EastEnders fans all say same thing as they learn Avani star Aaliyah James’ real age
Aaliyah James, who plays Avani Nandra-Hart in EastEnders, has been at the centre of some huge storylines in the BBC soap recently, but has left fans stunned with her real age
EastEnders actress Aaliyah James is currently embroiled in a significant storyline on the BBC soap, where her character Avani Nandra-Hart has become the victim of an incel plot.
In recent episodes, Avani confessed to having slept with Albert Square’s newcomer Joel Marshall (Max Murray). Following this, Joel’s father, Ross (Alex Walkinshaw), discovered that his son had filmed the encounter without Avani’s consent and even showed it to Tommy Moon (Sonny Kendall).
The grim narrative continued as Avani felt too embarrassed to confide in Suki Panesar (Balvinder Sopal) about her brief affair with Joel.
Upon learning about the incident, her father, Ravi (Aaron Thiara), immediately confronted Joel, resulting in a fight with the teenager’s father.
Avani intervened to halt the brawl, asserting that it was her choice to sleep with Joel before storming off.
Avani is now facing online harassment, being incessantly trolled by other school children for her liaison with Joel, who continues to make derogatory comments about the teenager, reports Belfast Live.
Earlier this year, Avani was also subjected to a strip-search by the police after being accused of dealing drugs while skipping school. The traumatic experience led the teenager to consider smoking cannabis as an escape.
Viewers have lauded actress Aaliyah James’ performance throughout these challenging storylines.
However, the soap star recently left EastEnders fans puzzled when she posted a captivating clip on her TikTok.
In the video, she bears little resemblance to her Walford character, showcasing long curly locks and subtle makeup while wearing a pinstriped waistcoat.
Although Avani is 15 years old in the show, Aaliyah is actually 24, born on 26th June 2000.
The comments section was flooded with fans complimenting the actress and expressing surprise at her real age.
One fan joked, “And this is the reason why I can’t believe you play a teenager, lol… ” Another stated: “Woah u look so different there lol had to look twice lol.”
A third fan gushed: “Looking gorgeous Aaliyah.”
One fan asked, “Are you the girl from EastEnders if so your gorgeous”, while another admitted, “Not me thinking you were 13/14 this whole time”.