EastEnders star reveals surprise similarities to Ash Panesar ahead of first scenes

Ahead of Ash Panesar's return to Walford next week, EastEnders star Sakira Vel has revealed that she shares some surprising similarities with the character.

It was confirmed earlier this month that Ash would be making a comeback on the BBC soap after a three-year absence, with Vel taking over the role from Gurlaine Kaur Garcha. Ash will reappear in Albert Square after spending the past three years living abroad.

For Vel, being cast as Ash "felt serendipitous" since the character's qualities – and recent backstory – overlap with her own.

"When I found out I'd been cast as Ash, I was completely shocked," she said.

"There have been so many qualities of Ash that I identified with – it felt serendipitous. The fact that I also worked as a NHS doctor and had also moved abroad for three years to pursue my medical career in Australia."

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"Also, we share a South Asian background, and I innately understand what it is to be a third culture kid, and part of the evolving dynamic with family and the older generations!" added the actor.

She also shared that she felt an enormous sense of pride when walking onto the set for the first time, as it has been a long-held dream to appear on EastEnders.

"It felt surreal. The Albert Square sign was on a vision board I made years ago, so seeing it in person was a real pinch-me moment," she recalled. "I remember touching it just to make it all feel real, and now it's become a little ritual before filming."

"Growing up, EastEnders was always part of my life, so being on the Square still feels special," she noted, before sharing that she was left "speechless" when meeting one iconic co-star.

"In one of my first weeks, I remember walking into make-up and seeing Letitia Dean [who plays Sharon Watts] there. I'm usually very chatty, but I was completely starstruck and for once in my life – speechless. She was so cool and just laughed at my blushing."

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Vel then heaped praise on Kitty Castledine, who plays Penny Branning, dubbing her as a "mentor". She also called Vinny Panesar actor Shiv Jalota "brilliant" as they build their "sibling dynamic".

Naturally, she lauded Balvinder Sopal (who plays Ash's mum Suki) and Heather Peace (who plays Suki's wife Eve) for their "supportive" attitudes.

"Watching them work is like attending an acting masterclass," Vel said. "Their commitment to the story and their characters, plus their generosity as performers, has taught me so much already."

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.

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