And then - obviously - it all ends unhappily ever after, because they're queer.
Marc Elliott, who plays Syed, tells the Sun about his reason for quitting the soap.
“I didn’t want to be remembered as that lad from EastEnders, the gay muslim. That’s why you get into the business, to find new characters."
The guy who plays the gay muslim in Eastenders continued;
“Playing Syed meant I’ve had loads of letters from people of all religions coming to terms with their sexuality. “That’s what I am proud of most, portraying a normal, loving gay relationship.
“That’s quite an important thing, it’s normalising it, two men being affectionate with each other.
“And when someone tells you they’ve found the strength to tell their parents, you feel proud.” And despite the BBC receiving complaints about his steamier scenes, Marc insists he’s nearly always been warmly received.
“The biggest fans of Syed and Christian’s storyline are women who love the love angle.
“The BBC and myself anticipated an adverse reaction. I had only one comment in the street in Manchester. Someone called me a n** jockey in the street, which I thought was hilarious."
Soap opera as therapy, there.
Interesting spin The Sun have given this - he had no problem with playing a gay muslim, just recognises if you stay too long in soapland you can't break free of the character you played.
PS "N**"??!
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