Romance has blossomed on stage during pantomime season as Davood Ghadami ‘leaves wife’ to be with co-star Melanie Barker.
According to insiders, the 46-year-old EastEnders star has moved in with singer Melanie, 32, who played Jasmine in their production of Aladdin in 2022.
The pair were both married at the time but have now reportedly left their respective spouses after ‘flirting’ on the job.
Davood, who starred as villainous Abanazar in the panto, ‘had sizzling onstage chemistry’ with Melanie, according to an insider.
They told The Sun: ‘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.
‘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.’
The Sun claims Melanie separated from her husband Daniel Haslam last year, taking their three children — aged two, five and seven — with her.
She rose to prominence in 2014 when auditioning for The X Factor as one of the Pow Pow Girls and now works as a professional wedding singer.
Davood, who left EastEnders in 2021, married long-term partner Isobel in 2010 and the pair share two daughters.
In 2022, he was cast in the Waterside Theatre’s production of Aladdin in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire alongside Melanie.
After wrapping the show, the Strictly star shared a message on Instagram which read: ‘Reflecting on a memorable few weeks.
‘Panto wasn’t a big part of my childhood, but I’m grateful for the opportunity now im old 👴🏽to have made it something I will cherish. I will miss this mad bunch! Abanazar out 🧞♂️👋.’
He didn’t officially post Melanie on his Instagram grid until nine weeks ago when he shared a video of a trip, captioning it ‘York. It’s good to be back,’ and tagging Melanie.
In one photo, the couple smiled and posed in front of a red neon sign which read: ‘Tell someone you love them this Christmas.’
They have now reportedly moved in together in Essex, with her children, and Davood regularly post snaps at the gym with his ‘partner in crime’.
Davood played Kush Kazemi in EastEnders for seven years and is now branching out, getting incredibly ripped ahead of his role in House of David, a historical drama for Amazon Prime.
