EastEnders star Shaheen Jafargholi lands key role in major TV series

| Soaps Reporter Published August 26, 2026 11:08am Updated August 26, 2026 11:08am Shaheen Jafargholi has secured a major new role (Picture: BBC/Jack Barnes) It has been eight years since EastEnders broke our hearts with the death of Shakil Kazemi, but actor Shaheen Jafargholi is soon set to return to our screens with a key role in a major Canadian TV series. It has been announced that Shaheen is among the cast of the second series of Crave’s Heated Rivalry – an LGBTQ+ rivals-to-lovers hockey romance that has taken the world by storm. Season one of Heated Rivalry follows the fiery love story between Canada’s Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Russia’s Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie) over the course of a decade and is based on the first two books of the Game Changers series by Rachel Reid. Following the huge success of the first season, which saw the series become HBO’s most-watched non-animated acquisition in history,Heated Rivalry has been renewed for another season. The second season will introduce characters from the third novel in the Game Changers series, Tough Guy. Tough Guy follows hockey player Ryan Price as he reconnects with Fabian Salah, the musician he shared an almost-kiss with in high school. Heated Rivalry has taken the world by storm (Picture: Sabrina Lantos/HBO Max via AP) Shaheen also had a regular role on Casualty (Picture: BBC PICTURE ARCHIVES) Shaheen is set to play the role of Fabian, opposite Canadian actor Daniel Diemer, known for his role as Tyson in Percy Jackson and the Olympians, as Ryan. ‘Fabian and Ryan each bring a distinctive energy to the world Rachel Reid has created,’ Heated Rivalry co-creators Jacob Tierney and Brendan Brady from Accent Aigu Entertainment told Deadline. ‘Daniel and Shaheen bring such confidence and emotional honesty to the roles. We can’t wait for audiences to see what they do with Fabian and Ryan and how they make these characters their own.’ Ask Metro Use AI to go deeper into the stories you care about – powered by Metro and trusted publications. Season two of Heated Rivalry is scheduled to air in Spring 2027. Of course, the news of Shaheen’s casting sent soap fans into a frenzy on social media, with EastEnders fans expressing their joy at his success. Being both an EastEnders watcher and a Heated Rivalry watcher, season 2 is going to be fun!!— Courtney (@CourtneyxWillis) August 25, 2026 Shaheen made a huge impact on viewers during his time as Shakil Kazemi in the BBC soap. His exit came as part of a powerful knife crime storyline, which saw Shakil die after being stabbed by gang members. His funeral aired during a special episode that saw real people affected by knife crime tell their stories. Following his exit in 2018 after two years on the show, Shaheen went on to become a series regular in Casualty, playing Marty Kirkby until 2023. Deals of the Day Shop MySweetSmile's biggest Bank Holiday offers before they end Back-to-school shopping just got a lot cheaper thanks to Primark The back-to-school essential parents forget every year – and it could cost them Simba's cooling mattresses are now up to 30% off ahead of the bank holiday The best hosepipe ban-friendly products to protect your garden this summer More recently, he has had roles in several TV series, including Lost Boys & Fairies, In Flight and The Agency. Arrow MORE: Mollie Gallagher hoping for call back to Coronation Street after ‘very sad’ decision Arrow MORE: Emmerdale legend ‘so grateful’ as she marks 20 years in the village Arrow MORE: EastEnders boss reveals two returning stars that will ‘drop your jaws’ The Soaps Newsletter – Daily All the latest soaps spoilers and gossip, in your inbox every morning.