Staz Nair is leading his first BBC crime drama Virdee more than a decade after he competed on The X Factor.
The 33-year-old has shrugged off his boyband past to play Detective Harry Virdee in the thriller about turf wars in the dark criminal underbelly of Bradford.
Virdee takes charge of an investigation into the murder of a young dealer but his ethics are tested when he enlists the help of his drug kingpin brother-in-law to track down the killer.
While the series is Staz’s first major leading TV role, the rising star actor has also appeared in the likes of Game of Thrones and Zacl Snyder film Rebel Moon.
Here is everything you need to know about his career – and his private life with his architect wife in an idyllic Portuguese beac htown.
When did Staz Nair appear on X Factor?
Before pivoting to acting, Staz was aiming to become the next big British boyband, following in the footsteps of Take That.
In 2012, he tried to make his dreams a reality with his group Times Red on The X Factor.
For their audition, they performed an acoustic version of Amy Winehouse’s Rehab in front of Tulisa, Gary Barlow, Geri Halliwell and Louis Walsh.
Times Red made it through to the judges’ houses round but Louis ultimately did not pick them to progress to the live shows.
The year after The X Factor, the band released their first single Just No Good for Me.
Who is Staz Nair married to?
Staz is married to wife Joana Tavia, an architect, and the couple tied the knot in spring in Sintra, Portugal.
Joana and Staz now live in the country in a beach town outside of Lisbon near her family but they first met in London.
Speaking about his Portuguese life, he previously told The Telegraph: ‘I’m here with my wife and my dog, and everything is bliss.
‘I’ve got a nice simple life; I walk my dog to the beach and I get a little local, freshly squeezed orange juice. I’m basically retired when I’m not working.’
Who does Staz Nair play in Game of Thrones?
Staz’s breakthrough role was Dothraki horseman Qhono in the sixth season of Game of Thrones.
In one scene, he has to escort Emilia Clarke’s Daenerys Targaryen, then a Dothraki prisoner, on horseback through the desert.
Despite being cast in the biggest TV show at the time, it did not boost Staz’s recognition in the way he hoped.
‘I’d been this close to feeling I could take myself seriously. I was really hurting,’ he told The Telegraph after receiving painful knockback for two roles after Game of Thrones.
However, threes years after Staz’s appearance in the fantasy drama he was cast as Tarak in Hollywood blockbuster Rebel Moon.
Virdee is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
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