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Hollyoaks casts ex-EastEnders actor as Shaq's dad

Hollyoaks spoilers follow.

Hollyoaks has cast former EastEnders actor Raji James as Shaq Qureshi's father Ali Shahzad.

Ali will be appearing in the village following the bombshell that Misbah Maalik (Harvey Virdi) is actually Shaq's mum, not his auntie as he'd been led to believe his entire life.

The revelation came out after the woman Shaq believed to be his mum, Hasina Qureshi, arrived in the village for a visit to bring him home.

Photo credit: Lime Pictures
Photo credit: Lime Pictures

Now, Raji James will be appearing in the Channel 4 soap as a new hire at the Dee Valley Hospital, where he instantly wins over his colleagues with his charm and professionalism.

Under the surface, Ali is hiding dark secrets that could cause some serious trouble for his son Shaq as well as the rest of the Maalik family.

Shaq is yet to know about Ali being his father, but the truth always has a way of being revealed in Hollyoaks…

"I'm delighted to be joining the cast of Hollyoaks, particularly as I'm part of a very topical and potentially explosive storyline," James said today (August 24). "Ali is a very complex character and I'm thoroughly enjoying the opportunity to explore his darker side.

Photo credit: Brian Rasic - Getty Images
Photo credit: Brian Rasic - Getty Images

"Due to the COVID rules in place, I've only been able to meet a few of the other cast members so far, they, along with the incredible crew and office staff, have all been very welcoming and supportive, making it easy to fit in.

"Having hit the ground running, we've already filmed a few hugely emotional scenes. It's been an absolute pleasure to work alongside and learn from such fantastic actors as Harvey (Misbah), Omar (Shaq), Sarah Jayne (Mandy), Lysette (Marnie) and Nadine (Cleo)."

James has many notable credits in TV, famously playing DS Vik Sing in The Bill and having a starring role in the BAFTA Film Award film East Is East.

He also starred as Ash of the Ferreira family in EastEnders during a stint on the BBC One soap in the early 2000s.

Photo credit: Brian Rasic - Getty Images
Photo credit: Brian Rasic - Getty Images

His first scenes as Ali in Hollyoaks will air on Thursday, September 2 on E4, then the following evening will be repeated on Channel 4.

Hollyoaks airs new episodes from Mondays to Fridays at 6.30pm on Channel 4, with first-look screenings at 7pm on E4. Selected omnibus episodes are available via Amazon Prime Video.


Read more Hollyoaks spoilers on our dedicated homepage

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