BBC drama The Split Up aired its fourth episode this evening, Monday, September 28, and fans may have missed a quiet tribute the show paid to one of its biggest stars.
In the episode, Aria Kishan (played by Ritu Arya) once again had her hands full both personally and professionally. After not being able to get hold of Uncle Rick (Ramon Tikaram), Dhruv Kishan (Sanjeev Bhaskar) asked Aria and Luke (Dimitri Leonidas) to visit him at the farm he was on the brink of losing.
A nod to Goodness Gracious Me
When they arrived, Uncle Rick insisted there was a will that confirmed the farm had been handed to him, so all three of them searched the house. During this hunt, the BBC drama made a cute gesture for their Split Up co-star and Unforgotten legend Sanjeev Bhaskar.
Luke returned to the living room carrying a cardboard box and told Aria and Uncle Rick: “OK there’s not much in there except old books and about 30 VHS tape recordings of Goodness Gracious Me.” Uncle Rick instantly had a big grin on his face as he simply replied: “Still cracks me up.”
A 1990s comedy classic
Goodness Gracious Me is a 1990s comedy sketch show that ran for three years and starred former EastEnders icon Nina Wadia and The Split Up’s very own Sanjeev Bhaskar. The award-winning sitcom also starred Bhaskar’s wife Meera Syal, who was also one of the creative minds behind the show.
Prior to Luke telling everyone about the VHS tapes he found, Uncle Rick told Aria that she shouldn’t “settle” as he sensed chemistry between his niece and her colleague. It was at her “Fox Do” with husband-to-be Neal (Danny Ashok) that he revealed he knew her father was going to make him joint manager of Kishan Law long before it was announced.
Feeling betrayed, Aria went to Luke’s flat and admitted her feelings, which led to a passionate kiss. The Split Up is available to watch on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
