Nearly 15 years after his character Yusef Khan met a fiery end in EastEnders, actor Ace Bhatti continues to enjoy a thriving career, appearing in major TV dramas and a blockbuster film. Yusef, a notorious villain, first appeared on the BBC soap in 2010 as a friend of Afia Masood, who was later revealed to be his daughter.
Yusef's Disturbing Storyline
Yusef's time in Walford was marked by manipulation and domestic abuse. He charmed locals while hiding a dark past: he had deliberately set his first wife, Zainab Masood (Nina Wadia), on fire after she cheated on him. Moving to Walford as a GP, he rekindled his romance with Zainab, but the relationship soon turned violent. Yusef constantly manipulated and attacked Zainab, pushing her to abandon her own son. She eventually confided in ex-husband Masood (Nitin Ganatra) about the abuse.
When Yusef discovered this, he became enraged and deliberately set fire to the Albert Square bed and breakfast during a party, intending to kill Zainab. In a twist, Zainab told him that their daughter Afia was trapped inside, though she was not. Running inside to save her, Yusef became trapped and engulfed in flames. The property exploded, and Yusef died on Boxing Day in 2011.
Ace Bhatti's Career After EastEnders
Before EastEnders, Ace, originally from Nottinghamshire, starred in shows like Grease Monkeys (as Dave Dhillon), Coronation Street (Jayesh Parekh), and Secret Diary of a Call Girl (Ashok). Between 2019 and 2021, he played Rohan Sindwhani in Line of Duty. In 2022, he appeared in The Good Karma Hospital as Jules Fonseca, and from 2020 to 2024, he played Crawley in Alex Rider.
He also starred in ITV drama Protection as DCI Arun Kapoor, Malpractice as Arun Mansoor, and The Hack as Rahul Shah. Other credits include The Stranger, Three Girls, Vera, and Shetland.
Recent Roles and Film Success
Earlier this year, Ace appeared in the acclaimed series Death in Paradise as Alasdair Hartnell, a barrister grappling with marital issues and his daughter's tragic death. On the big screen, he played Bomi Bulsara, Freddie Mercury's father, in the biographical drama Bohemian Rhapsody, which won multiple Oscars and also featured former EastEnders star Ben Hardy as Roger Taylor, with Rami Malek in the lead role.
EastEnders airs Monday to Thursday on BBC One and iPlayer.
