Nina Wadia teases potential for EastEnders return as Zainab Masood

Speaking to Metro.co.uk, Wadia was asked about her time on the BBC show, and shared that she has fond memories and wouldn't rule out a comeback if the opportunity arose.

"I left nearly a decade ago but people meet me and say, ‘When are you going back?’ I would go back, of course. I had so much fun," she explained.

"I never say never, because you do not know where the next job is going to come from. EastEnders is very dear to me. I loved my time on it and made so many friends there."

When she was reminded of the more dramatic side of soapland, Wadia replied: "Actually, I won the Best Comedy Performance in a Soap! I don’t think EastEnders had ever won that before. They brought me in to make it funny and to liven it up a bit.

"Soap had never been on my agenda but with Zainab Masood, they gave me the chance to create someone from scratch and they wanted her to be funny."

Zainab's comedy value came with the fact that the character took herself very seriously. She was seen venting her outrage if a neighbour did something to irritate or inconvenience her.

But when Zainab learned that son Syed (Marc Elliot) was gay and in love with Christian Clarke (John Partridge), the comedy was put to one side in favour of some incredibly powerful material. Who can forget that New Year's Day episode which saw her confront her son's lover?

While Zainab's Muslim faith led her to force Syed to go through with a wedding to Amira Shah (Preeya Kalidas), she did eventually come to accept his relationship with Christian. The character endured a lot during her six years in Albert Square, including domestic abuse.

Wadia has since starred in Holby City and Death in Paradise, as well as appearing on Strictly Come Dancing.

She also revealed the reason behind her decision to leave EastEnders, saying: "It got too much for me. I wanted to do something different and freshen up again.

"It was a combination of that and making sure I spent a bit more time with my kids, because it’s a hard job to do as a parent – you spend a lot of time away from your family."

Read more:

• EastEnders' Syed and Amira's wedding – storyline explained
• EastEnders exit for Masood as Nitin Ganatra confirms departure

EastEnders airs on BBC One on Mondays to Thursdays at 7:30pm. Visit our dedicated EastEnders page for all the latest news, interviews and spoilers. If you’re looking for more to watch, check out our TV Guide.

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