Following the announcement of ’s casting in Season 2, fans have recognised him from his audition in 2009.

Yesterday (26 August), Jafargholi was unveiled as ’s Fabian Salah, an indie musician based in Toronto who appears in author Rachel Reid’s .

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

The story follows Ryan’s life as he transfers to the Toronto Guardians and sees him rekindle a childhood romance with Fabian.

Co-creators and Brendan Brady praised Diemer and Jafargholi’s casting. In a statement reported by , 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 .

Shaheen Jafargholi appeared on 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 and later Marty Kirkby in .

He also starred in the queer BBC One miniseries , playing Celyn alongside former cover star Fra Fee.

Shaheen is now set to play Fabian in the gay hockey series, which is scheduled for release in April 2027 on Sky in the UK.