Nina Wadia (born 18 December 1968) is a British actress. She is known for portraying Zainab Masood in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, Aunty Noor in Citizen Khan, Mrs Hussein in the BBC comedy Still Open All Hours and for starring in the BBC Two sketch show Goodness Gracious Me.
Additionally, Wadia appeared in the Hindi-language romantic comedy Namaste London in 2007. She also appeared in the series Origin in 2018 and the BBC soap opera Doctors as Binita Prabhu in 2023.
Early life Wadia was born on 18 December 1968 in Bombay, India, to parents who were of Parsi ancestry. She has an older brother and older sister; both of her parents have died. When Wadia was nine years old she moved to Hong Kong and was a student at Island School, Hong Kong.The TV That Made Me s2 e4, 10 March 2016.
Career Television and film Wadia first came to prominence in BBC sketch show Goodness Gracious Me, playing characters such as Mrs "I can make it at home for nothing!" and one half of The Competitive Mothers. She took over from her Goodness Gracious Me co-star, Meera Syal, in the role of Rupinder in the sitcom All About Me alongside Jasper Carrott and Natalia Kills. In 2007, Wadia was cast as Zainab Masood in the long-running BBC soap opera EastEnders. Her last appearance as Zainab in EastEnders was on 8 February 2013. She also had a minor role in EastEnders in 1994, playing a nurse named Viv who treated Michelle Fowler (Susan Tully) when she was hospitalised with a gunshot wound. She also appears as Zainab in the 2010 spin-off EastEnders: E20.
Wadia has also made several guest appearances in various British comedies and dramas, such as 2point4 Children, The Vicar of Dibley, Thin Ice Chambers, Holby City, Murder in Mind, Doctors and New Tricks. She was a regular presenter on the ITV topical chat show, Loose Women (2005–2006). Wadia also appeared in the E4 teen drama Skins, playing the mother of Anwar Kharral, and, in March 2008, she appeared in the BBC Three drama West 10 LDN. Wadia played the wedding caterer in the comedy film Bend It Like Beckham.
She played a role as the housekeeper in the film I Can't Think Straight, directed by Shamim Sarif. The film revolves around two women from Indian and Palestinian upper-class immigrant communities in the UK who fall in love, and Wadia is the housekeeper who rebels at her high-handed Palestinian employer in small ways. She also had a minor part in the film Code 46 (2003). She starred in a BFI/BBC film Sixth Happiness along with Firdaus Kanga in 1997. The film explores sexuality, disability and the Parsis, a small westernised minority in India, of which Wadia herself is a member. She has also starred alongside Rishi Kapoor playing his wife in a Bollywood film titled Namaste London. She voices the title role in Ethelbert the Tiger – a children's programme. She also had a role in Doctor Who as a doctor in the episode "The Eleventh Hour".
In July 2013, Wadia appeared in All Star Mr & Mrs. In September 2013, she appeared in ITV's Big Star's Little Star. Since December 2013, Wadia has starred in Still Open All Hours as Mrs Hussein. In January 2015, it was announced that Wadia would have a guest role in Holby City, as an established neurosurgeon Annabelle Cooper. The role was for five episodes. In April 2017, she appeared as Khadija in Finding Fatimah, a British romantic comedy. In 2019, as a last-minute casting call, and in "more of a cameo", as Wadia said, she played the minor part of "Zulla" in the live action remake of Aladdin directed by Guy Ritchie. In 2020, she appeared in the role of Anna Masani in the ninth season of the popular BBC drama series Death in Paradise. Also in 2020, she had a small part in the fifteen minute drama Isolation Stories alongside Sheridan Smith which was filmed via webcam due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom.
From September 2021, Wadia was a contestant for the nineteenth series of Strictly Come Dancing, paired with professional dancer Neil Jones. The couple were the first to be eliminated, in the second week. In February 2023, Wadia appeared in an episode of BBC Four's Spring Walks, exploring Swaledale in North Yorkshire. Then in April 2023, she appeared as Binita Prabhu in the BBC soap opera Doctors.
Stage and radio Apart from the original radio version of Goodness Gracious Me, Wadia's other radio work includes guesting on Parsons and Naylor's Pull-Out Sections, as well as regular appearances in the BBC World Service soap opera Westway as the pharmacist Namita ul-Haq. In 2001, Wadia voiced the role of Ariel in a BBC Radio 3 production of The Tempest. In 2002, she was due to star in the Royal Shakespeare Company's production of Midnight's Children, based on Salman Rushdie's novel, but she quit only weeks before rehearsals were due to begin. In December 2023 - January 2024, for Christmas and New Year, she made her pantomime debut playing Fairy Sugarsnap in Jack and the Beanstalk at the York Theatre Royal from Friday 8 December 2023 to Sunday 7 January 2024.
Personal life Wadia is married to the composer Raiomond Mirza. The couple first met in Canada and married there in July 1998. They live in Surrey. Like Wadia, Mirza is a Parsi and the couple had a traditional Parsi wedding. She is a member of the Wadia family.
Wadia is a practicing Zoroastrian.
Charity Wadia was involved in the Pakistan Earthquake Appeal Concert and Fashion Show, at the Royal Albert Hall in 2005. She has also been involved in campaigning for Save the Children and for increased organ donation from Asians in Britain.Nina Wadia Pleads for More Asian Organ Donors She is a Breakthrough T1D ambassador.
Honours and awards Wadia won Best Comedy Performance at the 2009 British Soap Awards, as well as Best On-Screen Partnership at the same awards ceremony for her on-screen relationship with Nitin Ganatra. In 2004, she won the chairman's Award at the Asian Women awards.
In April 2013, she was awarded with the Outstanding Achievement in Television Award at The Asian Awards. The following year, Wadia won the Sophiya Haque award for Services to British Television Award at the Asian Media Awards. The award was presented to her by Haque's sister, Seyera.
Wadia was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2021 New Year Honours for services to entertainment and charity.
Filmography Film YearTitleRoleNotes1997Sixth HappinessDolly Kotwal1998Such a Long Story2000Offending AngelsBaggy's Ex 22002Another DayMeenaShort filmBend It Like BeckhamWedding CatererCup and LipShort film2003Code 46Hospital Receptionist2006The Goodbye GirlsNadiaShort film2007Namastey LondonBebo M. Malhotra2008I Can't Think StraightRani, The HousekeeperMunãfiqAishaShort film2009VincentCherylShort film2010Race for Life: Girls Just Want to Have FunShort film2012Keith Lemon: The FilmPat2014Puja NightsMrs. ShahShort film2015Amar Akbar & TonySeema2016A Street Cat Named BobBus Conductress2017Finding FatimahKhadija2018TogetherMrs. Justice ReidStrangeways Here We ComeLucy2019The Queen's CorgiPatmore (voice)AladdinZullaCorner Shop Show: Thank You, Come AgainFaizal's mother2020A Gift from BobAnika2021FollowersBecky DubarRepeatMegan2022DeviDeviShort filmA Stranger in Our BedMrs. TannerKaurLakhwinderShort film2023The Dandies of AlbertopolisRoyal Crown BroadcasterShort filmBonus TrackHeadmistressBad Indian - The Villain Origin StoryMumShort film
Television YearTitleRoleNotes19912point4 ChildrenSharmaEpisode: "When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Go Shopping"1994What Do You Call an Indian Woman Who's FunnyherselfGurinder Chadha's short documentary focusing on Wadia, Parminder Chadha, Shobna Gulati and Syreeta Kumar1994EastEndersNurse Viv3 episodes1997FlightSumitaTelevision filmCasualtyVeenaEpisode: "Counting the Cost"1998Kiss Me KateApplicantEpisode: "Secretaries"The BillMina KaviaEpisode: "The Whip Hand"1998–2000, 2014–2015Goodness Gracious MeVarious characters21 episodes1999The Comedy Trail: A Shaggy Dog StoryVanessa Robinson / Veena RabindranathTelevision SpecialThe Vicar of DibleyMiss CarrEpisode: "Spring"2000The StrangerersWaitressEpisode: "The Getawaying"The Way It IsVarious charactersTelevision filmSingle VoicesSita / GitaEpisode: "Sita Gita"Holby CityRita DennishEpisode: "Anyone Who Had a Heart"2000–2001Perfect WorldMaggie13 episodes2001We Know Where You Live, Live!Television filmChambersAlex Kahn6 episodesThe Weakest LinkHerself - ContestantEpisode: "Comedians Special"2002An Angel for MayScience TeacherTelevision filmWhite TeethNeenaMini-Series, 3 episodes2003–2004All About MeRupinder16 episodes2003Murder in MindMeena PatelEpisode: "Cornershop"2004DoctorsDS CoombsEpisode: "Catchy Monkey"2005Ethelbert the TigerEthelbert (voice)Episode: "Ethelbert and the Polar Bear"Waking The DeadRoshni Mehta2 episodes: "Towers of Silence: Parts 1 & 2"Casualty@Holby CityJeanEpisode: "Interactive: Something We Can Do"New TricksMughda DasEpisode: Family Business"2006The BillDefence CounselEpisode: "A Satisfying Day's Work"Thin IceKarenMini-series2007The LiftSunitaTelevision film2007, 2008SkinsBibi, Anwar's Mum2 episodes: "Finale" and "Everyone"2007–2013EastEndersZainab Masood463 episodes2008West 10 LDNJob Centre ClerkTelevisionWoul film 2010Doctor WhoDr. RamsdenSeries 5, Episode: "The Eleventh Hour" East Street Zainab Masood Charity crossover between Coronation Street and EastEnders2010, 2011EastEnders: E202 episodes2011MongrelsNita (voice)Episode: "Vince and the Helpful Horse"Would I Lie to You?Herself - Panellist1 episode2013–2018Still Open All HoursMrs. Hussein22 episodes2014Citizen KhanAunty NoorEpisode: "Aunty Noor"2015Holby CityAnnabelle Cooper5 episodes2016Hank ZipzerInspector2 episodes: "Hank's Good Turn" and "The Crunchy Pickle"Kiva Can DoNanni2 episodes: "Jurassic Lark" and "Party Island"The Last DragonslayerMother XenobiaTelevision filmSquare RootsBina DesaiTelevision film2017ZappedJudgeEpisode: "The Trial"CoconutSaira4 episodesHetty FeatherMrs. Penhaligon2 episodes: "New Beginnings" and "The Past Returns"Murder on the Blackpool ExpressMoiraTelevision film2018TrolliedMeg3 episodesOriginVenisha Gupta5 episodes2019Danny & MickJoy Stickler20 episodesDoctor Who: Time WarDeepa (voice)Episode: "State of Bliss"2020Death in ParadiseAnna Masani4 episodesIsolation StoriesYasmineEpisode: "Mel"Rhyme Time TownMolly (voice)Episode: "Super Kitten and Power Pupster/What's the Time, Hickory?"MaxxxDeath2 episodes: "Death" and "Music Video"The Crystal MazeHerself - Contestant1 episode2021Too CloseDr. Anita Rhys EvansMini-series, 3 episodesHitmenSiobhan BurmanEpisode: "Soft Launch"Can I Improve My Memory?Herself - ParticipantMini-seriesStrictly Come DancingHerself - Contestant5 episodes2021–2022The OutlawsShanthi Rekowski10 episodes2022Newark, NewarkHeather2 episodesThe SandmanFate Mother4 episodesDoctor Who: The Eighth Doctor AdventuresMimi / Valtrassi / Tenth Drax (voice)Episode: "Here Lies Drax"2023DoctorsBinita Prabhu2 episodes: "Trapped in Time" and "Where Am I?"B&B by the SeaHerself 1 episodeCount AbdullaBushra Khan6 episodesTweedy & FluffNarrator2024Midsomer MurdersMedora SaltEpisode: "The Blacktrees Prophecy"2025The Sunshine MurdersBarbara BoxhallEpisode: “Game for a Kill”Play for TodayHeather Episode: "Never Too Late"2026The FortuneLaura
Video games YearTitleRoleNotes2027FableSamira (voice)
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