Laila Rouass joins Holby City as new surgeon

Laila Rouass has already started filming for her new regular role in Holby City as brilliant surgeon Sahira Shah.

The actress, known for her roles in Primeval, Footballer's Wives and, most recently, Spooks, will be seen on screen from February.

Speaking of her new role in Holby, Laila said: "I'm over the moon to be joining the cast of Holby and am enjoying bringing the character of Sahira Shah to life.

"Like me, Sahira is a mum so I can totally relate to the struggles she faces balancing motherhood with her working life.

"I have no medical knowledge whatsoever so playing a surgeon on Holby has been a real eye opener! All the cast have made me feel so at home already and I'm looking forward to getting stuck into some juicy storylines."

Laila's character will compete against Jac Naylor (Rosie Marcel) for the mantle of top dog at Holby, while a spark grows between her and Greg Douglas's character Edward MacLiam.

Belinda Campbell, Holby's executive producer, said: "Laila has brought a fresh new energy to Holby City and her character has been a joy to create.

"While on the surface she appears to be cool and calm, underneath it all, she is kicking madly just to keep afloat.

"It will be fascinating to explore what is really going on underneath the facade of perfection Sahira has created for herself. I'm sure her character will be someone a lot of viewers will recognise in themselves."