User blog:Blogman12/Masood's brother cast

EastEnders fans will see Masood Ahmed's brother AJ arrive in Walford later this year.

Paul Sharma has been cast in the role of AJ, who hopes to reconnect with Masood as he turns up on Albert Square.

Billed as a "cheeky chancer" who lives his life by the toss of a coin, AJ is a mechanic who never misses an opportunity for excitement.

Within minutes of AJ making his EastEnders debut, he manages to get himself and Masood into trouble. However, as they relive their childhood antics, it's not long before Masood begins to wonder if his younger brother is running away from something.

Although some will see AJ as a bad influence, he also shows a more serious side as he is desperate to build bridges with his family. In order to do so, he realises that he'll have to tip-toe around an unimpressed Zainab (Nina Wadia).

An EastEnders statement teased: "Using his trusty coin to make his decisions for him, AJ is the polar opposite to his control freak sister-in-law. Sparks will fly in the Masood household as the battle lines are drawn."

Sharma's previous screen credits include roles in Casualty and Doctors. He also previously worked with Nitin Ganatra on Meet the Magoons.