Shaheen Jafargholi, a former Britain's Got Talent finalist who played Shakil Kazemi on EastEnders, has joined the cast of Heated Rivalry, one of Sky's most-watched series. The 29-year-old Welsh actor will play Fabian Salah in the Canadian drama, which premiered on Sky Atlantic in the UK and is available to stream on NOW.
From BGT to EastEnders
Jafargholi began his media career in 2009 as Troy in the children's series Grandpa in My Pocket, and also appeared in the Doctor Who spin-off Torchwood. On Britain's Got Talent, he sang a cover of Amy Winehouse's Valerie, but Simon Cowell asked him to stop just two lines into the song.
Asked to perform something else, he sang the Jackson 5's Who's Loving You. Cowell, Amanda Holden, and Piers Morgan gave him a standing ovation and voted him through to the live shows. Some fans were unhappy that Jafargholi had entertainment industry experience, having also performed as a young Michael Jackson in Thriller – Live. A Britain's Got Talent spokesperson said the series is 'open to everyone whether they are a professional or an amateur'.
He made it to the final, where he finished in seventh place. The final is best remembered for Diversity beating Susan Boyle to victory despite her audition going viral. After the show, Jafargholi performed in Michael Jackson tributes at the MOBO Awards, the BBC Children in Need Gala, and on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
EastEnders role and beyond
In 2016, Jafargholi joined EastEnders as Shakil Kazemi, son of Carmel Kazemi (Bonnie Langford) and youngest brother of Kush Kazemi (Davood Ghadami). The character was involved in a teenage love triangle with Louise Mitchell (Tilly Keeper) and Bex Fowler (Jasmine Armfield). Shakil was killed off in 2018 after a gang fatally stabbed him; Keegan Baker (Zack Morris), who was also stabbed but survived, had stolen a bike from them. The story was praised for highlighting gang violence in London.
Following EastEnders, Jafargholi played Marty Kirkby on Casualty from 2018 to 2023, and appeared in Holby City, Wreck, Lost Boys and Fairies, and The Agency: Central Intelligence.
Heated Rivalry role
On Tuesday (August 25), it was announced that Jafargholi is joining Heated Rivalry as Fabian Salah, a Lebanese Canadian indie musician who is openly gay. The character is best known for being in a couple with Ryan Price, played by Percy Jackson's Daniel Diemer, in the third book of Rachel Reid's Game Changers series, titled Tough Guy.
Producers Jacob Tierney and Brendan Brady said in a statement: “Fabian and Ryan each bring a distinctive energy to the world Rachel Reid has created. They are bold, complicated and deeply compelling characters, and finding actors who could really take on all of those different sides was so important to us. 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.”
Premiering in December last year, the drama became the most-watched original series on Crave and was the highest-performing acquired, non-animated debut on HBO Max in America. The series stars Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie as two professional hockey players who maintain a secret long-term romantic relationship while playing for rival teams. Season two is set to air in April next year.
