An actress from EastEnders has disclosed that the BBC soap initially turned her down at the outset of her acting career before finally making her first appearance on the popular programme in a recent episode.

Shazia Mirza appeared in Wednesday’s (9 July) episode of EastEnders as Dr. Ayub, who updated Lauren Branning (played by Jacqueline Jossa) and Peter Beale (portrayed by Thomas Law) on the cause of baby Jimmy’s blindness.

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In the poignant scene, Dr Ayub explained to the couple that their newborn son’s condition was due to a genetic mutation, assuring Lauren that she was not at fault.

Before the episode was broadcast, Shazia revealed on Instagram that she had written to the bosses of EastEnders 37 years ago at the beginning of her career, requesting a role in the BBC soap.

Shazia Mirza

Shazia Mirza made a guest appearance in BBC’s EastEnders (Image: BBC)
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She shared the response letter she received from the BBC executives on her Instagram account, along with an extensive caption about her journey, reports OK!.

The letter from the EastEnders team informed Shazia that their “policy” was to decline those who approached them for a role on the show, due to the high volume of requests they received from “young people wanting parts on EastEnders.

“37 years ago I wrote to @bbceastenders asking for a part and 37 years later I got one,” Shazia penned. “EastEnders is working with advice from the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) on a storyline where Lauren and Peter’s son is diagnosed as severely sight-impaired.”

Detailing the plot, she went on to say: “Having struggled to settle baby Jimmy in recent weeks, Lauren becomes concerned by his lack of ability to focus as he struggles to latch during breastfeeding.

“Driven by her maternal instinct, Lauren takes Jimmy to the hospital for further tests, where the doctors confirm that Jimmy is severely sight-impaired.

“The storyline follows Lauren and Peter as they grapple with life with a newborn, the symptoms that Lauren identifies, which prompt her to seek a diagnosis, and how the diagnosis will affect Jimmy and their family as a whole.”

Shazia Mirza’s rejection letter from EastEnders

She shared a snap of her rejection letter to Instagram (Image: Instagram)
The actress concluded her post by saying, “It has been an honour to be part of such an important storyline. If you’re impatient, Thursday’s episode is already on @bbciplayer, or catch it live tomorrow night at 7PM.”

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The actress’s fans and friends were quick to congratulate her on her EastEnders debut, with one commenting: “Good things come to those who wait 37 years.”

Another chimed in, “Shazia, this is brilliant! It’s so good to see you on the show.”

EastEnders airs Monday – Thursday on BBC One at 7.30pm. All episodes are available to stream on BBC iPlayer.

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