Junade Khan Debuts as Idris Nazir on Coronation Street
junade khan made his first appearance this week on Coronation Street as Idris Nazir, arriving on the cobbles as Alya Nazir’s cousin. Idris moved quickly into Weatherfield’s storylines, and the arrival gives the soap a new family link to work with straight away.
Idris Nazir and Leanne Battersby
Idris Nazir quickly left a mark on the residents of Weatherfield by kindling a romance with Leanne Battersby. Alya Nazir cautioned Leanne about his reputation, which gives the new arrival an early complication instead of a soft landing.
That setup matters because the role is not a slow-burn background part; it is built to move other characters’ stories immediately. In soap terms, a cousin arriving with a reputation and a romance attached usually means the first scenes are doing more than introducing a face.
Gem, Alara-Star and Pacino
Junade is married to Gem, and the couple tied the knot in 2016. They have two young children, Alara-Star and Pacino, and both children have already followed their father into child acting.
“My kids are actually on screen more than me! My daughter worked with Angelina Jolie in a film called Anxious People and did a Ridley Scott film, and my little boy has done a Marvel film and Waffle the Wonder Dog. So now there's me in Corrie - it's all good!” Khan said. The line gives this casting a neat industry twist: the family name is now spread across soap, film and children’s TV work at the same time.
Pacino’s 2026 wish board
Earlier this year, Khan said five year old Pacino had secured a role on a TV show he loves. He wrote that the boy was “absolutely everything” after booking the role, adding that Pacino had “really wished and prayed hard for this one.”
Khan also said Pacino’s school teacher had told them that after his first recall he wrote the role down as a wish on their class wish board for 2026. After the final recall, Khan said they saw him write out his prayer wish at their church, and that Pacino’s sister was “absolutely delighted” for him.
The strongest read on this story is simple: Junade’s Coronation Street debut turns a family full of screen work into a current soap asset, and the show gets a new character with built-in story friction from day one. For viewers, the immediate watch point is how long Idris keeps the romance with Leanne alive once Alya’s warning starts to land.
