BBC Eastenders star Nitin Ganatra working in corner shop after quitting soap

The Masood Ahmed actor has said he now works at his brother’s corner shop in between acting jobs.

Speaking on the Made in The Midlands podcast, the 54-year-old revealed he has swapped the east end for Coventry as he discussed life helping out with the family business.

He said: "The corner shop has been there for over 45 years. My brother runs it still. On Sunday, I was doing the papers with him.

"I was up at 4.30 am doing the papers and trying not to mess up the paper round. It's still got penny chews and the jars of sweets, all those lovely little things."

The Masood Ahmed actor has said he now works at his brother’s corner shop in between acting jobs. (PA)

BBC Eastenders star Nitin Ganatra opens up on racist abuse

The actor who was awarded an OBE in 2013 went on to discuss racism after thugs attacked his family’s shop last year.

He said: "The windows were smashed and my brother was attacked last year. But I'm talking specifically about the 70s and 80s.

"Often, you'd get people throwing bricks at the windows and the house, they would come in and smash the shop up.

"My dad was attacked, but he fought back as well, and my brother was attacked, and my mum was spat at. It wasn't a daily occurrence, but it was an angry, volatile time."

Looking back to his school days, Ganatra revealed it was a “horrible” time due to racist abuse.

He said: "It was horrible at school, it really was. I'm not in touch with many school friends, but I've got one friend who lives in the Midlands, he's a musician, and I remember him saying to me 'what I liked about you was you got beaten up every day and called the P-word, and you still got up and carried on as if nothing had happened.'

"Obviously, people will now say that is called trauma and PTSD, that will pop up sooner or later. But I just thought that was normal behaviour. You just go 'this is normal to be called the P-word and spat at.'"