Actress Laila Rouass is set to make her EastEnders debut this month, portraying the enigmatic character Ayesha. She arrives in Walford at the invitation of Nish Panesar (Navin Chowdhry), who fans will remember is terminally ill.

It’s evident that she shares a past not only with him but also with Suki (Balvinder Sopal) and the entire Panesar family. It’s revealed that Ayesha was acquainted with Suki and Nish many years ago, but they’ve lost contact over the years.

Discussing her guest role on the soap, Laila Rouass expressed: “I cannot tell you how excited I am to be in EastEnders! I was born in the East End and grew up there, and there was such a buzz when the show started.

“Even though I was little at the time, I can clearly remember the first episode and Doctor Legg arriving at the flat where Reg Cox had been murdered.”

She added: “I’ve also known Navin Chowdhry (Nish Panesar) for many years, so it was great to work with him again and to do scenes with Balvinder Sopal (Suki Panesar) and the rest of the Panesars as Ayesha reunites with them. This is a lifelong dream come true!”

Laila is no newcomer to the screen. She rose to fame in the 2000s, playing Amber Gates in ITV’s Footballers’ Wives, joining in the third series as Tanya Turner’s (Zoe Lucker) love rival.

Laila Rouass, known for her roles in Footballers’ Wives and its ITV2 spin-off series Footballers’ Wives: Extra Time from 2004 to 2006, has had a diverse acting career. In 2009, she featured in ITV’s Primeval and later appeared in The Sarah Jane Adventures, Spooks, Holby City and The Lodge.

She also starred as Maria in the Ruth Jones Sky comedy drama show, Stella, in 2016. Additionally, Laila showcased her dancing skills in the seventh series of Strictly Come Dancing in 2009, where she was partnered with Anton Du Beke and finished in fourth place on the popular BBC One show.