broadcast on 1 January 2025, Nish tries to kill Denise and Eve, before revealing he plans to die with Suki. However, after Ravi learns Nish hurt Denise, he pushes Nish off the hotel balcony. In the following episode, broadcast on 2 January 2025, it was confirmed that Nish had been killed off, with his final scene showing him being zipped into a body bag.
Gina Knight is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Francesca Henry. Gina was introduced by executive producer Chris Clenshaw in episode 6708, broadcast on 1 June 2023. She was introduced as a member of the Knight family; the daughter of George Knight and older sister of Anna Knight. Her older brother Junior Knight was later introduced. Her storylines in the series have included the reveal that her mother Rose is actually Cindy Beale and therefore discovering that Peter Beale is her half-brother, her cocaine addiction, her relationship with Dean Wicks, suffering racial discrimination from her adoptive grandfather Eddie, supporting Anna through her abortion; and being a suspect in the "Who Attacked Cindy?" storyline.
Aaron Singh Thiara is a British actor. Thiara rose to prominence in 2022, for his portrayal of Ravi Gulati, in the British television soap opera EastEnders. For his portrayal of the role, he has received nominations at the British Soap Awards for Best Newcomer and in 2023 won Villain of the Year.
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Sophie Shaheen Khan Levy is an English actress. Levy has appeared in Royal Shakespeare Company productions, such as Cymbeline (2013), Love's Labour's Lost (2014), A Midsummer Night's Dream (2015) and As You Like It (2019). In 2023, she was cast in the BBC soap opera EastEnders as Priya Nandra-Hart.
"The Six" is a storyline from the BBC soap opera EastEnders. The storyline began in episode 6649, broadcast on 20 February 2023, which featured the show's first flashforward sequence at the end of the episode. The scene showed six female EastEnders characters, Denise Fox, Linda Carter, Kathy Beale, Sharon Watts, Stacey Slater, and Suki Panesar in The Queen Victoria public house on Christmas Day standing around an unidentified male body lying on the floor, who they presume to be dead. Events leading up to Christmas that year put each character in the frame to be the potential murderer and several male characters to be the victim. The storyline was intended to be written a different type of "whodunit" mystery, as both the victim and the murderer were kept as a tight secret.
"EastEnders 40th Anniversary Week" is an upcoming group of episodes of the British television soap opera EastEnders, which will broadcast on BBC One in February 2025. Incorporated to celebrate the programme's fortieth-anniversary on the BBC, the week will include an episode with live segments, becoming the fourth occasion where EastEnders was broadcast live. It will be produced by Chris Clenshaw, filmed and broadcast from BBC Elstree Centre, and a director and writer is yet to be confirmed. In a first for the show, it will contain interactivity with viewers, who will vote to decide the outcome of a storyline, being which male suitor the character Denise Fox chooses out of Jack Branning and Ravi Gulati. The anniversary celebrations will be Clenshaw's last episodes as executive producer.
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