User:FishLoveHam/Eddie and Gloria Knight

Eddie and Gloria Knight are fictional characters from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played respectively by Christopher Fairbank and Elizabeth Counsell. They both first appeared in episode 6831, broadcast 1 January 2024, and were introduced as the adoptive parents of established character George Knight (Colin Salmon).

Development
Fairbank and Counsell's casting was announced on 10 December 2023, with the characters being announced to make their first appearance on the upcoming New Year's Day. The actors had begun filming prior to their announcement. The characters were introduced as the adoptive parents of established character George Knight (Colin Salmon), who he hasn't seen in over a decade, with the characters being teased as hiding a secret upon arrival. Speaking about the new characters, executive producer Chris Clenshaw explained delight to introduce the new characters, "delighted" to welcome Fairbank and Counsell. He teased that the couple would be joining for a short stint, but teased that they would immediately be "thrust into the heart of the drama" through their attempts to reconnect with George, but it would soon become clear why George "kept his distance". Speaking her casting, Counsell called it an "absolute joy" and sang her praises for the crew, saying they had been "brilliant" and "welcoming". Fairbank was also happy to join the show, saying he was "thrilled" upon his casting. Their characters had been previously teased October 2023 by Clenshaw, as he promised "more Knights" to come in 2024. Eddie and Gloria's introduction coincided with the timing of a previously teased "big Knight [family] storyline".

Shortly after their arrival, it was announced that the characters adopted George by a process known as child farming, where babies are illegally sold to parents looking for a child and that George would struggle with this revelation. It was teased that this would not be the only secret Eddie and Gloria were hiding, and that one of which would be Eddie's character would be a racist. Writing the storyline involved the show consulting experts and people with experiences of farming to tackle the storyline sensitively and accurately.

Reception
Instagram users were excited for Gloria's reintroduction, with many praising Counsell's performance.