EastEnders EastEnders' Marc on Syed's new love: his daughter!

EastEnders' Marc Elliot reveals to Soaplife how Syed loves being a daddy... Possibly even more than he loves Christian!

Now that the shock of finding out he's a dad has finally sunk in, Syed wants to bond with his daughter Yasmin. Trouble is, Amira doesn't want Christian anywhere near her little girl. And while Syed publicly stands by his lover, it's a different story behind his back. "I've just been filming a scene where Christian and Syed have a massive fall out," says Marc.

So how does Syed feel about Amira now she's back in his life?
"I think he'll feel eternally guilty for what he did to her and he wants to make amends. They re-establish a relationship, but Syed doesn't regret leaving Amira. He's very happy with Christian. He's out and proud now!"

Is he sure the baby is his?
"Amira has never been dishonest with Syed. He has no reason to doubt her."

And how does he feel about suddenly being a dad?
"He's actually overjoyed. Although he didn't necessarily want to bring up a baby with Christian, to have a child with Amira somehow feels right. When they married, the whole idea was for them to have children. He wants to be a massive part of his daughter's life."

But Amira doesn't want Christian in Yasmin's life...
"It makes everything really complicated. Syed wants to see his daughter so much he goes behind Christian's back. He also doesn't want to rub his face in it considering Christian was the one who really wanted to adopt. Syed thinks he's doing it for honourable reasons, but Christian will see it as a betrayal."

What about Syed and Amira's divorce?
"The divorce is forgotten as soon as the baby arrives on the scene. Syed says it's got to be all about Yasmin, but Christian is like 'No, no, the divorce should be at the front of your mind.'"

Amira doesn't want that, though, does she?
"I think she wants to reforge a relationship with Syed. She starts being quite manipulative and threatens to take Yasmin to Pakistan and not bring her back."

Does Syed realise that Amira is manipulating him?
"No. At one point she tells him that Yasmin has swallowed a ring, but a hospital X-ray reveals she hasn't swallowed anything. He does catch Amira's eye and wonders if she's been telling lies to spend more time with him."

Where does all this leave Christian and Syed's wedding plans?
"Well, there isn't a happy ending in sight at the moment. Having Amira back adds a new dynamic. It's great having her shift everything again."