EastEnders star makes red carpet debut with controversial Love Islander in cosy snaps

EastEnders actress Rukku Nahar seems to have confirmed her relationship with former star

The pair made a joint appearance at the premiere of Venom: The Last Dance at the BFI IMAX in London, looking cosy on the red carpet. The couple looked smitten as they wrapped their arms around each other and posed for snaps at the glitzy event. Rukku, 28, dazzled in a green patterned dress with mesh sleeves and a chest cut-out, while Michael, 33, looked dapper in black baggy trousers, a grey knitted cardigan, and a chunky gold chain.

This marks their first public outing together. Neither Rukku nor Michael had previously admitted to dating, and they haven't featured on each other's social media accounts. However, Michael has been leaving flirtatious comments under some of Rukku's Instagram posts in recent months. Michael is best known for his stint on ITV2's in 2019, where he was involved in one of the show's most unforgettable love triangles after he abruptly dumped Amber Gill for Joanna Chimonides.

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His relationship with Joanna lasted a few months post-villa but ultimately ended, reports . The dating show paved the way for firefighter Michael, who in 2020 made an appearance on MTV's Celebrity Ex On The Beach. He kindled a relationship with fellow ex-Islander on the reality programme, but their passionate romance didn't survive outside of the show.

Since then, Michael has kept a low profile, focusing more on his fitness business than on his showbiz career. He is the founder and head coach at Hustle As One, an online training platform. Additionally, Michael has started working as a sports host, interviewing notable figures like .

On the other hand, Rukku is best known for her role as Habiba Ahmed - a distant relative of the Masood family - in BBC's . She assumed the role in 2019 and was introduced alongside her sister Iqra (Priya Davdra). However, when her character's final scenes aired without any prior notice.

Following her departure from EastEnders, Rukku featured in two episodes of the series Flatmates, as well as making an appearance in an episode of the series The Good Karma Hospital. Fans may also recognise Rukku from Hollyoaks, where she portrayed Asha Kaur, along with her roles in Casualty, Doctors and Wolfblood.

She branded her EastEnders exit as the "end of a chapter" yet hinted she was "underused". The actress had liked a series of posts on X, formerly Twitter, which slammed her exit as "disappointing". Rukku appeared to agree with a fan who wrote: "Wait, was that really Habiba's exit? God, what a disappointment. I love Rukku Nahar. Habiba had so much unexplored potential." She also liked a comment that added: "Nahh, Habiba's character was so underused, defo deserved more."

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