{"id":279041,"date":"2025-11-23T14:22:10","date_gmt":"2025-11-23T14:22:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/279041\/"},"modified":"2025-11-23T14:22:10","modified_gmt":"2025-11-23T14:22:10","slug":"key-eastenders-star-hints-at-plans-to-join-rival-soap","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/279041\/","title":{"rendered":"Key EastEnders star hints at plans to join rival soap"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Legendary actress Nina Wadia, who is best known as Zainab Masood in hit soap EastEnders, could be going up north for a new role<\/p>\n<p>11:21, 23 Nov 2025Updated 11:21, 23 Nov 2025<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/0_Eastenders.jpg\" alt=\"An EastEnders star could be moving soaps\" loading=\"eager\"  \/>An EastEnders star could be moving soaps(Image: PA)<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\" publication=\"mirror\">Albert Square legend Nina Wadia is setting her sights on bagging herself a new job on <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/all-about\/coronation-street\" target=\"\" aria-label=\"\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Coronation Street<\/a> having played Zainab Masood on <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/all-about\/eastenders\" target=\"\" aria-label=\"\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">EastEnders<\/a> for six years before leaving the soap in 2013.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\" publication=\"mirror\">Nina told <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailystar.co.uk\/tv\/eastenders-icon-wants-join-rival-36286279\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"The Daily StarLink opens in a new tab.\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Daily Star<\/a>: &#8220;I\u2019d love to tread the cobbles. That would be a lot of fun. When you\u2019re on a soap, you get the chance to develop your character during a workshop at the start. Then because you\u2019re living the character, you find out more about them.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\" publication=\"mirror\">&#8220;I haven\u2019t been offered any soap roles lately, but who knows what will happen? I know a couple of the <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailystar.co.uk\/latest\/coronation-street\" target=\"_self\" aria-label=\"\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Corrie<\/a> cast but I wouldn\u2019t put them under pressure to help me get a role!&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/0_EastEnders.jpg\" alt=\"Nina played Zainab on EastEnders\" loading=\"lazy\"  \/>Nina played Zainab on EastEnders(Image: BBC\/Jack Barnes)READ MORE: <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/tv\/tv-news\/eastenders-jessie-wallace-looks-completely-36290787\" data-tmdatatrack=\"read-more\" data-tmdatatrack-articleid=\"36290787\" data-tmdatatrack-source=\"editorial\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">EastEnders Jessie Wallace looks completely different to Kat Slater on night out<\/a>READ MORE: <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/tv\/tv-news\/strictlys-layton-williams-sends-warning-36290006\" data-tmdatatrack=\"read-more\" data-tmdatatrack-articleid=\"36290006\" data-tmdatatrack-source=\"editorial\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Strictly&#8217;s Layton Williams sends warning to 2025 cast ahead of return<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\" publication=\"mirror\">Nina joined EastEnders in 2007 and her acting credits include Goodness Gracious Me, The Vicar of Dibley and Holby City. She has secured even more impressive acting roles in recent years on shows including The Sandman, The Outlaws and Midsomer Murders and there are more are set to be released.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\" publication=\"mirror\">Her most recent acting credit came in 2023, when she starred as Binta Prabhu in former BBC screen staple Doctors before it was eventually cancelled.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\" publication=\"mirror\">Outside of her TV work, she has also turned to radio and theatre work, making her first panto appearance in 2023 playing Fairy Sugarsnap in Jack and the Beanstalk in York.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\" publication=\"mirror\">During her stint in panto, she shocked audiences as she was able to help her niece get engaged during the course of one of her shows. Reflecting on the experience, she told the <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/articles\/c10yv8v3vj4o\" target=\"_self\" aria-label=\"\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">BBC<\/a>: &#8220;I felt so privileged to be a part of my niece&#8217;s love story.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\" publication=\"mirror\">Nina added she is used to working long hours as an actress and thanks to her six years playing feisty Zainab Masood on EastEnders.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\" publication=\"mirror\">But despite not actively looking to join a different soap, she has said she is prepared to push herself if they right role comes up for her.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\" publication=\"mirror\">Speaking about how passionate she feels about her work, Nina admitted that working on a soap is &#8220;very busy&#8221; but she &#8220;loves&#8221; hard work and that is what she thrives on.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\" publication=\"mirror\">Away from acting, Nina has tried her hand at reality TV too, she entered the <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/all-about\/strictly-come-dancing\" target=\"\" aria-label=\"\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Strictly Come Dancing<\/a> ballroom in 2021 but was unfortunately the first to be voted out.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\" publication=\"mirror\">Like this story? 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