It's not quite the Nativity that Stacey expects when she gives birth while watching Lily perform in the play on EastEnders next week. When she gets home with her new son, Arthur, she has her very own crib scene, with visitors bearing gifts.

But it's not a very happy scene for Stacey, as she's trying to hide the fact Kush is the boy's father.

It's not gold Kush's mum Carmel brings, even though she's wearing enough of it. And it's the last thing Stacey wants, being reminded of the baby's granny!

Will Shabnam cotton on to their secret, even though she has more pressing problems of her own?

Carmel is worried about Shabnam learning the truth and what it will do to the family.

Shabnam wants to talk to Stacey… But what exactly is on her mind?

Will Arthur's first Christmas be full of drama? Of course it will! Watch EastEnders on BBC1 from Monday, 21 December

They've been engaged for a while now, but Kush and Shabnam had more pressing things on their mind with the death of their baby, Zaair, in EastEnders.

Now Shabnam is keen to get the ball rolling with their nuptials, but does she have an ulterior motive for finally setting a date? Kush thinks so, and confides in Martin that he doesn't want the wedding to go ahead.

Shabnam breaks the happy news to Kush - she wants to get married next week!

Kush is initially shocked, but delighted. Until...

He finds out that Shabnam wants to be married in order to help with her custody application for daughter Jade – and he tells Martin the wedding is off!

Martin tells Stacey about Kush's change of heart.

She's concerned for her friend and vows to talk to Shabnam about her plans.

Later, Kush confronts Shabnam and tells her he knows what she's playing at.

She refuses to listen to reason, and Kush ends up storming out.

Will the wel-matched couple manage to get their engagement back on track? Watch EastEnders on BBC1 from Monday, 26 October

The distraguht mum covers up the fact she recently lost her baby son in EastEnders

EastEnders’ Rakhee Thakrar explains to Soaplife why Shabnam feels the need to protect daughter Jade.

Since the heartbreak of giving birth to her stillborn son, Shabnam’s maternal instincts have kicked in and, while she swore she wanted nothing to do with her daughter Jade by Dean Wicks, she’s now had a change of heart.

“Her need to protect her daughter kicks in like a lioness,” says Rakhee. “It feels like a veil has been lifted from her eyes.”

Why does Shabnam want Jade back now?

“She sees Jade going to visit Dean [Matt Di Angelo] and she panics. Shabnam doesn’t think Jade is safe with the Carters. Now, she feels as if she can see what’s important in life and what can go wrong in the world. She’s desperate to protect Jade.”

What does the social worker, Fiona, think about Shabnam’s desire to look after Jade?

“When Shabnam talks to her, she doesn’t reveal she lost a baby. When Kush [Davood Ghadami] finds out what she’s done, he goes behind her back and explains to the social worker. Shabnam thinks it was Dean who spoke to her and she feels guilty for not mentioning Zaair. But her instinct to protect Jade is so strong that she just wants to prove to Fiona that she’s a suitable parent.”

But Fiona tells her it’s too soon to consider letting her have Jade…

“And Shabnam’s upset, but she likes to deal with things privately, so she buries her pain. What she’s going to learn now is she can’t use her old methods of coping. They won’t work.”

Does Kush confess that he told Fiona?

“He has to admit it was him when Shabnam storms over to Blades to confront Dean. Dean’s angry at her, insults fly and his words cut deep.”

What makes her go and see Jade?

“She’s drawn there by all these maternal feelings that are overpowering her. Jade [Amaya Edward] isn’t a replacement for Zaair. I think she would have felt like this eventually.”

Will Shabnam forge a close relationship with Jade?

“I hope so, but what we see is the start of a long journey for Shabnam as she figures out what’s best for her daughter. There’s a lengthy process in getting residency for a child, particularly with Jade’s cystic fibrosis.”

EastEnders, BBC1

It's been a traumatic few weeks for Shabnam (Rakhee Thakrar) and Kush (Davood Ghadami) in EastEnders since they suffered the loss of their baby Zaair. Shabnam's struggling to keep it together and her best friend Stacey (Lacey Turner) is bearing the brunt of her sadness.

Shabnam is furious to learn that a pregnant Stacey is considering missing her baby scan appointment. After some harsh words, Stacey attends the appointment and then visits Shabnam to clear the air. But poor Shabnam's torment gets worse and culminates in a breakdown in the Minute Mart. Kush urges her to face her loss, but just when it seems like things might be moving forward, Shabnam reveals that she wants to raise her daughter Jade, who she'd previously put up for adoption. Kush warns her against the idea, but Shabnam talks to the social worker anyway.

We're not sure it's the right move for Shabnam, but will she change her mind before she sets the wheels in motion?

Following the tragic stillbirth of her son, Shabnam has been trying to return to a normal life, but things have been made worse by the fact that her friend, Stacey, is pregnant. Shabnam can't avoid seeing things about babies and it all becomes too much when she goes back to work.

She can't avoid things about babies for ever, but emotions are still raw… spotting a mother and baby magazine on the shelf in the Minute Mart, she grabs it and rips it to shreds.

Kush is there to comfort his fiancée, as only they know what it's like to go through this tragedy. Shabnam is hurting but Kush helps her realise that if they're going to deal with their loss, they're going to have to face it head on. 

They need each other to get through this and Kush is there every step of the way to support his wife. But will it be enough for grieving Shabnam?

They take the painful decision to dismantle Zaair's cot, but Shabnam finds it hard to let go. Is it a case of too much, too soon?

It's one of the hardest things she's ever done, and Kush is right behind her. But will this really mark closure for Shabnam?

Shabnam goes through with dismantling the nursery, but Kush doesn't know she's got another idea up her sleeve...  

Kush thinks he has got through to Shabnam. But how will he react when Shabnam reveals she wants custody of her secret daughter Jade?  

When Shabnam approaches Jade's social worker to ask for custody of her daughter, it looks like a new can of worms might be opened. Can the lid be closed in time?

Find out on EastEnders from Monday, October 5 on BBC1.

Shabnam and Kush will be going through the most unimaginable pain as they work through their grief over the death of their unborn baby in EastEnders.

“Kush and Shabnam’s relationship will be tested beyond all limits,” reveals Rakhee Thakrar, who plays Shabnam. “Grief can be very isolating and everyone handles it in their own unique way.

“Shabnam’s trademark coping mechanism is to shut everyone out. Which will inevitably cause problems with Kush (Davood Ghadami). I hope they can recover.”

They’re clearly going to need the support of their family and friends… And Stacey’s a friend, right?

Well… Shabnam doesn’t know it but Stacey (Lacey Turner) shouldn’t be her first port of call in the turbulent days ahead.

And not just because Stacey is still secretly lusting after Kush.

Or because Stacey is pregnant and could prove to be a raw reminder of what Shabnam has just lost.

Stacey has decided to stop taking her bi-polar medication because it could hurt her unborn baby.

And when Stacey’s off her meds she can be, well, unpredictable at best - and homicidal at worst (as Archie Mitchell found out).

No matter how many times Stacey tells Martin Fowler (James Bye) she loves him, it is clear to just about everyone - except Martin - that she doesn’t.

Martin is who Stacey has settled for because she couldn’t have Kush.

But what might Kush do now, in his grief-stricken state? And what might Stacey encourage him to do?

Would Stacey really risk adding to her friend Shabnam’s heartbreak right now?

Without her medication, Stacey just might…

EastEnders continues on BBC1, Monday, August 31, 8.00pm.

EastEnders fans are used to riding an emotional roller coaster with the soap, but last night’s episode (Friday, August 28) would have been too painful for some to watch.

And Monday’s episode is going to hurt, too.

Those who did make it through the full 30 minutes on Friday, would have seen Shabnam (Rakhee Thakrar) and Kush (Davood Ghadami) told by a doctor: “I’m sorry, your baby’s heart has stopped beating”.

Shabnam knew what she was going to be told. She had told her father, Masood (Nitin Ganatra), her baby had stopped moving and, in tense, heartbreaking scenes, viewers saw them both trying every trick in a pregnant mother’s book to get the baby to move.

It was only when she was at the hospital, that Shabnam started to accept the awful truth and asked Masood to call Kush - who had just finished decorating the baby’s nursery.

Stunned by the doctor’s words, Shabnam then had to decide how she wanted to deliver the baby.

Agony was piled upon agony for them and for the viewers.

And it’s still not over.

In Monday’s episode, Shabnam and Kush are asked: “Once your baby is born, do you think you would like to hold him or her?

“Some parents want to spend time with their baby, wash them, dress them. Some find it helpful. Others decide not to. It’s your choice.”

Shabnam looks to Kush - but he can’t look at her.

Can they survive this tragedy?

Will they help each other heal - or will they turn away from each other and seek comfort from people who may just bring them more heartache?

EastEnders continues on BBC1, Monday, August 31, 8.00pm.

Shabnam’s shattered by the loss of her baby in a heartbreaking EastEnders storyline, Rakhee Thakrar explains to Soaplife...

Tragedy has struck engaged couple Shabnam Masood and Kush Kazemi, as their unborn baby has died. “The loss of the baby is such a huge thing to come to terms with,” says Rakhee.

“Shabnam is overwhelmed and numb. Then things happen so quickly because, in the very same minute, she’s also told it’s in her best interests to deliver the baby naturally. The thought of still having to go through labour seems unthinkable…” 

Does Shabnam feel guilty?

“Yes. It was her body and, even though it isn’t her fault, she feels she’s to blame. There’s also anger. Her world has stopped, yet people are still smiling, laughing, going to work, carrying on with their lives… She wants to scream at them all to stop. The sadness is devastating. All she wants to do is hold her baby.”

Can Shabnam and Kush recover from this?

“Kush and Shabnam’s relationship will be tested beyond all limits. Grief can be very isolating and everyone handles it in their own unique way.”

How will Shabnam handle her grief?

“Shabnam's trademark coping mechanism is to shut everyone out. This will inevitably cause problems with Kush. I hope they can recover. They’re a special couple who make it feel like things that seem impossible can be possible.”

How did you react when you heard about this storyline?

“My first reaction was sadness. It’s hard not be moved. I then started to realise I was actually going to have to play this and the responsibility of telling this story truthfully started to become very clear.”

Did you do much research?

“I did an immense amount of research. I felt a duty to do as much as I could. I started with Sands, the stillbirth and neonatal death charity. Erica Stewart, Sands’ Bereavement Support Manager, has been a huge part of this and was always on the end of the phone for any questions I had.” 

What’s it been like working with everyone on this story?

“Working with Nitin [Ganatra, who plays Masood] and Davood [Ghadami, Kush] was special. We shared some moments in scenes that we’ll never forget. The biggest support, though, came from Erica at Sands. Her endless willingness to help was invaluable.”

EastEnders, BBC1.

EastEnders have released this picture of Shabnam Masood (Rakhee Thakrar) with her daughter Jade (Amaya Edward)…and don’t mother and daughter look happy?

We know that Shabnam is about to suffer more heartache as she will lose the baby she and Kush are expecting.

But this scene with Jade, due to air in October, suggests that Shabnam could start to recover from that loss by forming a relationship with the daughter who is the result of Shabnam’s one-night stand with Dean Wicks (Matt Di Angelo) seven years ago, and who she abandoned at birth.

Jade has cystic fibrosis (just like Dean’s brother Jimbo had), an incurable disease that affects the lungs, pancreas, liver, kidneys and intestines.

The disease can be managed and Jade could live quite a full life… But is Shabnam up to that challenge?

Will she finally accept her daughter instead of rejecting her?

Will Kush (Davood Ghadami) want to take on another man’s child, especially when that man is rapist Dean, who he sees every day on the Square?

And what about Dean? He’s already decided Jade would be better off without him in her life (one of his better decisions). So how would he feel if Jade came to live on the Square?

Then there’s Jade’s grandparents, Shirley (Linda Henry) and Buster (Karl Howman)… They’re still working on getting themselves set up properly so that they can have Jade live with them.

Does that terrible thought prompt Shabnam to intervene and bring Jade to live with her?

EastEnders continues on BBC1, Monday, August 10, 8.00pm.

Shabnam Masood gets on the wrong side of a group of girls after she accuses them of vandalising the community centre in EastEnders next week.

Later she's cornered by the girls and after the subsequent attack she collapses alone in a park.

Earlier, Kush asks Carmel and Stacey to help him reunite Shabnam with Masood, after they fell out due following his search for her daughter, Jade.

But Kush would do well to concentrate on his own priorities – he finishes up chained half-naked to railings after getting into a state while celebrating his 30th birthday and is rescued by Stacey, which leads to another romantic interlude...

Watch the What's on TV preview of upcoming events in EastEnders, above."]

Three girls attack Shabnam after she accuses them of vandalising the community centre in EastEnders

All hell breaks loose when Dean Wicks dsicovers his and Shabnam's daughter is alive in EastEnders

Dean Wicks has been led to believe that the child he conceived with Shabnam is dead. But in EastEnders next week, he disover the truth – his daughter is alive and well.

Shabnam Masood (Rakhee Thakrar) has been trying to hide the fact that in her absence from Walford she gave birth to a baby girl, who she left on her aunt’s doorstep. Now, however, the secret is slowly coming out with some people in the know and some left in the dark. 

Dean (Matt Di Angelo) confronts dad Buster (Karl Howman) (BBC)

After finding out that he's not the father of Linda’s baby Oliver,  Dean has realised he would love to be a dad. Although he has been told that Shabnam’s baby died, Dean begins to suspect there's more to the story when he spots a suspicious conversation between Shabnam’s dad Masood (Nitin Ganatra) and his own father Buster (Karl Howman).

Buster is left with no choice but to come clean about the truth when his son confronts him – that the girl is still alive and he knows where she lives.

Buster reveals Dean’s daughter’s address (BBC)

Dean gets hold of her address and says he is set on visiting her – but will his mum Shirley Carter (Linda Henry) and Buster be able to convince him to leave well alone? And if the full story comes out, how will it impact on Shabnam’s upcoming wedding to Kush Kazemi (Davood Ghadami)?

The episode is set to air on BBC1 on 15 June.

Photos of the square's Lottery winners as they depart Walford forever

EastEnders’ Rakhee Thakrar tells Soaplife how an emotional and ashamed Shabnam reveals her big secret to Stacey - then later kisses Kush!

What are Shabnam’s feelings for Kush (Davood Ghadami)?

“She likes him, but sees him as someone who’s flaky and isn’t serious. There is a strong physical chemistry there, though.” 

She’s got other things on her mind, too, hasn’t she?

“Yes. She and Stacey [Lacey Turner] see each other very clearly and she's the one who has really noticed that Shabnam’s falling apart. Shabnam’s hanging by a thread and draws it out of her.”

How hard has it been for Shabnam to carry this secret?

“It was hard at first, but it has been many years now, so she’s used to carrying it around. It’s something she doesn’t want her family to know and it’s hard to lie to them.” 

What would happen if it did come out?

“Shabnam would hate to lose control of the secret and it would have a huge impact on her family. They would feel as if they’d been living with a stranger.”

And Kush?

“This is Shabnam’s biggest fear. She thinks he’d walk away.” 

Are Kush and Shabnam well suited as a couple?

“On paper they aren’t, but they spark each other off and make the other feel more alive. There’s a real chemical reaction between them, which is eventually impossible for Shabnam to resist.” 

EastEnders, BBC1. Click here for dates and times.

Shabnam's guilt weighs heavily on her and she comes clean to Stacey in EastEnders

Shabnam Masood's birthday isn't exactly a bundle of laughs; in fact, it triggers an emotional meltdown which leads to a shock revelation in EastEnders.

On the day of her birthday, Shabs learns she's being made redundant. After a showdown with her father, Mas, about an inheritance she kept to herself, she seeks comfort in the company of Kush... and the pair spend the night together.

Later, when she thinks he's blurted out to Stacey about their night together, she makes a terrible confession to Stace.

Watch the preview of this and other big storylines in EastEnders, above.

EastEnders character Shabnam Masood is set to return to the soap and will bring with her a terrible secret.

Shabnam, originally played by Zahra Ahmadi, has been recast with Rakhee Thakrar now in the role, according to The Sun On Sunday.

The character has been off screen for five years since Zahra quit after 14 months in the BBC soap, but will now return to Albert Square to be reunited with her father Masood (Nitin Ganatra) and brother Tamwar (Himesh Patel).

Rakhee said: "Having grown up watching EastEnders with my family, I'm really excited to now be joining the show. I can't wait to become part of the Masood family and start working with the rest of the amazing EastEnders cast and crew."

Executive producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins told EastEnders' official website: "Masood and Tamwar have been missing a female presence in their lives and Shabnam's return to Albert Square in January is well overdue - and, by that time, vital...

"We've been exhaustive in our recasting of Shabnam and when Rakhee walked in the room, everyone - including Nitin - knew that she was perfect.

"The Shabnam who returns home is older, wiser and a chip off her mother's block. And - of course - carrying a terrible secret from her time away from Walford."