Former Footballers Wives and Primeval actress Laila Rouass is joining the cast of HOLBY CITY.
Laila, who has already started filming on the show, will play the role of brilliant surgeon Sahira Shah. Her storylines will see her character compete against Jac Naylor for the mantle of top dog at Holby – will she succeed in a challenge everyone else has so far failed? Sahira’s dark history with the man who has guided her career, the mysterious Hanssen will be revealed and viewers will see the apparently happily married Sahira trying to resist the growing spark between her and Greg Douglas.
Of her role she added, ‘I’m over the moon to be joining the cast of Holby and am enjoying bringing the character of Sahira Shah to life. Like me, Sahira is a mum so I can totally relate to the struggles she faces balancing motherhood with her working life. I have no medical knowledge whatsoever so playing a surgeon on Holby has been a real eye opener! All the cast have made me feel so at home already and I’m looking forward to getting stuck into some juicy storylines.’
Belinda Campbell (Executive Producer) said: “Laila has brought a fresh new energy to Holby City and her character has been a joy to create. Like many women in 2010, Sahira tries her best to maintain the delicate balance between work and home life. While on the surface she appears to be cool and calm, underneath it all, she is kicking madly just to keep afloat. It will be fascinating to explore what is really going on underneath the façade of perfection Sahira has created for herself. I’m sure her character will be someone a lot of viewers will recognise in themselves.”
Laila, who has also recently appeared in Spooks and The Sarah Jane Adventures, has also made two guest appearances in CASUALTY.
She will be onscreen from February 2011.