Davood Ghadami, best known for his role as Kush Kazemi on EastEnders, rose to fame in 2014 when he joined the hit show. Over seven years, he became a household name, like many of his cast mates, and was involved in major storylines, including a dramatic love triangle and a shocking death when his character was pushed in front of a train. Before EastEnders, he had appeared in Taggart, Doctors, and Holby City. In 2017, he took part in Strictly Come Dancing, where he reached the quarter-finals with his partner Nadiya Bychkova.
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Despite his growing success in the entertainment industry, Ghadami has mostly kept his personal life out of the spotlight—until now.
The 42-year-old has made headlines for an unexpected reason. Recent reports suggest that the actor left his wife, Isobel, after 14 years of marriage for his younger co-star, Melanie Barker. Davood has now responded to them, here's what he said!
But first, who is Melanie Barker?
Melanie is a professional singer and performer who first gained public recognition in 2014 when she auditioned for The X Factor as part of the girl group Pow Pow Girls. The group made it to the Boot Camp stage, impressing judges including Simon Cowell and Cheryl with their performance of One Direction’s What Makes You Beautiful.
Since then, Melanie has worked as a professional wedding singer and performer, making a name for herself in the entertainment industry. She later took on the role of Princess Jasmine in the pantomime Aladdin.
Davood Ghadami and Melanie Barker's love story
According to The Sun, Davood and Melanie met while starring in Aladdin at the Waterside Theatre in Aylesbury during the 2022/23 pantomime season. Melanie, 32, played Princess Jasmine in the pantomime Aladdin while Davood played the villainous Abanazar.
The pair, who were both married at the time, are said to have formed a close connection during the production. A source told The Sun:
They are two very attractive people and it was clear they had sizzling onstage chemistry together.
There was a lot of flirting backstage and I’m sure Aladdin wouldn’t have been happy that Princess Jasmine was giggling with Abanazar behind his back.
The source further revealed that despite the end of the pantomime, the pair stayed in touch, and eventually romance followed.
The couple have now gone public with their relationship, sharing affectionate posts on social media, including images of their trips together and workouts at Davood’s CrossFit gym in Essex.
A recent Instagram post showed the couple posing in front of a red neon sign that read:
Tell someone you love them this Christmas.
Additionally, it has been claimed that Melanie has moved into Davood’s home in Essex with her three children. Insiders suggest that the couple is building a life together, with Melanie and her kids settling into their new home. The source added:
But the genie is now well and truly out of the bottle and they are a proper couple — living together, training together and posting photos on Instagram together.
It’s almost like a perfect fairytale ending — but for the previous partners they have left in their wake.
Melanie was previously married to Daniel Haslam, and the couple share three children together. Reports suggest that she left her family home in 2023, though she is still believed to be legally married.
While Davood and Melanie are no longer keeping their relationship under wraps, it is now being speculated, by various media outlets, that the EastEnders star left long-term partner Isobel, with whom he shares two daughters, for his new love.
Davood Ghadami responds to reports of leaving his wife
Davood has now addressed the media frenzy in an Instagramstatement. He did not deny his relationship with Melanie but clarified the timeline of events. He wrote:
A newspaper chose to run a front page story about me yesterday. A surprise choice considering everything happening in our world. It’s always been important for me to keep a degree of privacy regarding my personal life, but I feel I need to clarify a few things.
The EastEnders star revealed that he and his wife separated in 2023 and his relationship with Melanie only began in 2024. He added:
My wife and I separated in 2023. In 2024, my relationship with Mel began and we remain together and happy. There is life after separation and divorce.
Unfortunately for the newspaper, there isn’t really a story here at all. Be happy. Davood.
Davood’s marriage to Isobel: What we know
Davood and his wife Isobel were together for nearly two decades, having met at university before marrying in 2010, reports Mirror. The couple share two daughters, Eve (born in 2012) and Grace (born in 2015). They largely kept their private life out of the public eye, with Isobel rarely making public appearances or statements.
In a past interview with Woman magazine, Davood described Isobel as his ‘rock’. He said:
My wife and I know each other inside out and have a genuine understanding about how the other ticks. We met 17 years ago at university so we’ve got a lot of shared history.
During his time on Strictly Come Dancing in 2017, Davood also addressed the infamous ‘Strictly curse’ and dismissed concerns about his marriage. At the time, he insisted that his wife was fully supportive. He told Woman magazine in 2018:
I’m an incredibly lucky man. My life couldn’t be the way it is without her support. She was amazing when I was in Strictly and kept everything going.
Previously, while asked about how the couple manages to deal with infidelity rumours, Davood said:
People will say things. As long as you know the truth and the people you love know the truth it shouldn’t matter. I guess I did learn that.
My wife watches Kush on the TV pretending to be married to or sleeping with another character. So she is used to dealing with this sort of situation in my professional life. She is the rock, the steadiness in my life and she knows that. I’m incredibly lucky. She is so supportive.
This article has been created using the help of AI.
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Sources used:
The Sun: Strictly & EastEnders star leaves wife for stunning married actress who played princess in panto he appeared in
Mirror: Inside EastEnders' Davood Ghadami's marriage before 'leaving wife' for pantomime co-star
Metro.co.uk: EastEnders’ Davood Ghadami breaks silence on claims he left wife for co-star
