Actress Nina Wadia has announced she is leaving EastEnders, after five years playing the role of matriarch Zainab Masood. According to reports the 43-year-old will film her final scenes for the soap in the New Year, leaving the rest of her onscreen family behind - although it is not thought that her character will be killed off. Nina, meanwhile, took to her Twitter page to share her thoughts on her impending departure. "Playing Zainab has been a gift and a privilege," she said. "I'll always be hugely proud of the fantastically talented friends I've worked with. "And I’m so grateful for the special bond with our audience who watch and care and talk to us every day – we're a family of millions," Nina added. "Letting go of something you love is never easy but the time has come to move on and every ending brings a new beginning. Here's to future loves…xxx". Executive producer Lorraine Newman told the Daily Star Sunday that Nina would "be missed by the production as much as the audience." Nina has featured in some dramatic storylines since she joined the soap in 2007, notably last Christmas when she was the subject of a love triangle between husband Masood and her violent ex Yusuf Khan - who eventually died in the B&B fire. Prior to appearing in EastEnders she found fame in the Asian comedy sketch show Goodness Gracious Me which ran from 1996-2001.
