Rukku Nahar and Priya Davdra have joined 'EastEnders' as the granddaughters of Mariam and Arshad Ahmed.

Rukku Nahar and Priya Davdra as Habiba and Iqra Ahmed

Rukku Nahar and Priya Davdra as Habiba and Iqra Ahmed

Former 'Hollyoaks' actress Rukku - who played Asha Kaur in the Channel 4 soap - and Priya will play Habiba and Iqra Ahmed respectively, and the siblings are set to be a "force to be reckoned with" when they rock up in Walford in early 2019.

Rukku - who has also appeared in 'Casualty' - said: "I'm so excited to have joined 'EastEnders', it's a show I've grown up watching and stepping onto Albert Square is just unreal!

"Habiba is great fun to play and I'm so happy to be working alongside Priya. Can't wait for you all to see what we get up to on the Square."

Priya will make her TV debut on the soap, and she is looking forward to her and Rukku's characters causing plenty of drama in Albert Square.

She added: "'EastEnders' was such a big part of my life growing up and I couldn't be more excited to be joining the show.

"Walking on to the set for the first time was such an amazing experience. I can't wait for viewers to meet the sisters and see how much drama they're going to cause."

Iqra, the eldest of the two, is described as no-nonsense, bold and intelligent, while Habiba is full of the best intentions but often finds herself in trouble.

The pair will appear on screen in the new year, and Kate Oates, senior executive producer of 'EastEnders' 'Casualty' and 'Holby City', has teased fans to expect the two characters to be a "nightmare" for their grandparents Mariam (Indira Joshi) and Arshad (Madhav Sharma).

She said: "The sisters are certainly going to be a force to be reckoned with.

"Their arrival will throw number 41 into chaos as they become a nightmare for Mariam and Arshad.

"Residents of Walford beware, take on one of the sisters and you take on the pair."