Rokhsaneh Ghawam-Shahidi

Career Shahidi began her career as part of Contact Young Actors Company in 2004 and went on to work for Peskar Productions as a drama workshop leader in Oldham and Bolton. Her theatre credits include East is East, Janus (for West Yorkshire Playhouse), Christie Malry's Own Double Entry at the Palace Theatre, Manchester, Freshly Scratched (for the Battersea Arts Centre) and Rafta, Rafta... at the National Theatre. Shahidi made her on-screen debut in the BBC Three comedy-drama series Sinchronicity in 2006. She has also acted in radio plays, e.g. Nadeem Aslam's Maps for Lost Lovers. From November 2012 through to January 2013 she played the role of Shahrazad in the Manchester Library Theatre Company performances of Arabian Nights at the Lowry Theatre in Salford, near Manchester.

In August 2008, Shahidi joined the cast of the ITV soap opera Emmerdale as Leyla Harding. After departing the role in August 2011, Shahidi returned to Emmerdale for two episodes in December 2013, before reprising the role on a permanent basis from January 2014. Her character was killed off in a limousine crash in February 2025, with Shahidi making her final appearance in a flashback the following month. In 2022, Shahidi and Emmerdale co-star Matthew Wolfenden were co-signed to United Agents as screenwriters. They collaborated on an episode of the BBC medical drama Holby City and three episodes of the BBC soap opera Doctors. In 2024, Shahidi appeared as a contestant on the sixteenth series of Dancing on Ice. She was paired with Sylvain Longchambon and was fourth to be eliminated.

Personal life Shahidi married actor Arsher Ali in 2010. They have a daughter together born in 2018.

Shahidi has set up a Yoga Lunch Club in the Creative Quarter in Hockley, Nottingham where she also is based. She also has a YouTube channel on which she regularly shares yoga videos.

Filmography Year Title Role Notes 2006 Emmerdale Lila Wray 1 episode Guest role 2006 Sinchronicity Ivory 1 episode 2008–2011, 2013–2025 Emmerdale Leyla Harding Regular role 2013 National Theatre Live: Othello Bianca Live theatre 2020 Naimh Armstrong: On A Different Planet Miss Hussain Short film 2024 Dancing on Ice Herself Contestant; series 16 2024 Drama Queens Herself Main cast 2026 G'wed Lorraine Guest role

Awards and nominations Year Award Category Result 2019 TV Choice Awards Best Soap Actress 2019 Inside Soap Awards Best Actress