Yesterday, viewers said goodbye to the character of Nish. How does it feel to have been involved in such an explosive exit storyline?
It’s been the most wonderful adventure that I could have hoped for. I can remember my first conversation with Chris Clenshaw when we were discussing having me on board, and the word that came up a couple of times in our chat about the character was ‘explosive’, and that’s what appealed to me. Chris made some promises, and he and the team delivered.
I have loved it. My last day of filming was a very emotional one. God forbid if they put the behind the scenes footage out. [Laughs] There were tears from quite a lot of us on the day. I’m even feeling quite emotional talking about it now because it’s meant so much to be a part of this journey.
How long have you known that about this storyline, and what has it been like keeping your exit a secret for these past months?
When I had a meeting about Sixmas in October 2023, Chris [Clenshaw] told me I was the body on The Vic floor, and I thought ‘OK, nice knowing you’ [laughs] and then he said ‘but you don’t die, and this is what happens’. We’ve always been on the same page about this character, so I feel very lucky that we’ve all been in sync. The conversations just organically evolved; it was like we both knew what each other was going to say before we said it. I’ve had a wonderful time here, I’ve got a lot of love for Chris, so every box was ticked and I thought, ‘yeah, let’s go out with a bang’.
Having tried desperately to stop Suki marrying Eve, true love prevailed. How has it been working with Balvinder, Heather and your Panesar family on this storyline?
It has been a dream. I feel tearful now just thinking about it. It was instant chemistry with every single one of them from the beginning. I can remember vividly my first scene with all of them.
I started with Aaron first and then with Shiv. They have been like sons, younger brothers, and the most beautiful friends to me. My last scene on the shoot was with them on location, and that again, was this wonderful circular, beautiful way to end.
Heather, I can remember our first scene in The Vic, and we looked at each other, and we just knew that there was tension between our characters. I must stress not between Navin and Heather because I adore her, but between Nish and Eve. When I came on board I didn’t know it was going to be so fixated on this love triangle, as there was lots of things, but it just clicked.
And with Bal, it’s been an absolute joy. We’ve had such a laugh, there’s so much love, there’s been tears, there’s been joy. It’s never felt unnatural. It has always just felt so easy and comfortable to explore what we wanted to do. It doesn’t happen all the time, and I just feel incredibly lucky for the collection of people that were put together. There was so much love and respect, and laughter amongst our group.
You burst onto our screens as Nish Panesar back in 2022, and you’ve had some amazing storylines during your time on the show. What are some of your favourite moments?
My favourite would have to be the Sixmas story. That was a flagship event for the whole show. There was so much hype and speculation beforehand in the press, but also between us as actors as none of us knew what was going on for a large part of it. So, to be a part of that storyline, but to be the body on The Vic floor; a moment that had been publicised for the best part of a year is something that I think will always make me smile. That was just a wonderful gift, and to work with all of The Six was incredible. I’ve got a real love and affection for all of them. We were all looking at each other thinking ‘this is massive’.
Another moment was the reveal when Nish found out about Suki and Eve. We worked with a wonderful director, Lloyd [Eyre-Morgan] and those episodes were so exciting as people were really engaged in what was going to happen when Nish finally found out. That happened just before Christmas and I think that really grabbed the attention of the viewers. So, being involved in that triangle and the reveal was fantastic.
Nish’s illness storyline, and just being there at the wedding. I think for a character like this, who has caused so much pain for so many people; his villainy has been so massive in the last two years, for it to come to a head on New Years Day in the way that it does, that was a plus as well.
Although your character is a villain, you have been a favourite amongst viewers since you joined. What will you remember about your time in EastEnders?
I feel so lucky that I’ve left with absolute love for the experience I’ve had because that doesn’t happen on every job. I think to leave and to know that I’ve loved being a part of it, I’ve loved working with the people that I did, and having such amazing storylines with a character that inspired such passionate reactions, negative and positive, I feel very happy that it worked and that we had a good time doing it.
I’ve got to work with such wonderful people, some of whom will be friends for life, and I think we, together, as an ensemble, have been a part of something very exciting for the last few years. I take nothing but just loving memories from this experience.
I started acting when I was fifteen and the very first director I ever worked with was a wonderful Oscar-winning director [John Schlesinger]. He took me to one side because that job was so special to me, and he said “If you can leave a job with love in your heart for the people that you’ve worked for and for the experience that you’ve had then you know that you’ve been a part of something very special.” I’ve always thought about that, and I’ve always quoted it to myself, but that is exactly to the word what EastEnders has been for me. That quote resonated so much for me during my journey at EastEnders and on my final day.
Lastly, are there any keepsakes you’ve taken from the set to remind you of Nish Panesar?
I’ve got my Albert Square board, and Chris Clenshaw gave me some cufflinks. Obviously cufflinks were a big part of the Sixmas story, and a big part of Nish’s journey. He gave me the most beautiful set of cufflinks with the EastEnders Thames logo, and I will wear them with huge pride. I will now always have a little bit of Walford with me whenever I wear my suit.