They played characters who were married in EastEnders – and now Nina Wadia and Nitin Ganatra have delighted fans with a reunion off-screen.
Strictly star Nina and Nitin joined ‘Enders in 2007 as wife and husband Zainab and Masood.
Their characters eventually divorced – and have both now departed Walford, with Zainab leaving in 2013 and Masood in 2019.
But despite their soap alter egos having gone different ways, some fans made it clear they hoped they might return after the stars’ real life chance encounter.
What did EastEnders star Nina Wadia post about Nitin Ganatra?
Nina, 53, shared on social media yesterday (Wednesday January 12) how the former co-stars had come across one another.
She uploaded a selfie showing them leaning into each other and smiling.
Nina captioned the image: “In a city of 8.9 million people… it was bound to happen at some point! @GanatraNitin #fated #zainabandMasood #eastenders #memoriesaremadeofthis.”
Read more: The truth behind Danny Dyer quitting EastEnders after eight years as Mick Carter?
Nitin, 53, expressed his own joy and surprise by replying: “I know right?”
He also retweeted the pic for his own followers to see, adding: “What are the chances!? So good to bump into you.”
How fans reacted
Followers of the acting pair could not believe their eyes at the snap – and many were in raptures at seeing the TV favourites reunited.
Celebrity friends were also taken aback in the happiest way by the image.
Ricky Norwood, who played Fatboy on the soap, gushed: “It’s beautiful to see you together again.”
He added on Instagram: “Love you two.”
It’s beautiful to see you together again.
Unforgotten star Sanjeev Bhaskar – who starred with Nina in Goodness Gracious Me – also joked about how the performers were pictured in front of the kind of place their characters used to work in.
“Did it have to be in front of a post office????,” he wrote incredulously.
View this post on Instagram
And among the exuberant and gleeful replies, many fans took the opportunity to call on both Nina and Nitin to return.
One person wrote: “If you both went back to the Square I might start watching again.”
Another added: “It’s a sign you two should be back on the Square! Please come back, we need you.”
Read more: Who is in the cast of EastEnders 2022? Meet the full Walford line-up
“So great to see!” contributed someone else.
“I’d also love to see you two together on screen again! If not on #EastEnders, then somewhere else.”
And a fourth ecstatic fan said: “We’ve waited such a long time to see this. Please go back to Eastenders so I have a reason to watch it again. Loved Zainab and Masood.”
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