Since arriving in Albert Square, Kojo Asare (Dayo Koleosho) and Harry Mitchell (Elijah Holloway) have become one of the most unexpected but beloved duos in EastEnders.
While their personalities couldn’t be more different, their growing friendship has struck a chord with fans who’ve watched the pair navigate drama, loyalty, and plenty of banter in true Walford style.
Kojo, who joined the Square as a charming newcomer with a mysterious past, quickly made an impression.
Meanwhile, Harry is known for his fiery temper and complicated family ties. On paper, the two might not seem like natural friends, but their chemistry has proved otherwise.
Whether it’s Harry stepping in when Kojo found himself in trouble or Kojo offering a calming presence when Harry’s emotions boiled over, the two have formed a brotherly bond.
Speaking on the pair’s friendship, Elijah shared some details about Harry and Kojo’s on-screen dynamic.
‘Harry doesn’t have many friends, and his family is really dysfunctional, so Kojo is very special to him. Harry is a naughty boy and hot-headed, but he’s fiercely loyal to the people he loves’, he said.
‘Underneath it all, he’s a kid who just wants to be loved, and Kojo is the first person to have really seen that in him. Kojo doesn’t have any of the preconceptions that other people might have about Harry, so he’s a light in Harry’s life amongst all the darkness.’
Harry is always quick to have Kojo’s back, so when a punter was rude to Kojo at The Arches, Harry didn’t stand for it. ‘Harry won’t let anyone disrespect or take advantage of Kojo’, Elijah added.
‘He sees the purity that Kojo has and loves him for it. Kojo is such an innocent soul, so anyone who tries to pick on him when Harry is there isn’t going to get away with it.’
Next week, we see Harry and Kojo land themselves in dangerous territory in the middle of a drug scandal as Ravi Gulati (Aaron Thiara) returns to dangerous territory in a bid to fix the Panesars’ financial troubles.
With the family in crisis following Bernie Taylor’s (Clair Norris) explosive revenge raid on their accounts, Ravi is left scrambling to recover lost funds and turns back to his shady past to do it.
Seeking a fast solution, Ravi contacts former associate Nicola Mitchell (Laura Doddington) to get hold of a drug supply.
Police arrive as they get down to business, and they’re forced to hide Ravi’s car.
Harry agrees to keep the car hidden at The Arches, ‘Harry’s not stupid, and he knows that Ravi must be desperate to go to him, so he immediately sees the opportunity to make some money and gain some power.’
But both he and Kojo are horrified when they discover a massive stash of drugs in the boot of a car. ‘They are both shocked, but Kojo is horrified’, Elijah explained.
‘Kojo’s reaction is what motivates Harry to tell Ravi that he needs to get rid of the stash because there’s no way they are going to be messing with drugs. He doesn’t want Kojo feeling uncomfortable, and Harry’s got a strict ‘no drugs’ rule himself when it comes to business. He takes Kojo’s feelings very seriously.’
Panicked, Harry desperately tries to get Ravi to remove the vehicle, but his calls go unanswered, and Kojo refuses to return to work until the drugs are out of sight.
The following day, Harry is shocked to find Phil working on the car and even more alarmed to realise the stash has vanished. ‘When Harry realises they’ve gone, he goes into complete shock and panic. He has dealt with the underworld before, and he knows the implications of losing that amount of drugs.’
Convinced Nicola is behind it, Harry confronts her, but a major twist is just around the corner…
When Ravi and Okie arrive at The Arches to find the stash missing, tensions explode, but with Ravi’s temper boiling over, the big question is who will be blamed and face Ravi’s wrath? One thing is for sure: Harry is willing to protect Kojo at any cost.
‘If Harry loves you, he’s the most loyal person you could have on your side, and he loves Kojo’, Elijah noted.
‘He knows what might happen to Kojo if he got blamed for the drugs going missing, and Harry believes he can deal with the consequences better than Kojo could.’
Speaking on working with Dayo and Aaron on this storyline, the star gushed: ‘I love working with Dayo, and it’s easy to have the sort of rapport and chemistry that Harry and Kojo have on screen when it’s already there in real life. Aaron is one of the actors I look up to most, and I think he’s a powerhouse’.
