# Laila Zaidi

Laila Zaidi (born October 1993) is a British actress. On television, she is known for her roles in the tenth series of Benidorm (2018) on ITV, the fifth series of the Channel 4 comedy-drama Ackley Bridge (2022) and for her role as Maria Jaziri on the BBC soap opera Doctors (2024).

## Early life

Zaidi was born in King's Lynn, Norfolk to a Pakistani father from Karachi and an English-Welsh mother, and grew up in Washington, Tyne and Wear. She has an older brother and a younger sister. Zaidi attended Newcastle High School for Girls. She went on to graduate in 2016 from the Arts Educational School (ArtsEd) in West London with a Bachelor of Arts (BA).

## Career

Upon graduating from ArtsEd in 2016, Zaidi made her professional stage debut starring as Maria in the Kilworth House production of West Side Story. She also appeared in The Season Ticket at the Northern Stage. In 2017, she workshopped Andrew Lloyd Webber's Starlight Express at The Other Palace in London and made her television debut with a guest appearance in an episode of the BBC medical soap Doctors.
In 2018, Zaidi joined the cast of the long-running ITV sitcom Benidorm for its tenth series as Cyd. She took part in the original cast of the folk opera The Selfish Giant, which premiered at the Royal & Derngate in Northampton and then had a run at London's Vaudeville Theatre for the venue's Oscar Wilde season, marking Zaidi's West End debut. In 2019, she starred as Jess Bhamra in the Canadian production and North American premiere of Bend It Like Beckham: The Musical at the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts in Toronto.
Zaidi joined the main cast of the Channel 4 school-set comedy drama Ackley Bridge for its fifth and final series as the teacher Asma Farooqi, which aired in 2022. In 2023, she appeared in the Live Theatre production of Three Acts of Love in Newcastle. She then went on the Rifco tour of Frankie Goes to Bollywood as the titular character. In 2024, she appeared in the BBC soap opera Doctors as Maria Jaziri.

## Personal life

In 2023, Zaidi became engaged to fellow Benidorm star Adam Gillen; their relationship had been initially reported on in 2018.

## Filmography

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2017 | Doctors | Samika Ramaswamy | 1 episode |
| 2018 | Benidorm | Cyd | Main role |
| 2018 | Amigo de Aluguel | Hannah | 1 episode |
| 2020 | Hayley Alien | Artist | Short film |
| 2020 | Holby City | Christie O'Connor | 1 episode |
| 2021 | The Everlasting Club | | Short film |
| 2022 | Mood | Zara | 1 episode |
| 2022 | Ackley Bridge | Asma Farooqi | Main role |
| 2024 | Doctors | Maria Jaziri | Recurring role |
| TBA | Dog Days | Hope | |

## Stage

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2016 | West Side Story | Maria | Kilworth House, Leicestershire |
| 2016 | The Season Ticket | Clare / Gemma | Northern Stage, Newcastle |
| 2017 | Starlight Express | Tassita | The Other Palace, London |
| 2018 | The Selfish Giant | Charlie / Hail | Royal & Derngate, Northampton / Vaudeville Theatre, London |
| 2019 | The Boy Friend | Polly Browne | Menier Chocolate Factory, London / Princess of Wales Theatre, Toronto |
| 2019 | Bend It Like Beckham: The Musical | Jasminder "Jess" Bhamra | St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts, Toronto |
| 2023 | Three Acts of Love | Clara | Live Theatre, Newcastle |
| 2024 | Frankie Goes to Bollywood | Frankie | UK tour |