Former EastEnders actress Rani Singh will be running in Belfast this weekend – in a sari and specially-designed jewellery as her salute to the ‘Emerald Isle’ – to raise funds for BBC’s first-ever Sport Relief, an offshoot of Comic Relief. London-based Rani, who was EastEnders’ longest-running female Asian character playing shopkeeper Sufia, has also starred in The Bill and Playschool and most recently was the associate producer on the award-winning US documentary film Mistaken Identity.

“I’ll be wearing a silk sari as a salute to my South Asian heritage,” says Rani, “and also emerald-coloured gold jewellery as a homage to the beautiful Emerald Isle”. The jewellery – made up of Swarovski crustal peridot stones, Austrian crystal beads hand-painted emerald green and Japanese miracle beads - has been especially designed for Rani and Sport Relief by Donna Kernan of celticbrides.com, who also made the headwear for Riverdance.

Rani’s two sons will be running with her in Belfast, and her elder son Jairaj, an accomplished mainstream DJ, will also be DJing the event as ‘Double J’.

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