EastEnders' Colin Salmon and Harriet Thorpe on the future for George and Elaine: 'Cindy's always looming'

George passed the test, but nearly called the wedding off after learning what Elaine did, but the pair talked it through and decided to put the past behind them and face the future as a married couple.

In an exclusive interview with RadioTimes.com, Colin Salmon and Harriet Thorpe, who took over Walford’s iconic Queen Victoria pub 18 months ago as George and Elaine, lift the lid on their characters' relationship and tease why sinful Cindy will continue to cause drama for the Knight family.

Are you pleased George and Elaine got married in the end?

Harriet Thorpe: I think it’s wonderful to get an opportunity to represent people who actually do get married and make the right choices. They’re both in their 60s, when you know what you don’t want out of life, which is a very key thing. They’re not kids!

Colin Salmon: I agree. It’s important and it shows their commitment, and maturity.

How would you have felt had they not tied the knot after everything they’ve been through?

CS: The trajectory from the moment the Knights arrived has been that commitment to this relationship. George came with his daughters and chose to be in Walford with Lainey. There’s been tricky waters to navigate but marriage was always the goal.

He’s an old school guy who sees things through. Lainey brought him back from the heartbreak and chaos he was in when they met in Marbella. Her loyalty is really important to him.

Did you think Elaine went too far by using Cindy as a honeytrap?

HT: I could understand it. We’re so lucky as actors to play these diamonds that have new facets thrown at us all the time, to change and validate and create different sides to the characters.

CS: I was quite upset! You test because you’re insecure. I suppose it was an intelligent thing to do and came from Lainey opening about the situation with her first husband.

HT: She’d kept the fact he was gay to herself, not because of any shame but to honour that person’s feelings and keep them strong in the hope one day they could own who they were. That triggered her realisation, she trusts George but he did go off and kiss Cindy twice…

CS: I’ve been reading The Man of La Mancha which is based on Don Quixote, and believed to be the beginning of modern literature. The character Lothario is asked by his best mate to seduce this friend’s wife because he felt she was too good to be true. I was reading that while we did the honeytrap storyline, It’s a real thing!

Can Elaine and George trust each other going forward?

HT: The honeytrap was Elaine asking herself ‘Do I dare trust him?’ because of her own issues. But Cindy is always going to be looming over them. Some family problems just never stop!

Do they suspect Kojo is in hospital because of what he knows about Cindy and Junior?

CS: Kojo has been a really interesting character, and Dayo Koleosho as an actor himself is extraordinary. He only speaks the truth, and in EastEnders that is a problem! That’s why he’s in hospital and is about to have a little lesson in subterfuge and lies and fear. It’s quite interesting to watch it happen.

HT: Kojo has brought an innocence, vulnerability, love and honesty to this growing, blended family. The Knights aren’t perfect, they’re a mess, but are trying to create the antithesis of the chaos and madness that goes on elsewhere in other families on the Square.

If George knew about Junior and Cindy’s affair, where would his loyalties lie?

CS: With Lainey and the girls! There would be fallout for Gina and Anna. He’d be disappointed and I don’t know who he’d be angrier with. Probably Cindy, she’s older and should be wiser. I think he’d just want to know from either of them what their game is!

Did you enjoy filming your first soap wedding?

HT: It was great. The outfits they made were wonderful and honoured the Ghanian flag with the colours. It was inclusive and celebratory.

CS: We filmed in a beautiful old church in Bushey, near the EastEnders studios. Neither Harriet nor myself got married in a church in real life so we it was like having a fantasy wedding which was quite moving.

What does George admire about Elaine?

CS: Her consistency, loyalty, bravery and kindness. George knows the ‘off stage’ Lainey without the mask when we see her vulnerability and resilience. They have fun, are honest with each other. Also, there’s no issue of a woman taking the lead. If men can’t deal with you have to wonder which part of the east end they grew up in, because as far as I can see it was always the women who ran things. He also likes her perfume. Although she makes terrible coffee…

And what frustrates Elaine about George?

HT: I don’t know where to begin after that comment…! He’s quite hot-headed at times and reacts to protect people and fix things, but doesn’t always look after himself. As a partner that’s hard. We saw that with the underground boxing. There are moments he can’t share things, she wishes if he’d just give himself a minute to not be okay, that’s okay!

What have your highlights been since joining EastEnders?

CS: The whole baby farming storyline, from the minute we stepped into George’s parents' flat. That scene of us together at the table was when we all bonded as actors beyond understanding, it was so raw yet it was all about love.

It was beautifully written. I’m really proud of it, the public didn’t know this really happened and were so open to learn about it. EastEnders doesn’t underestimate the audience, and I enjoy that.

HT: Being part of Yolande’s story was so moving. It’s important to represent older women who have been abused, because it happens. And telling Linda the truth about her late father’s sexuality at her hen night, I hadn’t had a storyline about Elaine’s past up to that point and it was wonderful to see a different side to her.

Elaine stayed strong to honour a husband she loved but didn’t love her, no matter how much she wanted him to. She would’ve been happy had he been able to come out, but put on a front to protect him. It sheds light on Linda not being able to handle it when her own son Johnny came out.

CS: The late Timothy West was one of my heroes and he was here, as was Anthony Newley – those guys were gods to me, so I feel very honoured to be a part of this show.

Which characters would you like to have more scenes with?

HT: I’d quite like stuff with the more mature girls like Mo and Kathy. As a woman it’s nice to have pals of an equal age, the older you get the rarer that is.

CS: Having realised how many young people watch EastEnders, I’d like George to get some of the younger ones into the gym and be that pastoral figure. We’ve already seen that with Denzel.

HT: In real life, that goes on all the time, young people can be inspired by someone such as George to get away from violence, it’s important to know that there is a choice. You don’t have to go down the only road that is painted for you that you grow up in.

Who would your dream guest stars be?

CS: I’d love to see Frank Bruno at the boxing gym!

HT: I have this idea that Elaine ran a pub in the west end in her youth, and the likes of Ian McKellen used to go there. These famous actors could turn up at the Queen Vic occasionally and tell Elaine how much they miss her! Colin, why don’t you ask your old friend Dame Judi to pop in…?

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EastEnders airs Monday to Thursday at 7:30pm on BBC One and from 6am on BBC iPlayer.

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