ON THE ROX Who is Emmerdale star Roxy Shahidi?
She made a big return to the soap in October 2018
ACTRESS Roxy Shahidi is one of many famous faces hoping to impress on this year’s instalment of Dancing On Ice.
On the ice, the star is paired with pro skater Sylvian Longchambon.
1Who is Roxy Shahidi?
Roxy Shahidi, born March 12, 1983, is an English actress who is best known for starring in the hit ITV soap Emmerdale.
Her full name is Rokhsaneh Ghawam-Shahidi and she was credited as this during her first stint in Emmerdale which ran from 2008-2012.
Before landing the role on Emmerdale, Roxy previously starred on the stage in theatre.
Aside from this, she is also one of many star-studded celebs signed up to the 2024 series of Dancing On Ice.
It’s been a long time coming for Roxy, who revealed she finally signed up for the show seven years after she was first asked to appear.
She said: “I wanted to do the show nearly seven years ago, I thought it’d be fabulous, lots of sequins and big hair, but then I realised I was 12 weeks pregnant.
“I didn’t know when I originally had the meeting, so I then had to say ‘Oh look, I’m pregnant, I don’t think it’s going to be a good idea for me’.
“Then my daughter was small, and it’s a huge commitment, it’s very demanding – but I just knew for a long time it wasn’t really something that would be right for me to do.
“And then this year I got the call, ‘Do you want to pop in?’ and I was like, ‘Oh, do I?’ I’m a little bit older now and a bit more cautious.
“But after ten minutes on the ice, all my anxieties melted away.”
Roxy continued: “My friends are all really excited and very generously keep saying, which is quite pressurising, ‘Oh my God, you’re going to be amazing. You’re going to be amazing. It’s the yoga.
“My friends have been really excited and really, really big support from everyone at Emmerdale which I’m really grateful for.
“But again there’s pressure because everyone who’s done it from Emmerdale has won and everyone keeps reminding me of that!”
Away from the world of acting, Roxy is a yoga teacher and adopts a vegan lifestyle.
Roxy became vegetarian when she was just eight-years-old, and has been vegan since the age of 21.
The star, who lives in a stunningly chic property in Nottingham, uses the home as a giant yoga studio.
She also proudly shows off the property in her online yoga classes, which she began posting on her YogaRox YouTube channel in lockdown of 2020.
Aside from creating a YouTube channel, Roxy is also an active user of the social media platform Instagram – where she shares stunning selfies and snaps from her Dancing On Ice journey.
She also regularly shows off her vegan lifestyle, posting pictures of her homemade food.
Who does Roxy Shahidi play in Emmerdale?
Roxy Shahidi has played the character of Leyla Harding on the ITV soap Emmerdale, off-and-on since 2008.
The soap star who hails from Manchester, has been involved in a number of dramatic storylines on the programme, including a drug battle, a near-death experience and a secret son.
Is Roxy Shahidi married and does she have any children?
Roxy has been married to fellow actor Arsher Ali since 2010.
The pair met in 2007 while working on a London stage play together.
Like his wife, Arsher is also a familiar face on screen having starred in a multitude of dramas across different channels, including the BBC shit series Line of Duty.
In 2018, the couple welcomed a daughter.
