Elliott: 'Wedding outcome was brilliant'

EastEnders star Marc Elliott has praised the outcome of Syed Masood's wedding dilemma, describing it as a "brilliant" plot development.

Earlier tonight, viewers saw Syed finally tying the knot with fiancée Amira Shah (Preeya Kalidas), despite his recent affair with caterer Christian Clarke (John Partridge) and ongoing doubts about his sexuality.

In an exclusive interview with DS, Elliott has insisted that the pair's union was the best and most appropriate course for the storyline to take.

He explained: "It's brilliant. And it's far more realistic this way, too. If the wedding hadn't gone ahead and they'd have gone with a 'happily ever after' with these two gay guys who are destined to be together, they'd have done the story a disservice - they need to show the life after the wedding and show how Syed will cope living with a wife who he loves, but not in the way he loves Christian. He has to live with the fact that he's not being true to himself over his sexuality."

On how his character's relationship with Amira will now develop, the actor continued: "It's a very rocky road. From what I've already filmed, there are quite a few rough patches for them. It'll be interesting to see how it develops psychologically between Syed and Amira.

"Syed's starting to show signs of being quite a cruel character but it's only through his own bitterness and resentment that he starts acting the way he does - it's the way he deals with it. Poor Amira's none the wiser, so Syed's not acting right and she has no idea why.

"It's a really important story for the bride this one, too, because there are a lot of women - Muslim or otherwise - that are married to gay men and don't know about it."

> Click here to read our full interview with Marc Elliott