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Former EastEnders and Britain's Got Talent star cast in Heated Rivalry season 2 key role
Shaheen Jafargholi will play Fabian Salah.
BBC
- James Hibbs
Published: Wednesday, 26 August 2026 at 10:19 am
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More cast members have been confirmed for Heated Rivalry season 2, with Britain's Got Talent and EastEnders star Shaheen Jafargholi joining the hockey drama.
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Jafargholi, who finished in seventh place in 2009's season of BGT, and played Shakil Kazemi in EastEnders from 2016 to 2018, will play Fabian Salah in the new season.
Since leaving EastEnders, Jafargholi has also had roles in series including Lost Boys and Fairies, In Flight and The Agency, while he will soon be seen in Sky legal drama, War.
He will be joined by another newcomer to the cast, Daniel Diemer (Percy Jackson and the Olympians), who will play Ryan Price.
Daniel Diemer as Tyson, Percy's cyclops half-brother, in Percy Jackson and the Olympians season 2. Disney/David Bukach
Heated Rivalry co-creators Jacob Tierney and Brendan Brady said in a statement: "Fabian and Ryan each bring a distinctive energy to the world Rachel Reid has created. They are bold, complicated, and deeply compelling characters, and finding actors who could really take on all of those different sides was so important to us.
"Daniel and Shaheen bring such confidence and emotional honesty to the roles. We can’t wait for audiences to see what they do with Fabian and Ryan and how they make these characters their own."
Other new cast members joining the series include Justice Smith and Charlie Gillespie, as well as Emily Hampshire, Edvin Ryding and more.
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They will be joining returning stars Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie for the second season, and fans of the original Rachel Reid books will already be aware of what to expect from their arcs.
Season 2 is expected to adapt Reid's novel The Long Game, and it is being written and directed by Tierney, with Mike Goldbach serving as co-writer. Production has already begun, with the premiere expected in spring 2027.
Heated Rivalry season 1 is available to stream on Sky and NOW – sign up for Sky TV here.
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Authors
James HibbsDrama Writer
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
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