Inside BBC Virdee actor Staz Nair’s boyband past and 'wildcard' X Factor success

As Staz Nair takes connected the relation of DCI Harry Virdee successful the caller BBC thriller Virdee, viewers whitethorn recognise the histrion from his clip connected the X Factor successful 2012 aft helium made it to Judges' Houses

Viewers whitethorn cognize Staz Nair for his relation successful the new BBC play Virdee, but X Factor fans whitethorn recognise him for his philharmonic talents too.

As portion of the caller transgression drama, the 33-year-old plays DCI Harry Virdee arsenic helium leads an probe into a serial slayer attacking the section community. But aft the murderer kidnaps a constabulary chief’s child, Harry’s morals are enactment connected the enactment erstwhile helium gets the assistance of his cause kingpin brother-in-law Riaz.

Although it’s Staz’s archetypal starring role, X Factor fans whitethorn cognize him from his clip connected the amusement much than a decennary ago. Prior to breaking into the world of acting, Staz recovered fame connected X Factor backmost successful 2012.

During his clip connected the show, Staz, who was 19 astatine the time, was portion of boyband Times Red and they impressed the judges Geri Halliwell, Tulisa Contostavlos, Louis Walsh and Gary Barlow with their screen of Rehab by Amy Winehouse. Their audition was made adjacent much memorable erstwhile Staz’s bandmate lifted up his apical to cheekily uncover his abs portion connected stage.

The radical made it each the mode to bootcamp, earlier Take That prima Gary broke the quality that they wouldn’t beryllium progressing further successful the competition. “Bootcamp for america made america realise however overmuch we really, truly privation this. It was specified a heartbreaking feeling,” Staz said, responding to the news.

“When you emotion thing truthful overmuch and you privation thing so, truthful overmuch and it gets taken distant from you, it’s a precise hard happening to woody with.”

However, the radical were past reinstated connected the amusement aft different enactment quit. Later connected Times Red were aboriginal chosen arsenic Louis’ ‘wild card’ act. “We consciousness similar we’re connected our 3rd beingness successful this amusement already! To person the anticipation of a chaotic paper is amazing,” they said astatine the time.

Unfortunately, their X Factor travel came to an extremity aft they mislaid retired connected a spot successful the unrecorded shows erstwhile the nationalist voted Chris Maloney through.

Although they whitethorn not person reached the last stages of the endowment competition, Times Red continued with their euphony vocation and released their debut single, Just No Good For Me, successful 2013.

Reflecting connected his clip connected the amusement successful an interrogation with The Telegraph successful 2025, helium said: “I retrieve feeling monolithic anxiety, but monolithic excitement, too.”

He added: “I was doing it with my adoptive brother. He’s a phenomenal singer-songwriter, and helium and I lone got person from that experience.”

Prior to securing a relation successful Virdee, Staz appeared successful the sixth bid of Game of Thrones, wherever helium played the Dothraki horseman Qhono. In 1 scene, his quality escorted Daenerys Targaryen done the godforsaken portion she was a Dothraki prisoner.

Away from the spotlight, the TV prima is joined to Joana Tavia, an architect. The pair, who met successful London but present unrecorded adjacent Lisbon, tied the knot successful Sintra, Portugal, past twelvemonth successful beforehand of much than 100 loved ones, according to Dream Weddings Europe.

In a saccharine Instagram post, Staz reflected connected the peculiar occasion. “I ne'er program connected increasing up, but increasing aged with you volition beryllium my top relation successful this lifetime. @jtavira,” helium wrote.

“Thank you for being the implicit s**t, successful each aspect. You acceptable the modular successful each way. Not a time goes by I don’t pinch myself.

“Find idiosyncratic you emotion being silly with. Find idiosyncratic you similar to stock everything with. Thankyou besides to EVERYONE who shared this unbelievable play with us!”