Laila Rouass makes her EastEnders debut tonight (August 5) – but the actress is no stranger to appearing on screen.
The telly fave is taking on the role of Ayesha Siddhu in the BBC soap – a mysterious stranger from Suki and Nish’s past. And according to the TV star, her new EastEnders role is “a lifelong dream come true”.
But what else has Laila been in? And how did she meet her fiancé – who she didn’t know was mega-famous at the time? Here’s everything you need to know about Laila Rouass…
How old is EastEnders star Laila Rouass and where is she from?
Laila was born in Tower Hamlets, East London on 22 June 1971, making her 53 years old. Hailing from the East End, Laila has an Indian mother and a Moroccan father – as well as six siblings.
Growing up, she was raised as Muslim, but during an interview from 2016, Laila revealed she no longer practices the religion.
She told The Mirror: “I wouldn’t say I am practising Muslim – I don’t go to the mosque or anything, but it’s part of my identity. We don’t really talk about religion at home.”
What has Laila Rouass been in?
Laila first shot to fame in the iconic ITV show Footballers’ Wives, playing Amber Gates. Laila starred on the show from 2004 to 2006. Prior to her big break, though, Laila worked as a video jockey in the 1990s on Channel V in India.
Following her stint on Footballers’ Wives, Laila bagged roles in shows including The Royals and Ruth Jones’ Sky comedy-drama, Stella.
She also played Sahira Shah on BBC’s Holby City from 2011 to 2012, and again in 2021.
Laila Rouass’ Strictly scandal
In 2009, Laila appeared on Strictly Come Dancing. The TV star was partnered with Anton Du Beke and they made it all the way to the final four.
Recently, Anton’s name was dragged into the ongoing scandal surrounding the show. It came after Anton’s past comments towards Laila resurfaced. Reports recently claimed that Laila had made a complaint to the BBC over Anton at the time.
During her stint on the show, Anton jokingly made a racial slur about Laila after she had a spray tan on the show. At the time of the incident, Anton publicly apologised to Laila and said he felt “stupid” and “embarrassed” by his comment. And recently, Laila addressed Anton’s remark and apology.
“There has been much speculation over the last couple of weeks about alleged complaints I have made to the BBC regarding my time on Strictly. I had no intention of making a statement but now feel it’s necessary as over the last couple of weeks there have been false accusations, online abuse and harassment aimed at me and my family.”
She said when she became paired with Anton, she “knew I was in safe hands”. She said: “Anton and I rehearsed 7 days a week for approx 6/7 hours a day. At no point did I feel pressured by Anton or the producers to add more time to rehearsals.
“Unfortunately my time on the show was scarred by a handful of incidents, some of which were discussed in the press at the time. Yes Anton used derogatory words and it was unacceptable. Yes Anton publicly apologised to me. Above all this and, most importantly, I do not believe Anton is racist or Islamophobic.
“If I believed he was, I would have refused to dance with him. I wish to make clear, apart from the situation mentioned above which was dealt with, at absolutely no point was I physically, emotionally, sexually or verbally abused by Anton.”
Who was Laila Rouass married to?
EastEnders star Laila married family friend Abdeslam Rouass in 1990 but ended up getting divorced in 2003.
The actress then had a relationship with businessman Nasir Khan – with Laila giving birth to their daughter Inez in February 2007. However, shortly afterwards, she ended her relationship with Nasir.
And in 2012, Laila Rouass met professional snooker player Ronnie O’Sullivan – with the pair becoming engaged the following year.
Laila Rouass and Ronnie O’Sullivan
In 2016, Laila revealed how she met Ronnie O’Sullivan while house-hunting – and ended up viewing his property.
“It happened by accident. I was shown around Ronnie’s house by his father, who told his son about meeting me,” she told the Belfast Telegraph.
“Ronnie called the estate agent, a friend of mine, and asked me out via her. When she said he was a snooker player, I said: ‘Yeah, but what does he do for a living?’”
She added: “I’d never heard of him because sport doesn’t interest me at all, although Ronnie’s won me over to snooker.”
When did Laila Rouass and Ronnie O’Sullivan split?
In 2022, the couple shocked fans when Laila announced they had separated.
“After nearly 10 years of love and memories, Ronnie & I have parted ways,” she wrote on Instagram in February 2022.
The separation didn’t last long though, and by April that year, she was spotted wearing her engagement ring once again.
Laila later confirmed in May: “Me and Ronnie are back together, we found our way back. We just worked it out – back when I announced it, we hadn’t been together for almost eight months at that time.”
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Are Laila Rouass and Ronnie O’Sullivan married?
Despite their long-running engagement, the couple are yet to tie the knot.
Speaking of their long engagement in 2019, Laila told the Mirror: “I’d have to really gear myself up for a wedding. At the moment we’ve put it on the back burner and we’re enjoying our time so there’s no rush.”
Ronnie then added: “It becomes a bit more important as you get older for legal reasons but for now we’re okay. If something’s not broke, why fix it? If it’s working, why change a winning formula?
“We’ve been engaged for a while now, so we know we want to be with each other, I’m sure we will get round to it. We’re very casual and laid-back about the whole thing anyway. When it happens, it will happen. I love her, I love her company, I admire her.”
Laila Rouass caught up in Barcelona terrorist attack
In August 2017, the Barcelona terrorist attack took place that tragically saw a man drive a van into crowds of people, killing at least 13 people.
Laila was in Barcelona at the time, and was caught up in the attack. She took to Twitter at the time to recount the ordeal. Laila wrote: “In the middle of the attack. Hiding in a restaurant freezer. Happened so fast. Praying for the safety of everyone here,” she shared. Laila also said she heard gunshots while inside the restaurant near Las Ramblas.
EastEnders usually airs Monday to Thursday at 7.30pm on BBC One
Read more: EastEnders spoilers tonight: Ayesha arrives in Walford turning Suki’s life upside down
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