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28th Apr 2018

Major death confirmed for EastEnders as cast films tragic funeral scenes

Keeley Ryan

One of EastEnders' best actors is set to leave the soap later this year

The scenes are set to air this spring.

Tragedy is set to hit Albert Square in the coming weeks, as the cast of EastEnders were spotted filming a funeral scene.

Jessie Wallace and Davood Ghadami, who play Kat Slater and Kush Kazemi, were spotted on set as the Walford residents were mourning the latest character to have their life cut short.

The funeral is said to be for Shakil Kazemi, played by Shaheen Jafargholi, who is murdered in an upcoming storyline that will explore knife crime.

Shakil and Keegan Black are set to be assaulted in the attack, with fans having previously been worried that the former was the one most seriously injured.

But as the storyline unfolds, viewers will end up seeing the wide-reaching consequences of knife crime for everyone involved as the Walford community struggles to come to terms with what happened.

According to the Huffington Postthe BBC soap has been working alongside Brooke Kinsella MBE to make sure the storyline was accurately portrayed.

Brooke, who played Zoe Slater’s friend Kelly Taylor from 2001 to 2004, established the Ben Kinsella Trust after brother was fatally stabbed in 2008.

She said:

“It is now 10 years since we lost Ben to this horrific crime and it is impossible to put into words how Ben’s murder has affected my family.

“I commend the ‘EastEnders’ team for choosing this storyline to portray the realities of knife crime.

“With knife crime on the increase it is vitally important that we help people understand its lasting impact.

“Carrying a knife won’t protect you, it won’t give you status, harming or stabbing someone isn’t a trivial act. It simply destroys lives forever.

“We need to do more to help people understand this, especially young people.

“That’s why my family and I set up the Ben Kinsella Trust to help educate young people away from knife crime.

“I believe that this storyline will bring home the realities of knife crime to a wider audience and show how it damages the lives of victims, offenders, their families and friends forever.”