EastEnders confirms Emmerdale and The Bill star Micah Balfour as George Knight's son Junior

Micah Balfour will join the EastEnders cast as Junior Knight, the BBC soap confirmed on Thursday, May 2. The 45-year-old actor from Peckham, South London, will arrive in Walford later this month as an addition to the already-established Knight family.

As fans of the long-running show will know, George Knight (Colin Salmon) has been struggling after finding out his adoptive dad Eddie (Christopher Fairbank) killed his biological father Henry Kofi Asare. George was told how he went to live with Eddie and his wife Gloria (Elizabeth Counsell) as a child after his parents gave him up, but when they wanted their son back Eddie turned violent.

There has been more heartbreak for George as he discovered his biological mum had died only four months before he tried to track her down. Then last month, adoptive mum Gloria died suddenly following a heart attack leaving him devastated.

READ MORE: EastEnders quiz tells you which member of the Beale family you are

George tried to contact his son Junior to tell him of his grandmother's death, but he so far hasn't been able to track him down. But with a complicated father-son relationship spanning decades, Junior will arrive in Walford as George continues to spiral following Gloria’s death.

Although the reason for the pair's estrangement is not yet known, the circumstances surrounding their surprise reunion is also under wraps. But it soon becomes apparent that George’s mystery firstborn child may be keeping a few cards close to his chest.

Speaking about his new character's arrival in Walford, Micah said: "I’m thrilled to be joining the cast of EastEnders as part of the Knight family. I grew up watching the show and many of the characters have been part of my life for as long as I can remember, so walking onto the Square for the first time was the most surreal experience of my career!"

He added: "It’s a privilege to work with Colin Salmon, who I’ve watched with admiration for many years, and Francesca Henry and Molly Rainford, who are dynamite on screen, as well as the amazing Harriet Thorpe and Kellie Bright. Junior is an exciting character to play as he’s a complex man, and he’s going to cause a bit of a stir!"

Micah has been an actor since 2005 when he first appeared in The Bill as Asher Campbell before playing PC Benjamin Gayle until 2010, starring in 113 episodes of the much-loved crime drama. He also famously played Jermaine Bailey in Emmerdale between 2015 and 2016.

Micah has also starred in a long list of other TV shows including Silent Witness (2015), Holby City (2017), White House Farm (2020), Doctors (2017), and Doctor Who (2010). Most recently, Micah portrayed Theo Danforth in Casualty, Jonas in Lovely Little Farm, and Roy Hamilton in Death in Paradise.

Speaking about Micah joining EastEnders, the show's producer Chris Clenshaw added: "I’m delighted to welcome Micah Balfour to the cast of EastEnders as he takes on the role of Junior Knight. Although Junior has been referenced since The Knights arrived in the Square, the audience knows very little about George’s son and the circumstances behind their estrangement.

"Junior arrives in Walford following an unlikely meet with his dad and is quickly thrust into the heart of the drama. However, it will soon become apparent to viewers that there is more to Junior than meets the eye."

Want more Albert Square gossip from MyLondon? Sign up to our EastEnders newsletters for all the latest and greatest from Walford here.