Advertisement

Hollyoaks' Harvey Virdi hints at bigger reason for Misbah's lies

Hollyoaks spoilers follow.

Hollyoaks actress Harvey Virdi has hinted that her character Misbah Maalik has been keeping more than one big secret from her family.

Misbah recently made the shock confession to her newly arrived 'nephew' Shaq Qureshi (Omar Malik) that she is actually his mum, but she has been adamant that Shaq should never discover the true identity of his father – Ali Shahzad (Raji James), who happens to have arrived in Hollyoaks to work as a doctor.

Shaq has been desperate to find out the truth about his parentage, but Misbah has been so keen to keep his father's identity from him that she has decided the best option is to lie to Shaq that his dad is dead.

Photo credit: Lime Pictures
Photo credit: Lime Pictures

Related: Hollyoaks' Cher and Romeo decide their future

Actress Harvey has now teased to Inside Soap that her character may well have good reason for lying to her family for so long, revealing that Misbah is trying to protect Shaq.

"Misbah believes that Shaq is better off not knowing who his father is. That's why she ends up telling Shaq his dad is dead!" she said. "And if somebody says something that big, they must have a reason for it..."

Harvey was keeping quiet about what exactly has made Misbah decide to lie to her family, but she revealed that there is "definitely" more to doctor Ali than meets the eye.

"Ali's MO is to be charming and lovely – but as with any human being, there's another side to him..." she said, adding that "Misbah's not into making links with Ali" despite the fact that Shaq will be slowly getting to know his father.

Photo credit: Lime Pictures
Photo credit: Lime Pictures

Related: Hollyoaks shares first look as Timmy is caught out

But Shaq's true parentage isn't the only secret weighing on Misbah's mind, as Harvey has revealed that there is another big piece of information which is set to come to light at some point.

"Misbah is keeping quiet about something else – and I'm sure that will come out at some point!" she teased. "But for the moment, she is hoping that things calm down and that the drama subsides..."

We'll have to wait and see what else Misbah might be revealing in the future, but could love be on the horizon for her? Harvey isn't sure that a romance is imminent, but she is hopeful that it will come Misbah's way one day.

"I don't know if Ali is the person for Misbah," she said. "But I still think that there's hope for romance in her future."

Photo credit: Lime Pictures
Photo credit: Lime Pictures

Related: Hollyoaks' Fergus threatens the McQueens

Next week, Misbah will decide to warn Mandy Richardson (Sarah Jayne Dunn) against getting involved with Ali after the pair arrange a date.

We don't yet know the reason for Misbah's caution, but actor Raji James, who plays Ali, has revealed that his character has a "darker side" that is yet to be explored on screen.

Explaining that he will be "part of a very topical and potentially explosive storyline", the actor said after his casting was announced: "Ali is a very complex character and I'm thoroughly enjoying the opportunity to explore his darker side".

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.

You Might Also Like