Former EastEnders and Casualty star Shaheen Jafargholi has landed a major new role, with the actor set to swap the world of soaps for a television series that has been a hit around the world.
The star, who played Shakil Kazemi and Marty Kirkby in the respective BBC soaps, has joined the cast for the second season of Heated Rivalry, the popular Canadian series that focuses on the rivalry and romance between two ice hockey players.
He has joined the cast alongside Daniel Diemer, with the latter being known for Percy Jackson and the Olympians. As per Deadline, the pair will portray Fabian Salah and Ryan Price, respectively.
BBC
Related: Best streaming services UK 2026 – including Disney Plus, Netflix, iPlayer and Apple TV
Following the announcement, series co-creators Jacob Tierney and Brendan Brady said: “Fabian and Ryan each bring a distinctive energy to the world Rachel Reid has created. They are bold, complicated and deeply compelling characters.
“Daniel and Shaheen bring such confidence and emotional honesty to the roles. We can’t wait for audiences to see what they do with Fabian and Ryan and how they make these characters their own,” they added.
Jafargholi, who has also appeared in Wreck and In Flight, celebrated the news with a post on Instagram as he wrote “gag it”. He was congratulated by several famous faces in the comment section, including former Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies.
Emily Hampshire, who has also been cast in the second season of Heated Rivalry, left a comment too. There were also messages from Olly Alexander, Peter Claffey, Corinna Brown and Tilly Keeper, the latter of whom starred alongside Jafargholi in EastEnders.
Jafargholi appeared on EastEnders for two years before departing in 2018, and he joined Casualty later that year. He spent five years on the medical drama, and also reprised the role in spin-off series Holby City.
Related: EastEnders and Dancing on Ice star Matt Lapinskas announces heartwarming family news
In addition to Jafargholi, Diemer and Hampshire, other new names for the upcoming season of the sports drama include Edvin Ryding, Robert Naylor, Justice Smith, Priyanka, Charlie Gillespie and Sabrina Jalees.
The show is based on Rachel Reid’s Game Changers book series, with the first season following Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie) as they aim to keep their private relationship away from the public eye.
EastEnders airs on Mondays-Thursdays at 7.30pm on BBC One. The show also streams on BBC iPlayer, where most episodes drop early at 6am ahead of their TV broadcast. Heated Rivalry airs on Sky and NOW in the UK.
Read more EastEnders spoilers on our dedicated homepage
Visit our Streaming Guide now to see at a glance where you can view ALL your favourite shows and movies.
The new edition of Legends, a 100-page all-colour celebration of Ariana Grande, is here! Buy Ariana Grande in newsagents or online.