Paul Sharma's like a brother - Nitin

Nitin Ganatra has said he is to close Paul Sharma, who plays his younger sibling on the show, that they are almost like brothers in real life.

The actor, who plays Masood, has been joined in Albert Square by his tearaway younger brother AJ Ahmed (Paul) - and he told Inside Soap magazine the pair have been having great fun on and off screen

"Paul and I know each other's style as we've worked together loads in the past," Nitin said, "so well, in fact, that we have all these shortcuts. It's like having a real brother."

The soap star also revealed that he helped Paul land the role - and hopes his stay in Walford will be a long one.

Nitin said: "It's great for me, because having AJ there is going to bring a very different side to Masood.

"Paul was the first person who came to mind when they described AJ. I suggested Paul, and when we did a scene, they thought we were improvising as the dialogue was so easy between us. We weren't making it up though."