# UK Soap and Drama Discussion > EastEnders > Spoilers >  Syed Masood

## Bryan

A rumour circulating on various forums.

As you all know they are brining in a husband and son to join Zainab and Shabnam, well apprantly the son is going to come out of the closet.

With the family being muslims it would be intresting to see the family reactions to this, as it's strictly forbidden in their relgion.

Would be a good way to start off the new family.

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alvinsduckie (26-10-2007)

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## Perdita

Isn't he a bit young to be involved in a sexual relationship? :Ponder:

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## Siobhan

don't surprise me... he didn't seem that keen to be libby boyfriend..

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## Perdita

Well, they hardly knew each other when Libby claimed he was her boyfriend to make Darren jealous, he seemed more surprised than not keen.

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## LostVoodoo

maybe they mean the other son that they've started talking about?

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## Perdita

Not sure whether the other son is alive because his painting means so much to the parents and the way they talked about him.  :Ponder:

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## tindie

it not true 
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/a7...ed-masood.html

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alvinsduckie (26-10-2007)

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## Perdita

Who started the rumour in the first place? :Searchme:

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## Pinkbanana

There seems to be rumours whenever a new male character joins EE about them being gay.  :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic):   Bradley was supposed to be gay when he first joined too..... :Lol:

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## JustJodi

> There seems to be rumours whenever a new male character joins EE about them being gay.  Bradley was supposed to be gay when he first joined too.....


Yea he turned out to be a Ginger Ninja  :Ninja:   :Rotfl:

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## Perdita

............... :Rotfl:   :Lol:   :Ninja:

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## Siobhan

> maybe they mean the other son that they've started talking about?


This is what I was thinking too on Tuesday... maybe that it why we dont' see him cause his parents don't approve of his sexuality...

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## JustJodi

*or he started dating a woman/man outside his religion??*

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## parkerman

They don't seem particularly religious to me, especially when you think how strong the women are. I don't think that's very Islamic.

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## JustJodi

> They don't seem particularly religious to me, especially when you think how strong the women are. I don't think that's very Islamic.


*Ok but the momma seems to be a bit of a 2 faced person,,I think she will use her religion when it suits her.This is just how I see it,, but again,, what do I know.*

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## sindydoll

i dont know whether to believe this because there was a rumour steven beale was coming back and been gay and that never happened he came back has a total nutcase

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## Perdita

Marc Elliott will join EastEnders, playing the character of Syed Masood, appearing on screen from May 2009. 

Syed is the much talked about son of Masood Ahmed and Zainab Masood who turns up in Walford to be reunited with his parents â but how will he fit back into family life?

Syed Masood is the handsome, suave and sophisticated eldest child of the Masood family. 

A natural charmer, a smooth talker and the apple of his mother's eye, he's learned how to get ahead in business using his persuasive charm. He can spot an opportunity a mile off, and will pursue regardless of how reckless it seems to others. 

Marc Elliott says: "It is so exciting to join the cast of EastEnders and to be working with actors such as Nina Wadia and Nitin Ganatra who I have admired for many years. The Masood family have really made a name for themselves in the Square and it will be interesting see how Syed plans to stir things up!" 

Diederick Santer, Executive Producer, adds: "At last he's here! The most talked-about yet unseen prodigal son in EastEnders history. Syed is a fascinating character, and I'm sure Marc will bring his many dimensions to life with great verve. Entrepeneurial, reckless, dashing and complicated, he's set to bring surprises and chaos to the Masood family." 

Marc Elliott has previously appeared in Holby and The Bill. 

Marc was part of the History Boys UK theatre tour where he played the role of Akthar.

 :Wub:

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## Lennie

Finally he has arrived but he doesnt look appealing

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## JustJodi

*At last !!!!!!!!!!! How old would Syed be ?? mid 20's late 20's ???*
*I can not wait to see the family's faces when he finally emerges,,* 
*I think hes a good looking guy *

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## StarsOfCCTV

He looks ok good to see more of the Masoods backstory and why he's returning now.

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## Dutchgirl

At last a dishy heterosexual on the square. ( I presume) This one is going to be trouble though.

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## Perdita

Will Janine make a bee-line for him, assuming he has got plenty of cash? I suppose Chelsea will also not say NO should he offer to buy her a drink.

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## miccisy

How come he doesnt get on with the family? As it ever said anything about that or is it gunna come out when he arrives.

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## Perdita

It will all come out once he has arrived. They once prepared a special dinner for him (when the Masoods first arrived) but he never showed. So far they just talked about him and Tamwar appears to be talking to him now on the mobile, but seems none too happy about it.

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## di marco

> *At last !!!!!!!!!!! How old would Syed be ?? mid 20's late 20's ???*
> *I can not wait to see the family's faces when he finally emerges,,* 
> *I think hes a good looking guy *


id say hes probably about mid 20s, i dont think its been said anywhere for definite though

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## di marco

> How come he doesnt get on with the family? As it ever said anything about that or is it gunna come out when he arrives.


i dunno if this is the reason cos zainab doesnt find out about this til this week or next week i think, but he stole a lot of money from the masoods previous business which was why it failed

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## di marco

> 


is it just me or does he look a bit too light skinned to be part of their family?

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## tammyy2j

> Actor Marc Elliot will join the cast of EastEnders as Syed Masood in May.
> 
> Syed is the much talked about son of Masood Ahmed (Nitin Ganatra) and Zainab Masood (Nina Wadia). 
> 
> Elliot's character will apparently be a smooth-talking natural charmer who knows how to get ahead in business. He is also described as "handsome, suave and sophisticated".
> 
> "At last he's here! The most talked-about yet unseen prodigal son in EastEnders history," said exec producer Diederick Santer. 
> 
> "Syed is a fascinating character, and I'm sure Marc will bring his many dimensions to life with great verve. Entrepreneurial, reckless, dashing and complicated, he's set to bring surprises and chaos to the Masood family."
> ...


I'm not too keen on any of Massod kids  :Thumbsdown:

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## Lennie

He's coming next week - cant wait, he actually looks good from these pics  :Smile: 

*Syed and Zainab pic from The Sun* 

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showb...icle2373521.ece



*Syed pics for next week episodes* (some spoilers for episodes)

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/i175669/zainab.html

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/a151899/...n-hospital.html

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/i175679/masood.html

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## Perdita

Having been talked about by the rest of the Masood clan since they arrived over a year-and-a-half ago, the missing piece of the family puzzle finally rears his head next week when Zainab (Nina Wadia) makes contact with her estranged son Syed for the first time in four years. Here, the man behind the character, Marc Elliott, chats to DS about Syed's backstory, motives and the family dynamic. 

How did the part come about?
"It was the typical story of the my agent phoning me up and me having an audition at Elstree. They obviously liked me because they had me in again and again after that. The third time, I was on set with Nitin [Ganatra] and Nina [Wadia] to see how we worked as a unit and then it was an agonising waiting period - I waited for a couple of months in the end! They eventually told me just before Christmas that I'd been successful, so that was a nice present!"

Have you watched any of the Masood family build up over the last year-and-a-half?
"Yeah, I'd not watched all of it to be honest, because I'd been doing a lot of theatre, so it was difficult to get to see it. All over Christmas, I was desperately watching to get caught up! The bulk of the Syed storyline, though, has come out within the last month or so, anyway."

Do you feel that you have a big responsibility filling the shoes of a character that viewers will have built their own picture of already?
"I've tried not to think about it! I hope I'm what everyone expects! I was given a biography when I got the part, before we 'hot-seated' the character to make sure we were all on the same page. It's a process all characters go through to decide what they'd do in certain situations, given certain choices and basic things, for example who they'd like or dislike on the Square. That helped to cement the character in my head, though. I say cement, it was very wet cement and still is! Slow-dry cement. He's such a complex character. It's such a collaborative experience. I'm discovering things about Syed at the same time as the rest of the team."

What can you tell us about his backstory?
"Syed's been away from his family for the last four years because his dad Masood told him never to darken the family's doorstep again. His dad took the blame for Syed stealing money from the family business and nearly bankrupting them. All this time, Zainab thought that Masood was responsible for their financial problems. To honour his father's wishes, Syed respectfully went away. 

"He's been up north around the Manchester/Leeds area trying to build a property empire. Initially, he was working for an estate agent, but then tried to go out on his own as a property developer. But there's some debate over how successful he's beenâ¦"

What happens during Syed's first week on screen?
"Well, he has an alias for a few episodes - he's called 'Bob' in his mother Zainab's phone. Zainab's intrigued to know what he's been up to for the last number of years and I think he feels like he wants to get back in touch with the family again, too. He just wants to heal the rift in the family and his return is an honest one - he's missed them all. That, and the fact he wants moneyâ¦"

That seems to be the common denominator with Syedâ¦
"It's all about the cash. His drive is to be successful and there's nothing really Machiavellian about him - well, there potentially is - but he just wants the money because he believes he can use it to make more. He's very cocksure and confident about himself, but the absurd thing is that he hasn't learned from his past mistakes."

Is part of it that he wants to show his family how successful he can be?
"Yeah, that's part of it, too. He wants the pats on the back and for his dad to accept that they were wrong about him. Even though it's not explored a great deal in the scripts, I think there's a certain amount of jealousy over Tamwar potentially going to university. Syed probably feels the black sheep of the family and wants to make his mark, too."

How does he end up meeting with his mother?
"They meet at a cafÃ© away from the Square â it's all very clandestine. She doesn't want Masood to know that she's meeting with their estranged son."

Then there's a showdown at the end of the week between father and sonâ¦
"Yeah, there is. Syed's very flexible with the truth. He doesn't lie on purpose - they just happen. It's all because he wants to give a false impression of himself and wants people to be impressed and proud of him. He leads his father up the garden path and he's soon rumbled and falls flat on his face. Syed's attempt at reconciliation is marred by the discovery of more of Syed's lies. As a result, there's another 'never darken our doorstep' moment!"

Then when he returns to the Square the following week, he strikes an interesting allianceâ¦
"Yeah, with Janineâ¦There's an instant connection between the pair of them. A kindred spirits type of thing. There's a bit of a challenge for them both. Then Syed moves in with herâ¦"

*Syed Masood on Nina, Preeya and 'The Apprentice'*

We've been waiting to meet the guy for over a year-and-a-half and I'm pleased to report that he's finally here. 

Syed Masood - played by Marc Elliott - began filming with the BBC soap just over two months ago and finally makes his screen debut next Tuesday (April 21). As you'd expect, it's a Masood-centric week with a gentle current of backstory to set viewers at ease. 

There are, however, sufficient questions raised to keep you wondering whether he's as genuine as he seems. As is always the case, though, no estranged relative arrives in Walford without a secret or a significant number of skeletons waiting in the wings, edging closer and closer to the closet door. 

Here are a few more bits and bobs from my recent interview with the man himself. If you haven't seen it yet, click here to read the main part of the interview. If you have, keep on reading to hear more about Marc filming on location in a luxury Barnet apartment, Syed's potential on The Apprentice, the Nina Wadia fan club and what's to come from his screen girlfriend Amira (Preeya Kalidas). 

You got to film in a swanky apartment, too?
"Yeah, it was in Barnet. Apparently it's worth Â£1.25m! It was very swanky and it was lovely being on location. When you're at the studios in Elstree, everything happens so much faster. But because we were on location for a few days, it was quite prolonged and I had the luxury of being able to go over my lines with Nina and Nitin."

What was it like walking on the lot for the first time?
"Surreal. It's totally surreal and nervewracking. I think it's because it's so iconic."

How do you think Syed would fare on The Apprentice?
"Probably quite similarly to the other Syed in the second series! He was very cocky and ended up falling flat on his face, much like my Syed! They're probably quite similar. Sir Alan would probably buy Syed's lies for the first few weeks, but then rumble him and say 'You're a loser, you're fired!'"

I hear you're a member of the Nina Wadia fan club?
"I'm on Nina's fan club page on the internet every day. All the hits she gets are all me! Even when I'm working with her, I'm on her website! No, I jest â she's absolutely lovely. I have such a great time working with her and I've already had a ball. She made the transition from 'petrified' on my first day to 'comfortable' in such a short space of time. Everyone's been great, though. Nitin, Himesh [Patel] and Charlie [Brooks] â they've all been absolutely amazing."

It's a shame that Zahra Ahmadi - your screen sister Shabnam - isn't around any more, isn't it?
"Yeah, it's a shame. I don't know if there are any plans to bring her back or not, but I hope she does. It'd be nice to meet my 'sister'! It's be great to see the family together."

Then we have Preeya turning up as your screen girlfriend. What can you tell us about their relationship and how she fits into the Masood equation?
"Well, she's a rich daddy's girl and it's hard not to make the association between Syed and money. There's certainly an honest attraction there and I think he does love her. But the money that her father has might be an additional aspect of their relationship. 

"Amira comes in and ruffles a few feathers, especially Zainab's. Obviously with Syed being a mummy's boy, she has to have her say. I don't think Zainab would be happy with anyone that Syed's with - they'd have to be absolutely perfect. Mummy Masood will be doing a lot of meddling and locking horns with Amira."

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Dutchgirl (14-04-2009)

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## Bad Wolf

*PLEASE DO NOT COPY LINKS FROM OTHER SITES- IT CAN GET US IN TROUBLE- COPYRIGHT ETC, LINK THEM USING THE LINK BUTTON*

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