Former Hollyoaks star Haiesha Mistry has revealed she has taken on a "normal job" working in a secondary school, two years after leaving the Channel 4 soap. The 32-year-old actress played Yasmine Maalik from 2017 to 2024 and was part of several major storylines, winning the British Soap Award for Best Single Episode in 2018 for her role in a group self-harm plot.
New Role Revealed on Social Media
Haiesha shared the news on Instagram alongside a mirror selfie taken during a heatwave. She wrote: "Spent the last 2 days working in a high school during the hottest days of the year." She did not provide further details about her specific role at the school.
Her departure from Hollyoaks saw her character Yazz accept a job in Canada, leaving behind husband Tom Cunningham after months of drama. Tom had sabotaged her job opportunity by emailing the employer pretending to be Yazz, leading to their divorce. Yazz ultimately left the village in a taxi after saying goodbye to her mother Misbah and friends.
Reflection on Her Hollyoaks Career
When her exit scenes aired, Haiesha posted an emotional tribute on Instagram, saying: "That's a wrap. 2017-2024 7 years of Yazz Maalik/Yazz Cunningham complete! Yazz you have been my pride and joy for the last 7 years. You've taught me so, so much." She highlighted storylines including the car crash stunt, school explosion, self-harm plot, Yazz's deafness, historical rape, and ectopic pregnancy. She added: "Being on the show has taught me how important it is to tell stories and represent, especially that BROWN GIRL REPRESENTATION!"
Haiesha made her on-screen acting debut with Hollyoaks and took a break in 2021 to shoot the short film Mug. Since leaving the soap, she has not appeared in any other television projects.
