EastEnders’ Shaheen Jafargholi had to ask five people before he could cut his hair.
The 20-year-old actor joined the long-running soap as Shakil Kazemi last year and quickly became known for his topknot, but when the hunk decided he fancied a change he had to go through numerous channels before he was given the all-clear to chop it off.
Speaking to Inside Soap magazine, he said: "You know what, it was a bigger decision than I thought it was going to be! You have to wait until you have a gap in filming for continuity – in the end, the process took about two months and I had to ask about five different people for permission. But it was worth it – I’m a bit lazy when it comes to hair, so I’m happy it’s gone. And for a while people didn’t recognise me as much, which meant I could go to Tesco in my pyjamas without anyone stopping me for a photo!"
Although he’s only been on the soap for 13 months, Shaheen has already developed a strong bond with Jasmine Armfield and Tilly Keeper – who play Bex Fowler and Louise Mitchell, respectively – and the three of them regularly spend time together off set too.
He explained: "I pick on them more than they pick on me. The three of us are the best of friends, and the girls basically live at my flat. There’s lot of banter, but it’s all love. They make fun of when I was a little boy singing on the TV – that’s a recurring theme."
The former ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ star shares his flat with his co-star Amy-Leigh Hickman – who plays Linzi Bragg – and, although they’ve grown closer since working together, they’ve known each other since they were children and started on the soap together.
He said: "We’re best friends and she’s my flatmate – I call her my wife. I’ve known her since we were kids. We got our jobs at ‘EastEnders’ at the same time, but my first day was her last. She inspires me every day."
Shaheen Jafargholi hair cut permission
