Nina will be seen in the new series of Death in Paradise
Former EastEnders star Nina Wadia has effectively ruled out a return to Albert Square as Zainab Masood.
The 51-year-old actress, who’s about to appear in Death in Paradise, made her first appearance as Zainab in 2007, eventually leaving the show nearly six years later in 2013.
However, Nina reveals she's unlikely to be back anytime soon as she enjoys getting her teeth stuck into new characters, rather than going back to old roles.
“They left the door open for me, which is so respectful and I do appreciate it, but I am someone who likes to create new characters, otherwise I get bored. You have to be brave to come out of soap because you don’t know what’s out there," she explains.
“You’ve been cocooned in this lovely world, then you get to start your career again.”
Nina is playing the love interest of DI Jack Mooney (Ardal O’Hanlon) in the new series of Death in Paradise, which returns on Thursday.
Nina’s character, tourist Anna, takes a shine to Jack, and could it be that Anna is the one who tempts Jack away from Saint Marie? After all, we know Ardal is leaving.
Nina loved working on Death in Paradise, but couldn’t take Ardal seriously. “I know Ardal more as Father Dougal from [C4 sitcom] Father Ted, one of my favourite-ever shows, so I couldn’t take him seriously as a love interest, if I’m honest!
"He’s got such a cheeky face, I just kept seeing Dougal. Ardal and I met up the day after we landed to get to know each other, because our first day of filming was a romantic scene and I didn’t know the man! It was completely different from working with Nitin Ganatra as Masood on EastEnders – I’d known him for years by then, so I feel like I’m actually married to him!"
Main picture: Getty Images
