Jade Masood arrived in the Square in today’s episode of EastEnders telling dad Dean Wicks that she wants to stay with him for a while.
Jade, who’s got cystic fibrosis, told her dad she was fed up of her mum fussing round her. And Dean, manipulative as ever, has seen his chance to use his daughter to prove to the people of Walford that he’s not as nasty as they all think he is.
So who is Jade’s mum and what happened between her and Dean?
Who is Jade’s mum?
Jade’s mum is Shabnam Masood. She lived in Walford back in 2007 for a year or so, then moved away. She returned in 2014 and left the Square again in 2016.
Who played Shabnam in EastEnders?
Shabnam was originally played by Zahra Ahmadi. She’s gone on to have roles in Doctor Who, Black Mirror and most recently landed the role of DS Esther Williams in BBC comedy-drama Beyond Paradise.
When Shabnam returned to Albert Square in 2014, she was played by Rakhee Thakrar. Rakhee has also gone on to big success since leaving EastEnders – she’s appeared in television shows including Sex Education and Finders Keepers and she also stars in the blockbuster film, Wonka.
Who is Shabnam Masood?
Shabnam is the daughter of Zainab Masood and Masood Ahmed and sister of Syed, Tamwar and Kamil. In her early days on the Square, she was idealistic, romantic and family-focused, though she did have a slight rebellious streak.
She made friends with Dawn Swann and the pair enjoyed some riotous nights out though mum Zainab wasn’t impressed.
Shabs eventually left Walford for Pakistan.
Shabnam’s return to Walford
When she came back to Walford, Shabnam was more serious. She wore a headscarf and was more interested in her Muslim faith than she had been.
She fell in love with cheeky market trader Kush Kazemi and became firm friends with Stacey Slater. Stacey was surprised when Shabnam confessed that she’d had a baby girl, who she’d called Roya. She told her shocked friend that her daughter had been conceived in a club toilet – classy! – and that she’d abandoned her child by leaving her on her aunt’s doorstep.
What happened with Shabnam and Dean in EastEnders?
At the time of Shabnam’s confession to Stacey, Dean Wicks was also back in Albert Square. He’d well and truly shown his true colours by raping Linda Carter and the Carter family were still dealing with the shockwaves of that attack.
So Stacey – who’d had her own unpleasant encounter years before when Dean spiked her drink – was horrified when Shabs admitted he was the father of her baby.
When Dean found out about his daughter, Shabs told him she’d died, though Dean worked out she was lying.
How did Shabnam find Jade again?
Shabnam and Kush got engaged and Shabnam’s Aunt Fatima told her where Roya – who was now called Jade Green – was living. But when Jade found her mum after she was attacked by a gang of girls, Shabs said she felt no connection to the little girl.
After the attack, Shabnam went to hospital where she discovered she was pregnant with Kush’s baby. She and Kush were heartbroken when their son, who they named Zair, was stillborn.
Later, Shabnam saw Jade visiting Dean and realised she did feel a connection – she wanted her daughter in her life. She gave Shirley Carter, and Dean’s dad Buster Briggs, her support to start a legal fight to get Jade back. She had not been adopted due to her health issues.
With Shabnam still struggling after Zair’s death, Shirley and Buster won custody. But when Shabnam decided to move to Pakistan, Jade said she was abandoning her again. Shabs changed her plans and instead said she was moving to a nearby part of London so Jade could still visit.
Shirley and Buster realised Jade was better off with her mum, and the little girl moved in with Shabs.
Will Shabnam return to EastEnders?
There have so far been no hints that Shabnam is returning to EastEnders. Though both Dean and Jade have talked about her, and we’ve even seen Dean on the phone to her.
But with her little girl living with her rapist father, we can’t imagine Shabnam will be okay with that forever. We reckon you can never say never!
Read more: Who is leaving EastEnders this year?
EastEnders usually airs Monday to Thursday at 7.30pm on BBC One.
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