Shaheen Jafargholi sees his ‘EastEnders’ co-stars more now than when he was on the soap.
The 21-year-old actor played Shakil Kazemi in the BBC One show for two years until bowing out of the programme earlier this year when his alter-ego was stabbed to death, but he still regularly catches up with Tilly Keeper (Louise Mitchell) and Jasmine Armfield (Bex Fowler) most weekends.
He said: "I definitely think they miss me. But I probably see them more now than I did when I was there.
"Tilly and Jasmine are my best friends in real life, and I see them most weekends.
"I’m I Cardiff five days a week working, but I still have my flat in London, so I go home all the time."
Shaheen recently saw his pals at the London-based Inside Soap Awards – but he couldn’t stay out all night partying because he had to get back to Cardiff, where he is filming ‘Casualty’.
He said: "I had to drive back to Cardiff at 11pm, as I had work the next day, so it went fast.
"But it was the best fast night ever."
While he found it "quite daunting" switching from ‘EastEnders’ to the medical drama, he was pleased to have another fellow former Albert Square resident, Maddy Hill – who played Nancy Carter – alongside him in the green room.
He added to Inside Soap magazine: "It was nice to have someone who got what I was going through, in terms of jumping from one big show to another – initially it can be quite daunting.
"But Maddy is amazing and I look up to her a lot. She left ‘EastEnders’ just as I was joining, so we never got to do anything together.
"She’s a phenomenal actress, though – it’s great to work alongside her now."
Shaheen Jafargholi sees EastEnders stars more now he’s left the soap
