EastEnders to air groundbreaking true life special episode about knife crime
It's the first time EastEnders have done this
EastEnders have never shied away from breaking soap traditions, but their newest venture is arguably one of the most groundbreaking things they've ever done. The recent tragic knife crime storyline about Shakil Kazemi, played by Shaheen Jafargholi, has touched the hearts of many families around the UK.
To pay tribute to those who have lost their lives to knife crime, show bosses have announced their plans to air a true life episode which will include interviews with real-life families of knife crime victims.
The interviews will air in an episode about Shakil's funeral in a first for EastEnders, who have been taking advice from actress Brooke Kinsella MBE, whose younger brother Ben was a victim of knife crime 10 years ago.
Executive consultant John Yorke said, "From the very beginning we were determined to treat the difficult subject of knife crime in a responsible, non-sensationalist way. We started out with detailed research, and the more stories we heard the more we felt other people should hear them too.
"The episode gradually evolved into something unique for EastEnders - real families telling their own devastating stories alongside our own characters. We’ve tried to find a way to do justice to an incredibly difficult, tragic and emotive subject, and with huge help from the families of real life victims and the support groups they work with, we hope we’ve come some way to getting that enormity across."
BBC Three have also announced that they will produce multiple short films to "give viewers a further insight into the lives of some of the families involved with the special EastEnders' episode."
The character of Shakil was murdered in a horrifying knife attack last month, leaving his family utterly bereft. Actor Shaheen, who had played the character since April 2016, told Digital Spy, "The first thing that was going through my mind was just the responsibility that we held with this because obviously it's such a huge issue.
"I feel so blessed to be able to leave with such an incredible storyline – that means so much."