User:Burberry47/George

George Knight is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Colin Salmon. The character and Salmon's casting details were announced on 28 March 2023 and he began filming that same month. He makes his first appearance in the episode originally broadcast on 1 June 2023. George is introduced as part of the Knight family, who buy into The Queen Victoria public house and is the boyfriend of Elaine Peacock (Harriet Thorpe), the co-owner of The Queen Vic and mother of established character Linda Carter (Kellie Bright). He arrives alongside his daughters Gina (Francesca Henry) and Anna (Molly Rainford), and their pet Chihuahua, Tyson. George is characterised as "a tough-talking and fiercely protective doting dad".

Casting and characterisation
On 28 March 2023, it was announced that Colin Salmon had been cast in EastEnders as George Knight, the patriarch of the Knight family who would be taking over The Queen Victoria public house, and the boyfriend of established character Elaine Peacock, who be reintroduced and with the role recast to Harriet Thorpe. It was also announced that Strictly Come Dancing contestant Molly Rainford had been cast as George's daughter Anna, and Francesca Henry as his eldest daughter Gina. Salmon expressed his excitement at joining the cast and looked forward to exploring his character. He commented, 'I’m excited to explore the character of George, a true East End gentleman, having been born in the East End myself. I have a great affinity and love for the show and I look forward to being part of the great legacy. Executive Producer Chris Clenshaw, remarked George as a charming rouge and an old-school gent who dotes on his two daughters, Gina and Anna. He also expressed his delight at casting a "hugely talented group of actors" and looked forward to their first scenes airing. Clenshaw also said that he had had "these characters in mind for some time", adding he was finally happy to have brought them to life. Prior to the Knights' arrival on 1 June 2023, they starred in a trailer shown across BBC channels; George is shown kissing Elaine.

When asked why he joined EastEnders at a press event to launch the Knights, Colin Salmon answered: "Chris Clenshaw [Executive Producer]!". He continued: "My wife's not well, so I can't be far from home. And the universe has thrown us something quite extraordinary, and my agent said, 'I think you should talk to Chris'. And Chris was passionate, he was clear, he had a vision and a clear love for the show. I find that to be the prerequisite for any job. I like to work with people who are passionate. To have somebody [like Chris] in the control room, that guiding is really important".

George's backstory states that he was a former professional boxer with the moniker "Nightmare", and earned a British championship title before leaving the East End for a life running bars in Marbella. George is initially billed as "a tough-talking and fiercely protective doting dad". Salmon further commented that he thought George was a good man 'because he’s had strong women around him'. He reveals, ‘as an ex-boxer, [George] doesn’t have to be hard or prove himself because he’s a warrior. He’s been through some things like many people have. When you are a big man, you have the power to hold people down or to lift them up, and George Knight is strong enough to lift people up. He’s also a single parent, and he’s had to get real'.

Rose Knight
Upon George's introduction, it was confirmed that his ex-wife, Rose Knight, had walked out on him and their daughters almost ten years prior to their arrival. George refuses to talk about Rose and is dismissive whenever her name is brought up, which arouses the suspicion of Elaine's daughter, Linda Carter (Kellie Bright). Due to the return of Michelle Collins as Cindy Beale, newspapers began speculating that Cindy would be Rose. After Anna makes a comment that Walford seems familiar, this further fuelled suspicions. The mystery is further developed when Linda teams up with residents Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) and police officer Callum "Halfway" Highway (Tony Clay), to investigate Rose and her sudden disappearance. Rose's identity is protected by the police force, but upon further investigation, Phil discovers that Rose Knight's identity does not exist. The speculation was proved to be correct in June 2023, when George decides to call "Rose" after learning about this, and Cindy receives the call but does not pick up - revealing that she is Rose Knight's true identity.