There was a heart-warming bit of symmetry on EastEnders this week when it was confirmed that Ash Panesar had gotten engaged.
During Monday's (30 June) episode of the BBC soap, it was revealed that Ash (who hasn't been seen on screen since 2023) had taken the next step in her relationship following a move to Canada, with Eve Unwin spotting the news on social media.
In a quirk of fate, Ash's engagement mirrored an event in the life of the character's actor Gurlaine Kaur Garcha. Taking to Instagram on 17 June, the star confirmed that she was "[very] happy and [very] engaged".
The comment section was filled with messages of congratulations from her soap co-stars, with Balvinder Sopal (who plays Garcha's on-screen mother, Suki), writing: "Oh my days!!!!!!!!! CONGRATULATIONS BABY."
"So much love G! The most beautiful news!!!" wrote Navin Chowdhry, who played her on-screen father Nish. Louisa Lytton, who portrays Ruby Allen, also left a comment, writing: "CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!"
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Garcha appeared on the soap for just under four years before departing in March 2023, with Ash leaving the Square after repeated clashes with Suki. The pair's relationship remains estranged, with Suki remarking during Monday's episode that her daughter didn't "care" for her.
"Good luck to her. Ash made it pretty clear she doesn’t care about me, so why should I bother about anything she does?" Suki asked Eve upon hearing of the news, with the figure also quipping that her daughter's fiancé was "old enough to be her mum".
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Despite Ash moving across the Atlantic, Garcha hasn't ruled out the possibility of reprising her role in the future.
"That's a wrap on Ash, for now. It's been an amazing three and a half years here at EastEnders," she said in 2023 when she left the BBC soap.
"Thank you so much to all the viewers that have loved Ash and her journey… Hopefully it's not goodbye forever. So you never know, I may see you again soon. But for now, it’s bye, and thank you so much."
EastEnders airs on Mondays-Thursdays at 7.30pm on BBC One. The show also streams on BBC iPlayer, where most episodes drop early at 6am ahead of their TV broadcast.
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