Emmerdale actor Shebz Miah, who plays mechanic Kammy Hadiq, has opened up about the real-life inspiration behind his character's homelessness storyline. The 28-year-old, who joined the soap 18 months ago, spoke to a former delivery driver who hid his own homelessness from friends and family.
In recent episodes, viewers discovered that Kammy has been sleeping in a barn and concealing his situation from those close to him. He was also wrongly suspected of being an arsonist. In Thursday's episode, he confessed his struggles to best friend Vinny Dingle, who offered him a temporary place to stay.
Shebz Miah said: 'I hope Kammy's predicament will help reassure those who are hiding they are homeless, there is no need to feel alone. Help is out there.' The storyline aims to highlight hidden homelessness, which affects more than 100,000 people in the UK according to The Salvation Army.
To ensure accuracy, Shebz spoke to Jamie Parsons, 57, who became homeless in 2021 after splitting from his partner. Jamie, a former delivery driver, slept in his van and later in his mother's car, dressing smartly and acting normally to hide his plight. He said: 'It was his pride that was stopping him.'
Shebz added: 'He has given me the tools to try and do this story justice.' The actor hopes the plot will encourage people in similar situations to seek help and break down taboos. He also noted that hidden homelessness is more common than realised, with people holding down jobs but having no home to go to.
As Emmerdale's first Pakistani Muslim character, Shebz is proud of his role. He recalled a touching moment at a mosque where a young fan told him that seeing him on screen had helped during a difficult time. The storyline will continue to explore Kammy's backstory and its impact on his relationship with girlfriend Belle Dingle.
