Shabnam Masood

Brave enough to fight for her family… but not to fight for herself, Shabs is back in Walford and is going to put her family back on the map.

About
Shabnam Masood is opinionated – even bossy… but under the no-nonsense sass is a shy girl worried whether people like her and if she’s doomed to never get a man. Shabnam is family-oriented. She has an idealised image of her own family – mum, dad and her three brothers. She wants them to be perfect, which they definitely are not. This impacts on her own ideals for the future – she wants to find the perfect man, have the perfect children. She sees herself as Elizabeth Bennett in Pride and Prejudice – which is her favourite box set. She hasn’t bothered to read the book. Shabnam likes to gossip. She loves knowing other people’s business and is bad at keeping a secret - which will often get her into trouble. But her loose lipped-ness isn’t based on maliciousness – more wanting people to like her. This keenness to be liked probably comes from being a middle child. Her elder brother Syed was spoilt and Shabnam was left to her own devices. This also gives her an independent streak. Shabnam likes to be independent but contradictorily loves being part of her family and, with Zainab in Pakistan, feels she has a responsibility to whip them into shape. She’s quite nostalgic about how her family used to be before they ever moved to Walford and would like to get the money and status back. When she was younger Shabnam considered herself a bit of a ‘rebel’. She shunned her parents’ traditions but in reality Shabnam wasn’t a rebel - she just didn’t know who she was. While in Pakistan, Shabs did a degree in pharmacy, funded by her grandparents, to give herself a career to focus on. She also got more into Islam – 'cos everyone else was – and now wears a designer hijab. It’s more of a fashion thing than a faith thing, but she does now have more interest in the Qu’ran and her culture. When it comes to men, Shabs is a disaster area. She could’ve had a match made for her in Pakistan but she is romantic and wants to find her true love. However, by saying that, she can avoid dating and meeting men. Though she’s bossy and opinionated when it comes to her nearest and dearest, around strangers (particularly blokes) she’s shy and nervy. Shabnam sets herself an impossible list of qualities she looks for in a man, which means that she can self-sabotage virtually every potential suitor. Shabnam has a big heart. She champions the underdog and always fights for a cause. She made many female pals in Pakistan and is a loyal, but indiscreet, friend. After organising a memorial for her mother, Shabnam wasn’t happy to find that Masood had invited Carol, resulting in her expressing negative views about their relationship, and eventually splitting them up! Having left to stay with her aunt, Shabnam was soon called back by Fatboy to save the Masood family! Hitting the ground running, Shabnam’s first task was to help with the family income and find a job. Unwilling to settle for anything short of a pharmacy, after learning about the possible market closure, she soon accepted a role at the Minute Mart.