Wadia on 'shocking' fan response

Nina Wadia has confessed to feeling "horrible" after her EastEnders storyline sparked homophobic remarks from viewers.

The actress plays Zainab Masood, who struggled to accept her son Syed's homosexuality.

Describing the public reaction, Nina told Metro: "I walked past some builders in Southall who told me to the give the characters Syed and Christian a good hiding and teach them a lesson. I was shocked they said that. That they thought being homophobic was a good thing."

She went on: "They laughed and walked off, which made me feel horrible."

Nina said the response from fans differs "enormously" from the recognition she received from her role in Goodness Gracious Me.

"With comedy you get people who enjoy the sense of humour. Some people take soaps very seriously and want to discuss the social issues you're portraying. I don't want to have a political discussion every time I go to the shops."

Source - MSN