If you thought Ash Panesar’s return to EastEnders might mean a thawing in her feelings towards steely mum Suki Panesar-Unwin (Balvinder Sopal), think again. 

It was announced earlier this month that the BBC soap would be welcoming back the character, with new actor Sakira Vel taking over the role from Gurlaine Kaur Garcha. 

Ash was last seen heading off to practise medicine in Canada in 2023, following her evil father Nish Panesar’s (Navin Chowdhry) release from prison and amid numerous clashes with Suki over her mum’s refusal to accept her sexuality.

While Suki has since come to terms with her own sexuality and is now happily married to Eve Panesar-Unwin (Heather Peace), there is still residual ill-feeling between mother and daughter – something that quickly becomes apparent when Ash makes her unexpected comeback to Walford next week, when Suki chooses her new family over her estranged daughter. 

Ash’s return storyline kicks off as her brother Vinny Panesar (Shiv Jalota) and his partner Penny Branning (Kitty Castledine) return home with their new baby. 

The homecoming is interrupted when the police call Vinny to come and bail out Suki, who has been arrested. 

However, upon arriving at the station, he’s surprised to find it’s actually Ash who is being held in custody for drunk and disorderly behaviour. 

Explaining the reasons for Ash’s homecoming, Sakira explains: ‘Ash claims she’s returning to Walford to reconnect with her family following the birth of Vinny and Penny’s baby. However, after spending years away with very little contact, her reasons for coming back may not be quite as straightforward as they seem.’ 

Suki refuses to make contact with her daughter, despite Eve’s encouragement, but eventually agrees to talk to Ash, unaware she overheard everything. 

It makes for a very ‘frosty reunion’, especially after Ash makes a remark about her mum’s parenting. 

Sakira reveals: ‘Her relationship with Suki has always been complicated, and years of limited communication have only added to that tension.’

With Eve’s help, the pair finally reconcile, but Suki insists Ash can’t stay as she and Eve need to focus on their foster daughter Ria, leaving Ash feeling rejected once again.

Although Suki continues to try and rebuild her relationship with her daughter, she doesn’t realise Ash hasn’t forgiven her. 

‘A lot has changed during Ash’s time away, and both she and Suki have evolved,’ Sakira continues. ‘Returning to Walford forces them to confront old wounds as well as new realities, and I think that complexity will really resonate with viewers. There’s a lot left unsaid between them, which makes the relationship incredibly interesting to play.’

Speaking about being cast as Ash 2.0, Sakira adds: ‘From day one, everyone has been so welcoming, and I’m genuinely thrilled to be working alongside actors like Bal and Heather. 

‘When I found out I’d been cast as Ash, I was completely shocked. And there have been so many qualities of Ash that I identified with and felt serendipitous. The fact that I also worked as a NHS doctor and had also moved abroad for three years to pursue my medical career in Australia. Also, we share a South Asian background, and I innately understand what it is to be a third culture kid and the evolving dynamic with family and the older generations!’

EastEnders airs these scenes from Monday 21st September at 7.30pm on BBC One or stream first from 6am on iPlayer. 


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