Heated Rivalry season 2 star Shaheen Jafargholi once auditioned for Britain’s Got Talent
Jafargholi will play Ryan Price, a retired NHL enforcer and defenceman, in the Crave series
By Aaron Sugg
Following the announcement of Shaheen Jafargholi’s casting in Heated Rivalry Season 2, fans have recognised him from his Britain’s Got Talent audition in 2009.
Yesterday (26 August), Jafargholi was unveiled as Heated Rivalry’s Fabian Salah, an indie musician based in Toronto who appears in author Rachel Reid’s Tough Guy.
He was cast alongside Daniel Diemer, who will play Ryan Price, a retired NHL enforcer and defenceman and the protagonist of Reid’s book.
Fabian Salah and Ryan Price’s dynamic in Heated Rivalry
The story follows Ryan’s life as he transfers to the Toronto Guardians and sees him rekindle a childhood romance with Fabian.
Co-creators Jacob Tierney and Brendan Brady praised Diemer and Jafargholi’s casting. In a statement reported by Deadline, they described both characters as “bold, complicated, and deeply compelling… and finding actors who could really take on all of those different sides was so important to us.”
Fans and author Reid have also welcomed the casting, as Jafargholi is a singer as well as an actor, having risen to fame on the third series of Britain’s Got Talent.
Shaheen Jafargholi appeared on Britain’s Got Talent in 2009
Jafargholi was just 12 years old when he appeared on the show in 2009. His audition became one of the show’s memorable moments.
Head judge Simon Cowell stopped him after he began singing ‘Valerie’ by Mark Ronson, saying the song choice was wrong for him, before asking him to try something else.
Shaheen then launched into ‘Who’s Lovin’ You’, earning a standing ovation from the judges and audience.
Jafargholi’s acting career
He finished in seventh place on the competition, and later was cast as Shakil Kazemi in EastEnders and later Marty Kirkby in Casualty.
He also starred in the queer BBC One miniseries Lost Boys and Fairies, playing Celyn alongside former Attitude cover star Fra Fee.
Shaheen is now set to play Fabian in the Crave gay hockey series, which is scheduled for release in April 2027 on Sky in the UK.